Is Solitary Confinement an Effective Means of Changing Criminal Behavior Essay Example

Is Solitary Confinement an Effective Means of Changing Criminal Behavior Essay Example Is Solitary Confinement an Effective Means of Changing Criminal Behavior Essay Is Solitary Confinement an Effective Means of Changing Criminal Behavior Essay Is Solitary Confinement an Effective Means of Changing Criminal Behavior? Name: School: Course/Number: October 31, 2011 Instructor’s Name: Table of Contents Introduction: Statement of the Problem †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.2 Purpose of the Study †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..3 Research Hypothesis †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..4 Justification of the Study †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦5 Limitations of the Study †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦6 Assumptions of the Study†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..8 Terminology †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.8 Literature Review †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.9 Methodology: Participants †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.17 Informed Consent †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦18 Data Collection †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦19 The Questionnaire †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦20 Is Solitary Confinement an Effective Means of Changing Criminal Behavior? Introduction: Statement of the Problem Solitary confinement has been a controversial form of punishment in prison, where prisoners are confined in solitary cells. Such prisoners spend more than 23 hours of their day in solitary confinement where they do not get to talk to any body except the prison wardens on rare occasions when they are served food and when in outdoors for a few minutes. In many occasions, the prisoners are put into solitary cells not because of crimes they are in for, but for committing other crimes in the prison that are considered dangerous to other prisoners especially violence related crimes (Lovell, Cloyes, Allen, Rhodes, 2000). Most of the solitary confined prisoners are released from prison directly to the gates or their freedom without undergoing any counseling to help them live or adapt back to free life where they are free to do anything. This has raised some concern in me whether such prisoners who serve their sentence in solitary cell are able to reform considering they do not talk to anybo dy in prison, which is important for changing behavior. Considering prison is supposed to be a form of rehabilitation, solitary confinement does not help in changing criminal behavior since people cannot change their behavior without the help of others. Majority of the prisoners put in this confinement are criminals who engage in violent behavior, which can only be changed through learning to live with other people and controlling their anger around others (Yost, Knobil, Coyote, Auster Dubrino, 2010). Behavior is influenced largely by the environment, personal factors as well as attributes of the behavior. When put in solitary confinement the prisoners have nothing to influence their behavior, and use their personal thought as days pass by inside the cell. Thoughts of such a person cannot be expected to be good when they are alone, and this might even give them more reasons to encourage criminal thoughts. Hence, there is nothing to influence them to change either for the better or for worse. In behavior model theories, social support and ecological support suggest that a person needs physical activities to enhance changing of behavior and positive motivation. A prison may not have such environments, but allowing all prisoners to take part in physical activities is better than locking them for 23 hours in a solitary cell without anybody to talk to. From several researches, it has been found that solitary confinement has had mental effects on the prisoners, and others having psychological disorders. According to Grassian (n.d.), solitary confinement where prisoners have minimal social contact can adversely have psychiatric effects on the prisoner. He further cites that too much restriction from social and environmental stimulation can have a deleterious result on the functioning of the brain. Solitary confinement is said to ruin a man in very few weeks. People who suffer such effects may recover after sometime from imprisonment, but some could end up having little tolerance for interaction with other people. Such people may have difficulties for the rest of their life in adapting back to social life after solitary confinement for a long period. Purpose of the Study Many researchers have conducted studies on the effects of solitary confinement, but few have looked at its effectiveness in changing criminal behavior. Many would argue that solitary confinement suits such violent criminals who pose a threat to others and do not seek to know why they engage in such acts of violence. Many researchers and psychologists have sought to know causes of criminal behavior, where many have proven that nature vs. nurture issue has an answer to this question. Many researchers conclude that criminal behavior is influenced by genetic make up and environmental factors. Many have cited that a person with criminal genes does not end up a criminal, but with a pre-disposition to a criminal environment, their chances of becoming criminals are high. Hence, despite genetic make up playing a role in criminal behavior, the environment plays the role of enhancing the behavior or bringing it out of the person. Without the environment to enhance criminal behavior, people wit h criminal genes on a higher probability may never end up engaging in crimes. Therefore, rehabilitating or changing criminal behavior requires an environment that can help the criminals overcome their genetic influence on such behaviors. In this study, I seek to find out whether solitary confinement is an effective means of changing criminal behavior, where such people are isolated from the rest, with minimal interaction with the environment. I also intend to seek whether solitary confinement where there is no environment, either criminal or not helps in shaping the behavior of a criminal. In addition, criminals who do not end up fully rehabilitated from their criminal behavior may have a chance of engaging in criminal behavior again. In this study, I seek to find out the rate of adoption or relapsing to previous criminal behaviors for solitary confined inmates. More still, from this study, I intend to find out what happens to solitary confined inmates after they are released, whether they are able to adapt back to the society, or are there long-term psychological effects of their solitary confinement that may play a role in adapting back to social life. More so, this study will be comparing recidivism among those co nfined in solitary cells and those in general population, to give an insight of what means is more effective (Lovell Johnson, n.d.). Research Hypothesis H1: Solitary confinement is not effective in changing criminal behavior H0: Solitary confinement is effective in changing criminal behavior. H1: Solitary confinement has many adverse long-term psychological effects on the inmates H0: Solitary confinement does not have adverse long-term psychological effect on inmates. H1: The rate of recidivism of solitary confinement is higher compared to other inmates H0: The rate of recidivism of solitary confinement is lower compared to other inmates Justification of the Study Considering the rate of crime is going higher everyday and more people continue to flock the prisons, there is need for finding out what means of changing criminal behavior is more effective, in an effort to reduce the rate of crime as