Abstract This paper deals with hate crimes in America , the nation's response to the concept of the hate crime, and what measures are taken to prevent them. The author includes explicit historical references in the paper regarding anti-Semitic, racial and homosexual prejudices, etc.
From the Paper "Prejudice is an omnipresent force, evident in civilizations throughout history. People naturally fear that which is different and unusual. Prejudice manifests itself in many forms, an innocent assumption, vulgar graffiti, offensive language, and even assault. It is when a crime becomes motivated by prejudice that it becomes a hate crime. Over the past few years, the nation has experienced an alarming number of disturbing and sometimes deadly hate crimes. The dragging death of Africa-American James Byrd, Jr., in Jasper, Texas; the deadly attack on Matthew Sheppard, a gay student in Laramie, Wyoming; the shooting rampage targeting minority citizens in Chicago; and the shootings of children at a Jewish community center in Los Angeles, California, followed by the murder of Joseph Santos Ileto, a Filipino-American mail worker. All of these events have left a trail of dead or wounded victims and traumatized, horrified communities."
From the Paper "This paper will discuss the immigration of Mexicans to the United States. The first part of the paper will describe the history of this immigration. This will cover the period from the Mexican-American War to the present. The second part of the paper will examine the problems the immigrants faced in assimilating into American culture. This will look at the problem of discrimination and the participation of Mexican-Americans in the political process.
A History of Mexican Immigration
There is little evidence of Mexican immigration to the United States on a massive scale prior to the Twentieth Century. On the contrary, Americans migrated to Mexican lands throughout the Nineteenth Century. The Spanish had created settlements throughout..."
Sociological analysis of book on Odessa, Texas, high school football team & town's values, using approaches of functionalism, conflict theory & interactionism.
2,250 words (approx. 9 pages), 6 sources, 1996, $ 79.95
From the Paper "In Friday night lights: A town, a team, and a dream H. C. Bissinger recounts his observations of living in Odessa, Texas where he sees "high school sports keeping a town together, keeping it alive" (Bissinger, 1990, xi). With passion and sensitivity Bissinger records the triumphs and failings of Odessa's Permian Panthers. As a journalist Bissinger's aim is to explore the town's values about race, education, politics and the economy (Bissinger, 1990, p. xiii). Analysis of the sociological concepts emergent in Friday night lights will be examined against the rubric of functionalism, conflict theory, and interactionism. Since sports pervade contemporary American culture, it has become a preferred target of study for many sociologists. A new field of specialization, the sociology of sports, emerged with..."
Abstract This paper presents an analysis of sexual harassment in the workplace. The author discusses background of sexual harassment, legalities of sexual harassment and business strategies to reduce sexual harassment in the workplace such as various policies and requirements.
From the Paper "In 1964 Title VII of the Civil Rights Act was accepted into our nation's law. Since then sexual harassment has been added as a protected class under Title VII. Unfortunately, it has taken many high-profile lawsuits such as the Anita Hill Senate hearings, Faragher v. Boca Raton, and Crowley v. L.L. Bean for employers to understand that it is imperative for every company, no matter how big or small, to have a well-thought out plan for dealing with sexual harassment situations. It is also crucial that these organizations make sure their employees are completely aware of the procedures to follow if such a situation arises. Not only should companies have guidelines in this area, but they should also make it clear where they stand on relationships between employees and how sexuality is viewed within the company, because what is acceptable in one instance may be unacceptable in another. One of the most common reasons sexual harassment situations evolve into multi-million dollar lawsuits is because the victims are not made aware of their organization's policies or their claims are not properly dealt with by the organization. By taking a few simple preventive measures, the probability that a lawsuit will arise from a sexual harassment is minimal, making the workplace better for both employees and employers."
Abstract This paper is on immigration in America. The author looks at the effects of immigration on America such as the mix of race, religion and nationality and examines the possible effects of closing immigration.