well as recidivism to crime. Conducting a study on whether solitary confinement acts as an effective means of changing behavior will play an important role in the fight against crime. Moreover, considering that many of those who engage in criminal behavior have a violent and neglected childhood, putting them in solitary confinement may act counteractively in changing their criminal behavior since being neglected at a tender age contributed to their criminal behavior, which is the same with solitary confinement where prisoners are isolated (fortunecity.com, n.d.). From the many researches carried out, there has been a strong indication of the fact that solitary confinement does have adverse long-term effects on the inmates, and may not act to change th eir behavior; hence, seeking to prove this statement may be of great importance in reforming criminals from their behaviors. This study will provide information whether adding more to their punishment is the best way to change their behavior, or could giving them social support to change their behavior probably be better? The result of this study will play a crucial role in illustrating whether solitary confinement should be used as a means of changing criminal behavior in the future. In addition, considering the study will also seek to find out the recidivism rate of this type of confinement, it will provide crucial information concerning how effective it has been. More so, in seeking the recidivism rate and long-term effects of solitary confinement in adjusting back to the society, the study will provide results concerning the life of those who served solitary confinement and how their life has been since their release. Have they managed to stay away from crime because they do not want to be back in solitary confinement, or is it because the effects of the confinement have made them incapable of crime? In addition, the results will provide an insight concerning whether the psychiatric effects of solitary confinement guarantee that an inmate will not want to be in the same situation again; hence, the results will tell whether the severe punishment motivates the criminals never to relapse to their criminal activities ever again, considering this is the worst form of punishment. The court does not sentence people to serve their sentences in solitary confinement except for the terrorists who pose a threat to the nation. Solitary confinement for others is declared by the prison authorities depending on the behavior of the prisoner inside prison. It is important to note that majority of the prisoners are criminals, and could all contribute to violence in prisons. However, not all may be confined in isolation. Hence, solitary confinement is meant to correct violent behavior in prisons, but is it efficient when the prisoners are released upon serving their sentences. Results of this question will provide information on whether confining them will help them change their behavior once released. The whole results of the study will provide the criminology department with enough information about solitary confinement ability to change or not to change criminal behavior. Limitations of the Study There are several limitations to this study considering the nature of the subjects involved. Many of the inmates who have served and are serving in this form of confinement find it quite hard to talk about the subject due to fear of victimization, and in addition, the effect of the solitary confinement makes it difficult to communicate effectively while expressing their feelings. In proving whether the inmates are able to change due to solitary confinement, not many of the ex-convicts in solitary confinement may prove this if they have psychiatric effects. The other limitation is having access to files of the inmates who are confined in solitary cells considering they fear victimization from their records. From several researches, this has been a problem where permission has to be sought before such information is given, including why they are in solitary cells. Considering prisoners put in solitary cells are confined until they finish their sentence, there may be no prove whether they manage to change violent behaviors in side prison. Thus, there can be no record of their behavior after solitary confinement in the prisons; hence, the study has to make its own observations that will require time to notice the behavior. The other limitation comes from finding people who are already released from prison to give an account of their experiences and how their lives have turned out to be since their release and how coping with a world that had been denied to them for years has been. Finding such people is hard considering that some might be intolerant to social interaction, and end up showing their whereabouts to very few people. Hence, proving whether some of them have refrained from criminal behavior because of fear of going back to prison again or because they underwent mental difficulties that have had long-term effects, leaving them incapable of crime will not be easy since not many may answer this correctly. More so, if such people are involved in crime again yet to be caught, they are not likely to provide such information that could send them to jail, proving the recidivism rate may not be easy if a person has not been caught by the law yet. For better result, there will be a need to observe and interview those who have just been released from prisons after serving their solitary confinement and those who were released more than a year from the time of the study to access the rate of adapting back to normal life. In addition, it will be hard to find out what their previous life before conviction was when they were arrested and their current behavior to illustrate the changes that have occurred since the release. Assumptions of the Study To complete this study, several assumptions have to be made without necessarily affecting the results significantly. The selected participants in the study are from Texas, and it is assumed that they represent all of the prisoners who have been released from solitary confinement in the state. The other participants have been selected from several prisons to make the study more comprehensive and it is assumed they may not be released from solitary confinement until their sentence is over since we have not come across any of the prisoners in the prisons who has been to the solitary and is out. It is also assumed that the subjects or the inmates were the most dangerous and violent inside prison since the prison authorities make us believe it is so. It is also assumed that the prisoners interviewed had no psychiatric conditions before they were put in solitary cell considering mentally ill people are discouraged from being put under such confinement. Terminology Recidivism rate: The rate at which the released prisoners are likely to relapse back to criminal activities or behavior Solitary confinement: This is the act of holding prisoners their own cells, which are just big enough to accommodate their basic amenities such as toilet and sink. The prisoners spend around 23 hours of their day inside these cells away from social interaction. It is also called Intensive Management Units (IMUs). Control units and Supermax: Have been used interchangeably with solitary confinement, segregation and isolation. Criminal behavior: The behavior of wanting to get into crime most of the time Past felony: Previously committed crimes Subjects: These are the prisoners and ex-prisoners that the study is centered upon Participant: They are all the people involved in the study, ranging from prisoners, prison authorities and wardens together with family members of the subjects. Mental disturbances and psychiatric disorders: These terms have been used interchangeably to explain the abnormal brain conditions of those confined