From the Paper "Without immigration the United States would not exist today. Our country was founded by immigrants, shaped by immigrants, and has been made the greatest country in the world thanks in large part to immigrants. How can we even consider closing the doors of immigration? The United States is a beautiful mosaic of races, religions, and nationalities. Immigrants have made our country unique from all others. In no other place on earth can you speak with any accent, be any color, or have any belief and know that you have the same opportunities and rights as everyone else. America has been described as a melting pot of cultures and ideas and for this we should be thankful. Immigrants have contributed so much to our country. The United States must keep its immigration doors open, and to all people."
Abstract This paper takes a look at how the media influences the way adolescents view the ideal body image. The author examines the type of stereotypes that the media encourages and the way that this effects society.
From the Paper "Adolescence is a time for learning and growth. This time can be easier to handle by some than others. For some it can be a revelation of new experiences and ideas, while adolescence can also be a difficult, stressful time for those trying to discover themselves. This can affect themselves as well as those around them. During this time, adolescents are likely to identify with those around them, their peers. Identifying with peers can help adolescents along by giving them the opportunity to see how others deal with problems similar to their own and by offering their own advice to those who need it. Along with this, adolescents are liable to worry about their body image, and may want to conform to those who have achieved the "desired" image. This image may be thin, muscular, or just average. Nevertheless, some adolescents will go too far to achieve this image, usually this is done by adolescent females who wish to become thin. This can be attributed to media's portrayal of women. The majority of women in ads, television and movies are thin and are seen as attractive because of this. Adolescent girls will see these women and may want their image as their own, and some will go to any lengths to acquire this. This in turn could lead to the idea that during this process of change and growing up, adolescents are often concerned about their physical image, which is influenced by the media."
Abstract This paper looks at the taboo subject of sexual harassment in the work place. It discusses laws and legislation which were made in order to define what exactly sexual harassment is, but at the same time shows the difficulty which is often accounted in telling the difference between "friendliness" and harassment.
From the paper:
"For anyone who has ever been the victim of it, sexual harassment is pretty simple to understand, and when unwanted sexual contact (whether verbal or physical) occurs in the workplace, it is especially unwelcoming because it threatens a person's ability to earn a living without being subjected to deeply personal invasions.Sexual harassment can end a career, ruin a family beyond repair and force victims into extensive psychotherapy and medication. It is entirely unacceptable in a nation whose public policy emphasizes equal employment opportunities for women and men. Sexual harassment in the workplaces compromises the victim's ability to function as a economic agent and so threatens (usually) her ability to live as an independent, autonomous member of society. When harassment is widespread in the workplace, a worker has no way to escape from its painful consequences except to drop out of the arena of paid work."
Abstract This paper explores the police use of racial profiling. It explains how some policemen use this racial profiling code to promote their own personal ethnic bias towards certain population groups. It argues that this method in fighting crime promotes institutional racism.
From the Paper "America is a beautiful place where people are supposed to live in peace and be treated equally. But, some people may disagree with because they are mistreated due their racial background. Racism has always been a problem everyone has to encounter at some point in his or her life. However, most people would not think that the police would contribute to the racism trouble that we have. Unfortunately, they encourage the negative issue by having a code called racial profiling. Racial profiling is where the police think certain minorities commit certain crimes. For instance, if most black men are drug dealers, then a black man will be accused of being one almost every time they come across a police officer. With that in mind, racial profiling is very wrong and should not exist in the police force. It also should not exist since it promotes discrimination against minorities. "
Abstract According to a recent survey, nine out of ten U.S. households with children have rented or owned a video or computer game and nearly a third of the Top 100 video-console games for the first quarter of 1999 had at least some sort of violent content. This paper looks at the effect these games have on the emotional, moral and social well-being of children. The paper covers issues such as the gradual changing of the 'bad-guys' from monsters and imaginary characters to real people, thus legitimizing violent behavior, as well as looking at the link between violent video games and events such as the Columbine High School shooting. Finally, the paper looks at the possibility of banning these video games and the difficulties involved.
From the Paper "Opponents of violent video games usually argue that games such as Doom or Quake help break down the natural inhibitions we have against killing and in the U.S. the military has begun using Doom-like games to improve so-called fire rates ? encouraging soldiers to pull the trigger in battle. Only about one-fifth of U.S. soldiers in combat in World War II fired their weapons, a rate that the military pushed up to 95% by the Vietnam War, in part through the use of simulations meant to make shooting at humans seem more routine and "normal" (Slatalla)."