in solitary cells. Rehabilitation: The act of helping a person to live independently from a previous behavior, which in this topic means reducing the recidivism rate Literature Review When a person is sentenced to prison, many people know that it will be a better way of rehabilitating them by taking away their freedom and time, which everybody wishes to have. However, some prisoners face even worse than that through solitary confinement. The court does not sentence people to serve in solitary confinement, but it is usually because of criminal activities in prison that cause them to go to solitary cells. What makes it the worst form of punishment is the fact that a prisoner does not get any right to leave the concrete wall, for a whole day except a few minutes everyday (Siegel, 2009). This makes it quite inhumane for the prisoners who do not even have a chance to talk to another human being. This has been known to have many effects on the person and has raised the question whether solitary confinement is a way of rehabilitating people or just a form of punishment. Considering that changing of behavior requires the influence of other people, solitary confinement do es not provide all the necessary needs for change since there is no contact with other people; thus, solitary confinement does not rehabilitate criminal behavior. It has been cited by many researchers that putting a person in isolation is a sure way of making them go insane (Rodriguez, 2011). Solitary confinement puts prisoners in isolation from other people and physical activities for around 23 hours a day, leaving only one hour for the prisoners to be outside, alone without any human contact. The only people they are able to talk to are the prison guards on rare occasions during the day. A research conducted on solitary confined people showed that solitary confined persons had a higher probability of developing pathologies at a rate of 28% vs. 15% of the general population (Rodriguez, 2011). Furthermore, it has been cited that solitary confined prisoners are likely to engage in self-mutilation at higher rates than other general population inmates are. It is evident that solitary confinement has quite a negative effect on the psychology of the person and their mental health (Haney, 2003). According to Grassian (n.d.), after solitary confinement was introduced in America, many thought it was a good idea of criminal rehabilitation. However, he further cites that the results were catastrophic since so many of the prisoners developed severe psychiatric effects, making the solitary confinement face more disfavors from people. The mental disturbances and their severity were so high among the prisoners put under this confinement. â€Å"The paradigmatic psychiatric disturbance was an agitated confusional state which, in more severe cases, had the characteristics of a florid delirium, characterized by severe confusional, paranoid, and hallucinatory features †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ( Grassian, n.d. p.328). He further cites that even among people who had no prior disturbances, such behaviors were observed after they were confined, including self-violence. It also contributed to exacerbation of previously observed mental conditions to a severe level. These conditions make it difficult for such individuals to adapt back even to the other prison environment after they are released from isolation (Mears, 2008). When such people are released back into the community, they are expected to live a normal life and become productive members of the community, without going back to criminal behaviors, which is the aim of sentencing a person to jail. However, the truth is on to the contrary, with many of them having the worst difficulties of adapting back to social life that is crucial if a person is to become productive again (Sharon, 2010). In most cases, such effects leave the individual with an impairment or ability of reforming back to their sufficient normal brain activity to engage in productive work in the community. Grassian (n.d.), further cites that even with a few days in solitary confinement, a person will soon start developing incapability of adequate maintenance of alertness to the environment with his or her attention going down, shifting the electroencephalogram (EEG) pattern to an abnormal one with characteristics of trance and confusion as well as hallucinations (Grassian n.d.). According to the above literature, what solitary confinement does is impair people from responding to the environment and other usual stimuli, which they find too much to bear after solitary confinement and react by avoiding it as much as possible. In my opinion, this is not a way of rehabilitating; rather, it is a form of incapacitating a prisoner. Putting a person in solitary confinement ceases to be rehabilitation and turns into a mental torture where the individual is put under circumstances that impair the brain from functioning, as it should. Rehabilitation has been defined generally as a means of helping a person become independent physically, mentally emotionally and socially. Drawing from the meaning, criminal behavior rehabilitation means helping a person become independent and free from crime through giving social, emotional mental and physical help. It is meant to reduce recidivism of going back to crime after prison. Solitary confinement does not offer any of this. Rathe r, it takes away everything in the meaning and hence, solitary confinement should not be considered a means of rehabilitation, but a means of incapacitating a person from acting as themselves considering all the impairment effects it leaves in a person (Lenzner, 2006). In terms of reducing crime relapsing for violent people, solitary confinement does help since it incapacitates them from engaging in violent behavior again after a long period of solitary confinement. People who go through solitary confinement find it hard to adapt back to their usual life since they are impaired in responding to the environment and other stimulus around them. Such people only want to hold back and withdraw from all forms of interaction with other people or the environment. Such an individual may not be in a position to engage back to criminal activities, and neither can they engage in social productive activities (Kurki Morris, 2001). This raises the concern of whether prison should be a place of incapacitating criminals mentally or whether it should act to help them change their behavior since incapacitating a person does not change behavior. In addition, when such people are released to the public again, they do not have a means of earning a decent livelihood and adapting to a free life might even be harder. This may increase their chances of engaging in crime again. Considering that rehabilitation of criminal behavior is supposed to be a means of ensuring criminals do not relapse for criminal activities again, the best way of helping them should not be confining them in solitary cells. There are several studies carried out on the best means of rehabilitating criminal behavior. According to Wright (2011), education is one way of rehabilitating offenders to prevent them from going back to criminal behavior upon release. He cited that many of the offenders end up in jail again after release due to lack of decent means of living and social circumstances force them into crime again. Majority of criminals end up in crime out of circumstances such as lack of a stable economic activity to support them. Hence, providing education to inmates increases their chances of making a better living since they can secure better jobs to sustain them upon release. Much research has indicated that most of the inmates are lowly educated, and increasing their knowledge will give them a better chance of securing jobs. More so, some inmates may have served in the prison for a long time and their knowledge may not be relevant to the current time; hence, giving them a chance to upgrade their knowledge will be better than confining them in solitary cells. To reduce violence in prison, education and counseling is a better way of inspiring the inmates to change, since keeping them busy reduces their chances of engaging in criminal activities inside prison. In addition to education and counseling, physical activities such as games and exercise facilities within prison facility can pre-occupy them and reduce violence. According to Godoy (2006), California has over the last 20 years been isolating inmates more and more in a bid to reduce violence in prison and gangs in the community. However, both of what they have been aiming to do has increased tremendously, suggesting their efforts are not rewarded. There are worries that solitary confinement could be making it worse than it was. She further says that majority of the solitary confined inmates are due to be released sometime back into the public, and the only help they get to adapt back to normal life is a few weeks in a local prison, which she says does little or nothing to help them. One has to ask whether the solitary confinement has shaped them or are they still the same people without any change or mentally disturbed. In the Pelican Bay isolation, the only way to get out is through proving to prison wardens and authority that one has not been involved in any gang for a period of not less than six years, or tell everything about your gang, wh ich might take two years. One of the isolated members in the prison says that the place is not designed to rehabilitate but to break down. He says that it made him different, and spiteful (Godoy, 2011). On the other hand, one of the wardens says that it may make prisoners a little mad for sometime, but it has much benefit such as taking people who might be a threat to the public from the streets as well as keeping the other inmates safe. On to the contrary, another of the prison officials who has served for a long time says that solitary confinement, which he referred to as Supermax facility, says that after they put prisoners in the solitary facilities, some behaved even worse. Some of the inmates would spit on them as they passed by, pour urine on them and some would even smear urine and feces on themselves, out of frustration and some out of spitefulness. He clearly says that it made their behavior worse then they were, leaving him to wonder about the effectiveness of the Supermax facility (Luce, 2010). Godoy (2011) cites that currently, solitary confinement has changed in some ways with some regulation about who goes to solitary and for how long. However, she cites that changing the system does not mean changing the inmate, which is supposed to be the aim of the solitary cell. It has now been made clear that putting inmates in isolation is not going to work. However, putting the dangerous ones in the general population in prisons is not going to work for them either. Therefore, a balanced approach for such people needs to be used for maximum results. One prison warden says that prisoners he had good terms with while at general population turned out to be the opposite when put in solitary confinement (Burkhead, 2007). He talks of how he was on good terms with some of them until they were taken to the solitary cells where they never talked to him even for a moment, and some become hostile. Once they are in the solitary cell, an attitude of the inmates vs. the prison officers builds u p, where the prisoners feel they are there because of them. The warden further cites that putting the inmates in isolation does not do them any good, and considering that one day they will be neighbors, it does not do the society any good either. Hence, solitary confinement should be rethought (Godoy 2011). It has been proven that inmates who spend much of their time in solitary confinement in prison have a high recidivism rate than those who spend their sentences in general prison population. Many of them are likely to go back for violent crimes again since they suffer lack of tolerance to social interactions, which might trigger abnormal reactions to such interaction (Beck, 1997). Many of the solitary confined inmates are not able to adapt to the social life, and many may end up becoming worse considering the effects they have gone through. More so, many are not able to engage in meaningful work for self-upkeep since they do not like crowded places anymore. The situation is worse for those who may not have families to go to and some may not even be accepted back and end up in crime again. It is not a wish they make, but circumstances force them to look for all ways of surviving. This was found in two studies on prisoners who were freed from solitary confinement in Washington and Texas, where the results showed that they had a higher recidivism rate, and they were most likely to engage in violent crimes (Godoy, 2011). Considering that the need for prison is to rehabilitate such behaviors and ensure the least recidivism rate, solitary confinement seems to be doing hardly anything if not the opposite of its purpose. In reality, solitary confinement largely protects other inmates and guards, and at least, the community until they are released again into the public where they might commit more crime. In a research that interviewed an ex-convict who served 18 years of his 25 years sentence in solitary confinement, it states that the he does not socialize with people since he lost his social skills. He lives with the mother who provides for him and is now taking a welding class, which has not been easy for him since he does not like talking to anybody. More so, he does not talk to anybody, does not go to social places, and has no friends. He says that he is his best companion, and does not need anybody’s company and spends time sitting in the front yard just to look at motorists passing by. His greatest struggle in life is adapting back to the society and the mother says he is not the same person she knew. Godoy (2011) cites that the increase of solitary confinement illustrates a failure of policies used in prison to rehabilitate the inmates. She says that due to the increase of prison population, segregating some has become so widespread, and budgets for prisons are going up everyday making it impossible to provide rehabilitation facilities such as counseling and education. People in solitary confinement require more help than others do considering they are more violent. Instead, solitary confinement does the opposite by putting them in such isolation where no help is accorded, which my make them even worse especially mentally. It is known that prisoners who are offered education and counseling therapy are more likely to refrain from crime ever again since they can make a decent livelihood. However, considering that some might be quite dangerous in prisons, isolation could be helpful to protect the general population, but should not be in an inhumane manner that denies them any intera ction needed for their rehabilitation such as contact with people (Roth, 2006). This way, the prison will not rehabilitate them if there is no provision of such interaction in the solitary cell that allows them to exercise their mind and body. Solitary confinement for such long hours a day for several years makes them insane, which is not part of rehabilitation (O’Keefe Colorado, 2010). When people in segregation cannot bear the harsh conditions and mental disturbances start occurring, self-harm starts to linger in their mind, and some even result to suicide. According to Rodriguez (2011), the rate of suicide in prison is going up, with 70% of those who committed suicide in 2005 being in solitary confinement. More so, he cites that it has been a trend, giving