Abstract This paper describes the subject of Carol Stack's book, "The Neighborhood", the focus of the book, and the purpose of Stack's research, which was to search for some kind of relationship model among black families. The paper then goes on to discuss Stack's findings regarding the kinship network she uncovered and how poverty is such a defining element of this network.
From the Paper "The author has conducted an in-depth study of the lives of families living in these neighborhoods marked by perpetual poverty. "Poverty" as we all know is the one thing that has been perpetually and negatively affecting the lives of this community for ages and nothing significant or concrete has been done so far to address this issue successfully. Several attempts have been made to bring the African American community out of their dismal situation but all these measures have failed to cast a lasting impact and for this reason, most black families in poor neighborhoods are still living in sub-human conditions."
The paper is written from the stand point that gay marriages should be legalized because marriage is a basic human right. It also examines the work of those who claim that it is actually a very old institution.
3,030 words (approx. 12.1 pages), 12 sources, 2000, $ 89.95
From the Paper "The paper fuses research done by two brilliant writers, John Boswell and W. Eskridge to prove that same-sex marriages have actually been in existence since the Dark Ages. It includes legal citations, the Catholic view on gay marriages, different types of marriages..."
Abstract A look at the the effects of TV violence on the lives of children. The author includes real life examples and examines the constitutional attack on television violence as child violence escalates. An examination of the debates taking place.
From the Paper "In most people's homes there sits an outlet for violence that often goes unnoticed. It is the television, and the children who view it are often pulled into its realistic world of violent scenes with sometimes devastating results. Most parents don"t realize what their children are being exposed to. They know that their children are watching TV, whether they know what they"re watching or not, and how it can affect them later in life is a different story."
Abstract This is an argumentative paper about violence on television and its impact on youth. The author argues that television violence influences youth crime. Included is a classification of different kinds of violence on TV and a comparison of violence between the different genders.
From the Paper "Most people in our society generally have the opinion that violence on television increases aggression in children and adolescents. Does it ? Who is to say whether television has a positively direct effect or a positive correlation ? However, the majority of the people who have researched this topic have discovered that violence on television is indeed one of the prime factors contributing to the increase in violent and aggressive behavior among the youth in society. That is to say "there has been a growth of strong evidence to suggest that television violence does play an important and contributory part in the learning of aggression." In other words, violence in the media helps promote and encourage children and adolescents to freely express their abusive behavior. As a result, the topic of my essay will help support the issue that violence in the media causes abusive behavior in youths. Furthermore, I will emphasize if there are any differences in aggressive behavior between the genders. "
Abstract This paper argues that voluntary euthanasia preserves dignity. Examined in this paper are such ideas as the right to die, the ethical parameters of euthanasia, the quality of life perspective and a place for euthanasia within varied perspectives. The author argues that one of the greatest ways to preserve another person's dignity is through an act of mercy. Voluntary euthanasia is an act of mercy, which therefore, preserves dignity with the bestowment of final compassion.
From the Paper "A step in awareness is the enactment of careful laws that permit forms of voluntary euthanasia. In the United States, the state of Oregon's Death With Dignity Act, allowing ?limited physician-assisted suicide,? is an example of a start for public understanding. In ideal cases of merciful euthanasia, a person makes a painstaking, well thought-out decision. Voluntary euthanasia is rarely carried out at the first knowledge of impending death, especially if medical help is available to treat the terminal disease. Voluntary euthanasia is an act of mercy, and therefore, preserves dignity with the bestowment of final compassion. "
Abstract This paper presents a detailed look at the positive and negative effects of capital punishment. The writer examines historical events on the topic and discusses the pros and cons to each viewpoint. There were twenty sources used to complete this paper.
From the Paper ?Few issues can get the public stirred up as well as the issue of capital punishment can. When we talk about the death penalty we open a very emotional subject that can become quite heated even between friends. For every argument one finds in favor of capital punishment there is a counter argument against it. It seems to be a never ending battle with each side making valid points. The positives and negatives of the dilemma end up becoming a personal choice based on which side most closely matches one's personal views."