a statistics of 1986 on a study of 401 jails nationally where 2 out of 3 for the prisoners who committed suicide were confined under control units or solitary confinement. In 2007, a study showed that solitary confinement contributed largely to suicidal thoughts of prisoners, where some commit suicide out of the mental condition they are. Some said they heard voices, and lost control of their thought, and this is where suicidal thought comes in. Rodriguez (2011) further affirms that a research carried out in 2006 has indicated that solitary confinement is counter productive and often leads to violence in prison s, and a higher recidivism rate especially for inmates who are released directly from the solitary confinement. The rate was 64% for those who were released directly from solitary confinement to 41%, for those who were taken back to the general population before release. He cites that segregation does not make better people but worse than they were, with mental conditions. Hence, segregation only serves to punish (Roesch Gagnon, 2007). Methodology: Participants To complete this study, a selection of the right participants will have to be made who can provide credible information for best results. The best participants will be the subjects, who in this case are inmates who have had an experience with solitary confinement and those who are released from jail, as well as those who never served in solitary confinement for comparison to how their life inside prison and outside prison differs or correlate. For the subjects, they will be put under observation for a period. Their behaviors will be observed and put down. To assert that solitary confinement has contributed to the condition or behaviors they are in, another group of participants will be taken. This group could be anybody who wishes to volunteer for the purpose of the study. Before they are accepted, their current and past mental health will be taken. After volunteering, they will be put under solitary confinement; the same kind that the inmates go through, for a period of not less th an a few weeks. They will be observed and their behavior as well as mental health will be examined after the confinement for comparison. Other participants will be wardens in the prison who have interacted with the subjects during their solitary confinement in prisons. Their information will give reasons why prisoners are sent to jail and highlight on the behavior of the inmates before entering the solitary confinement and when they leave solitary cells, on whether they behave the same, or what changes are observed? Other participants will be close relatives of the released inmates to give an account of what behaviors the solitary confined take up after they are released from prison. Informed Consent All participants especially volunteers will be informed of all the procedures they will undergo considering they will be put under solitary confinement for some weeks and they may not be released despite their pleas for the sake of the study. The duration will be determined before they are confined. Their mental health before and after the confinement will be kept confidential and under no circumstance unless they so wish, shall their names be mentioned. Hence, their names will only remain with the researchers for their signature of acceptance to confinement. They will be informed of the dangers of such confinement before they are required to sign. There will be informed consent for all the inmates and ex-convicts that their names shall not be used without their consent, and their records will not be used against them, but only for research purposes. Those who wish for their names to appear in the research will have to sign that they agree to such terms. For those who do not wish their names to appear, they will not be required to sign to such terms. However, to prove that such a study took place, their signatures will be required just for that purpose, and their roles will not be mentioned in the research itself. The signatures are to remain with the study group for filing purposes only. The prison wardens will be treated the same way, and their names will not be mentioned in the research unless they want. Names mentioned by prison officials will not be included either in the research unless the particular person agrees. Close relative will also be told of their roles in the research, and any information they may not want appe aring in the research will be reserved Data Collection Data collection will come from the participants. Information about the inmates may be provided by the Planning and Research office, and the Department of Corrections, which can provide the following data: 1) Infractions File: this data file will provide the types of infractions, their dates, and sanctions, as will as offenders. 2) Principle offender file: this provides several details of an offender such as age, ethnicity, sex, current offence, their date of confinement and release, mental conditions, and identity. This is for every incarceration served by the offender, and those who go back to prison have more than one. 3) Movement file: this provides information about offenders location of custody, where they are moved, the movement codes as well as location codes and reasons of movement. More information will come from the prison wardens and officials concerning the records of the inmates. All other information will come from interviews and observations of the confined group. The data from the movement file will be used to identify those who served in Supermax or IMU facilities during their terms, and those still serving their sentence. From this file, the participants to be used will be identified, especially those who are already released. In addition, we can be able to know the amount of time served in solitary confinement as well as release. From the other two files, we are able to know the type of offences the offenders served and past felonies if any. The Questionnaire The study will use open-ended questionnaire as well as closed questions for better results. For the inmates inside solitary cells, the questions will mostly be open to observe their response and relevance to questions in order to observe any signs of unusual mental conditions. Questions could include: Why they are in isolation What is their routine Who they talk to Do they wish to be back to general population What are they finding hard For those who are already released, questions could include: What is the most difficult thing in their life now? Have they been able to make friends? Do they have a stable job? Do they enjoy their freedom and are they happy to interact with people? Why? Have they been accepted? What was their hardest thing in solitary confinement or what could they not stand after solitary confinement? Other participants will only find observations of the inmates who were isolated from others and tell of the changes they observed in them. For the volunteers, the questions will resemble the one above and observation from the researcher. Their behavior will be compared with their previous behavior. References Beck, A. (1997). Recidivism of Prisoners Released in 1983. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics. Burkhead, M. D. (2007). The treatment of criminal offenders: A history. Jefferson, NC: McFarland. fortunecity.com. (n.d.). Criminal Behavior – Contributing Factors throughout Life. Retrieved from http://members.fortunecity.com/smashx14/criminal.html Godoy, M. (2006). Solitary Confinement the Law. Retrieved from NPR.org. Grassian, S. (n.d.). Psychiatric Effects of Solitary Confinement. Journal of Law Policy, 22, 325-347. Haney, C. (2003). Mental health issues in long-term solitary and â€Å"Supermax† Confinement. Crime and Delinquency, 49 (1), 124-156. Kurki, L. Morris, N. (2001). The purposes, practices, and problems of supermax prisons. Crime and Justice, 28, 385-424. Lenzner, E. (2006). Solitary Confinement: How Effective Is It? Retrieved from npr.org/about/press/060725.solitary.html Lovell, D., Cloyes, K., Allen, D. Rhodes, R. (2000). Who lives in super-maximum custody? A Washington State study. Federal Probation, 64 (2), 33-38. Lovell, D., Johnson, C. (n.d.). Felony and Violent Recidivism among Supermax Prison Inmates in Washington State: A Pilot Study. University of Washington: Department of Psychosocial Community Health. Luce, P. (2010). Effectiveness of solitary confinement discussed at hearing. Retrieved from delcotimes.com/articles/2010/08/03/news/doc4c57850907033292831638.txt?viewmode=fullstory Mears, D. (2008). An Assessment of Supermax Prisons Using an Evaluation Research Framework. The Prison Journal, 88 (1), 43-68. O’Keefe, M. L., Colorado. (2010). One year longitudinal study of the psychological effects of administrative segregation. Colorado Springs, Colo: Colorado Department of Corrections, Office of Planning and Analysis. Rodriguez, S. (2011). Fact Sheet: Psychological Effects of Solitary Confinement. Retrieved from solitarywatch.com Roesch, R., Gagnon, N. (2007). Psychology and law: Criminal and civil perspectives. Aldershot, England: Ashgate. Roth, M.P. (2006). Prisons and prison systems: a global encyclopedia. London: Greenwood Publishing Group Sharon, S. (2010). Former Prisoners Describe Psychiatric Toll of Solitary Confinement. Retrieved from mpbn.net/Home/tabid/36/ctl/ViewItem/mid/3478/ItemId/11095/Default.aspx Siegel, L.J. (2009). Introduction to Criminal Justice. New York, NY: Criminal Justice Department of New York. Wright, M. (2011). Criminal Rehabilitation – Working Towards a Better Life for Inmates and Their Families. Retrieved from http://ezinearticles.com/?Criminal-Rehabilitation- Working-Towards-A-Better-Life-For-Inmates-And-Their-Familiesid=455250 Yost, P., Knobil, M., Coyote, P., Auster, A., Dubrino, J. (2010). Solitary confinement. Washington, DC: National Geographic Channel

Timeline of the Russian Revolution of 1905

Timeline of the Russian Revolution of 1905 While Russia had a revolution in 1917 (in fact two), it nearly had one in 1905. There were the same marches and vast strikes, but in 1905 the revolution was crushed in a manner that affected how things unraveled in 1917 (including a great deal of fear things would repeat and a new revolution would fail). What was the difference? World War One had not acted as a magnifying glass for problems, and the military mostly stayed loyal. January January 3-8: 120,000 workers strike in St. Petersburg; government warns against any organized marches. January 9: Bloody Sunday. 150,000 striking workers and their families march through St. Petersburg to deliver a protest to the Tsar  but are shot and ridden down on multiple occasions by the army. Reaction to the massacre spreads across neighboring regions, especially the industrial centers which experience spontaneous workers strikes. February February: The strike movement spreads down to the Caucasus. February 4: Grand-Duke Sergei Alexandrovich is killed by an SR assassin as protests grow. February 6: Notably large rural disorder, especially in Kursk. February 18: Reacting to the growing troubles, Nicholas II orders the creation of a consultative assembly to report on constitutional reform; the move is less than the revolutionaries want, but it gives them impetus. March The strike movement and unrest reaches Siberia and the Urals. April April 2: The second National Congress of Zemstvos again demands a constitutional assembly; the Union of Unions formed. May Embarrassment for the government as the Baltic Fleet is easily sunk, having spent 7 months sailing round to Japan. June June: Soldiers used against strikers in Lodz. June 18: Odessa is halted by a large strike. June 14-24: Sailors mutiny on the Battleship Potemkin. August August: Moscow holds the first Conference of the Peasants union; Nizhnii holds the First Congress of the Muslim Union, one of many groups pushing for regional - often national - autonomy. August 6: Tsar issues a manifesto on the creation of a state Duma; this plan, created by Bulygin and nicknamed the Bulygin Duma, is rejected by revolutionaries for being too weak and having a tiny electorate. August 23: Treaty of Portsmouth ends the Russo-Japanese war; Russia has been beaten by an opponent they were expected to easily defeat. September September 23: Printers strike in Moscow, the start of Russias first General Strike. October October 1905 - July 1906: The Peasant Union of the Volokolamsk District creates the independent Markovo Republic; it survives, 80 miles from Moscow, until the government crushes it in July 1906. October 6: Rail workers join the strike. October 9: As telegraph workers join the strike, Witte warns the Tsar that to save Russia he must make great reforms or impose a dictatorship. October 12: Strike action has developed into a General Strike. October 13: A council is formed to represent striking workers: the St. Petersburg Soviet of Workers Deputies; it functions as an alternative government. The Mensheviks dominate it as the Bolsheviks boycott and similar soviets are soon created in other cities. October 17: Nicholas II issues the October Manifesto, a liberal scheme proposed by Witte. It grants civil liberties, the need for Duma consent before passing laws and a widening of the Duma electorate to include all Russians; mass celebrations follow; political parties form and rebels return, but acceptance of the Manifesto pushes the liberals and socialists apart. The St. Petersburg soviet prints its first issue of the newssheet Izvestia; left and right groups clash in streetfights. October: Lvov joins the Constitutional Democrat (Kadet) party, which includes the more radical zemstvo menmen, nobles, and scholars; conservative liberals form the Octobrist Party. These are the people who have led the revolution so far. October 18: N. E. Bauman, a Bolshevik activist, is killed during a streetfight triggering a street war between the Tsar supporting right and the revolutionary left. October 19: The Council of Ministers is created, a government cabinet under Witte; leading Kadets are offered posts, but refuse. October 20: Baumans funeral is the focus of major demonstrations and violence. October 21: The General Strike is ended by the St. Petersburg Soviet. October 26-27: The Kronstadt mutiny. October 30-31: The Vladivostok Mutiny. November November 6-12: The Peasants Union holds a conference in Moscow, demanding a constituent assembly, land redistribution and political union between peasants and urban workers. November 8: The Union of Russian People is created by Dubrovin. This early fascist group aims to fight against the left and is funded by government officials. November 14: The Moscow branch of the Peasants Union is arrested by the government. November 16: Telephone/graph workers strike. November 24: Tsar introduces Provisional Rules, which at once abolish some aspects of censorship, but introduce harsher penalties for those praising criminal acts. November 26: Head of the St. Petersburg Soviet, Khrustalev-Nosar, arrested. November 27: The St. Petersburg Soviet appeals to the armed forces and elects a triumvirate to replace Nosar; it includes Trotsky. December December 3: The St. Petersburg Soviet is arrested en masse after Socialist Democrats (SD) hand out weapons. December 10-15: The Moscow Uprising, where rebels and militias try to take the city through armed struggle; it fails. No other major rebellions take place, but the Tsar and the right react: the police regime returns and the army sweeps across Russia crushing dissent. December 11: Russias urban population and workers are enfranchised by electoral changes. December: Nicholas II and his son given honorary membership of the Union of the Russian People; they accept.

Global Connections Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Global Connections - Assignment Example The bordering countries are Iran, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan and United Arab Emirates (Esses & Gardner, 2006). Saudi Arabia is the worlds leading oil producer and exporter. In fact, it controls worlds second largest hydrocarbon reserves. Having the world energy reserve, Saudi Arabia is considered as a high economy country and it is the only country that features in the list of G-20 economies. The high ranked economy has been the source of connection with many states of the world. The world economies heavily rely on these oil reserves. Oil fuels industrialization and many states have been linked to each other and particularly in Saudi Arabia due to the source of oil. For production to take place, they would need oil. Canada is not exceptional when it comes to the need to have the oil. Intuitively, Saudi Arabia has been part of the connection to many states not to mention Canada (Bothwell, 2006). In a rather negative note, countries such as Saudi Arabia has been using the revenues obtained from oil to operate criminal gangs. The Al-Qaida group owes its origin to these Arab states that have control over world’s oil reserves. The returns are good enough to lead to operation of criminal activities within the other state especially in western countries. Terrorism has been part of the global connection to all state of the world. The states of the world have been forced to unite to fight against terrorism. Indirectly, Canada and other states are united under the name of national security (Friesen, 2012). The proceeds obtained from the sale of oil have also been used to inspire investment across the global north. Many countries including Canada have benefited from oil extracted in Saudi Arabia hence making the global connections. Â  

Social Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Social Psychology - Essay Example However, it is important to identify that at its root, the idea of constructing â€Å"the self† of the individual has roots in many other domains of knowledge (Danziger, 1997). As stated previously, the first thoughts of the idea of the self originated from that of philosophy and religion. The self was often described as the â€Å"soul† or consciousness of the individual. It was supposed to be something that could be observed. Locke was one of the first to develop this issue due to the high rates of development and increase in society. He had to make a distinguishing factor between the external self and the self-consciousness. As time progressed, ideas of the self began to change in develop. Cooley addressed this as a mirror principle in that the reaction to others is based on a mirror principle, which involves both internal and external judgment (Cooley, 1902). One of the key events in the development of the self in social psychology was through the humanist, Carol Rog ers. He postulated that the self constituted two components: the real and ideal selves. The real self was the true essence of who the individual is and the ideal self is what the person projects onto the world as a desire to be. The disunity in the real and ideal self is what causes the neuroticism and anxiety in the individual. The neuroticism can only go away once the real self and ideal self become integrated with one another. Being an American psychologist, he took the forefront in the development in this field of psychology, but moved the emphasis from awareness of self to the emotions and motivations, which play a part in the development of the self, both internally and externally. This represents the constructivist philosophy behind the social aspects in the influence in the psychology of the self. Another component of the self to observe is based on phenomenology, which goes into how does a person experience and interpret the external world. There are two aspects, which brin g these together: ‘being-in-the-world’ and ‘lifeworld’. These aspects argue that rather a considering the individual as a separate from the environment, it addresses it as a system of two identities in which the experiences taken from the environment shape the individual, which is a phenomenological effect. Edmund Husserl gave three criteria, which are used in describing the phenomenology of the self in society. The first step is to suspend expectations of the experience. The second step is to stay with the experiences, versus deductive reasoning and hypothesis testing. Lastly, the third step is in regards to treating everything equally. Again, as with Carol Rogers and humanism, the existential psychologists took up the task of providing constructs for phenomenology. The main characteristics where that each person is unique in that we all process situations differently, being actively engaged in the experience and having the freedom to choose as well as bei ng in the present moment. Psychoanalytic psychology, focused heavily on the development of the self. Psychiatrist Sigmund Freud pioneered in this field. He focused highly on the construction of the self; he was primarily focused on the consciousness. He often described the consciousness in reference to an iceberg. The largest portion of our self, the unconscious, is located in the recesses of our mind and we are often unaware of it, even

OPower Essay Example for Free

OPower Essay Answer the following questions that are based on the article reading below. Keep your responses to 1-2 paragraphs (150-300 words) per question. Posts must be clear and concise, and must address the questions being asked. You must also respond to at least one of yourpeers Discussion Questions: Even though Laskey and Yates are of the opinion that OPower has been extremely successful in the years since its inception, they also believe that the behavioral science-based approach could produce even better results. They also feel that they needed to work on convincing more regulators to adopt this new version of behavioral energy efficiency. 1. What changes could they make to drive more positive results? Laskey and Yates have done an outstanding job with a marvelous business model idea. This business model definitely has the Win, Win, characteristics; OPower, the consumer and the environment all win. The behavioral science strategy of a little competition with the neighbor and a little fear of judgment is obviously working well. However, OPower could rise the level of competition to a different level by rewarding the biggest saver in a designated area. This could be done by announcing the winner in everyone’s bill in that area, and reducing his next month electrical rate to a lower rate. In other words, the less a consumer consumes the less is the charge per unit cost. This competition level could be raised, to city level or even state level. Such incentives could help Laskey and Yates achieve the 5% energy use reduction. 2. Were there other things they could do to have an impact on energy uses—or on the environment more fundamentally? Information-based energy management is one of the most exciting innovations in the utility industry. Behavioral science and targeted, multi-channel communications make it possible to stimulate utility customers on a large scale, leading to increased engagement and sustained energy savings. However, there is more that can to be done to reduce our negative environmental impact. OPower model only stimulates consumer for less energy consumption. It does not create incentives to use sustainable energy. I believe that any problem can be most effectively solved when prevented rather that cured. If we were using sustainable, renewable, and cleaner resources rather than non-renewable, highly dangerous and, polluting resource to create energy, it would be a better solution. OPower could generate a study and show the impact difference in coil generated electricity versus so lar generated electricity to promote cleaner electricity producing resources. 3. What could they do to more quickly move state governments to approve their program?  The OPower program has already received our current Presidential recognition. This is a huge leverage to influence other State representatives to recognize the impact the energy saving could have at a state level. The company representatives could use the President’s endorsement as a leader’s opinion, and lobby their services to influence other possible leaders such as governors and presidents of other countries. I also like the idea of Opower to provide their services to bigger consumers. It obviously would show greater energy reduction if the consumer is larger user of energy. It would also be a great way to market their service, because the corporation using OPower could let their customers know that they are using less energy by utilizing OPower services.

Reflections of Milton in Paradise Lost and On Having Arrived :: comparison compare contrast essays

Reflections of Milton in Paradise Lost and On Having Arrived At a young age, John Milton was convinced that he was destined for greatness. He thought that he "might perhaps leave something so written to aftertimes as they should not willingly let it die"(Text 414). For this reason he thought that his life was very important to himself and to others. He often wrote directly about himself, and he used his life experiences as roots for his literature. In Paradise Lost and in a sonnet entitled "On His Blindness," Milton speaks indirectly and directly of his loss of vision. Also in Paradise Lost, he uses the political situation of his time as a base for the plot, and he incorporates elements of his own character into the character of Satan. In "On Having Arrived at the Age of Twenty-Three", he speaks plainly about the course of his life. In the latter part of his life, Milton lost his vision. This loss was very traumatic for him because he had not yet completed his mission of writing a memorable work of literature. Soon after, he continued his work with the help of his daughters. He dictated to them a sonnet he called "On His Blindness" in which he asks how God expects him to do his work blind. Milton's ambitious side says that his writing talent is "lodged with [him] useless"(Text 417). His religious side soon realizes that he is "complaining" to God and he takes it back. He discovers that God will not look down on him if he does not write a masterpiece. He granted Milton a great talent, and he expects Milton to be happy. He has to learn to do his work in a dark world. This poem was not the last time Milton referred to his condition in his writing. In book one of Paradise Lost, while invoking the Muse, Milton says "what in me is dark illumine"(Hndout 22). He asks to be granted the power to work through his blindness. He obviously thinks of his blindness as a major weakness. Later in the text, he describes Hell as having "no light, but rather darkness visible"(Hndout 270). It is Milton's way of almost subliminally implying that his condition is comparable to

Basseri of Iran: Past and Present Essay

Basseri of Iran: Past and Present Jonathan Hixon ANT101 Instructor Brown-Warren February 24, 2013 When the Achamenian emperors of ancient Persia built their capital at Persepolis, in a valley of the Zagros, they did so with strategy in mind. Persepolis was placed in a common â€Å"bottleneck† in the annual migration routes of several tribes from the warm coastal plains to the cool summer pastures in the north. Twice a year, several whole confederations of tribes had to pass by Persepolis with all of their wealth in sheep, goats, and horses, and he who ruled Persepolis ruled what then was Persia. One of the tribes that still use this route today is the Basseri of Iran. (Coon, 1962) The Basseri of Iran was a nomadic pastoralist society from the beginning of their existence. The Basseri are located in southwest Iran and were housed in tents. Each tent housed a nuclear family and many tents made up a camp for the Basseri. An independent household occupied every tent in a camp. The tents were arranged in groups of smaller groups that usually would put all of their flocks of animals into one unit that was taken care of by one shepherd. A shepherd was usually a younger boy or girl from different tents that took care of the smaller camp’s flocks. Some families would hire a shepherd from other tents if they did not have the means to provide a qualified shepherd of their own. Nomadic pastoralists had no permanent settlements; instead, complete households shift location with the herd. House structures were highly moveable, such as a tent or yurt, a portable, felt-covered, wood lattice-framed dwelling structure used in the steppes of Central Asia among Kazakh and Kirghiz pastoralists. Pastoralists moved for a number of reasons other than following water and forage for their herds. Herders also moved to avoid neighboring peoples and government control, thus reducing disease, insects, and competition for resources, while abstaining from taxation and circumscription into military service. (Nowak & Laird, 2010) In the past, the Basseri of Iran were nomadic pastoralists, but the Basseri have started to come into a culture of a more advanced technological culture in today’s time. The Basseri have now become more dvanced in their culture with the world we all live in today while respecting the culture they came from in decades past. The social organization of the Basseri is clearly simple, but effective as a organized system of leadership. The Basseri chief is the head of a very strongly centralized political system and has immense authority over all the members of the Basseri tribe. The chief, in his dealing with the headmen, draws on their power and influenc e but does not delegate any of his own power back to them. Some material goods – mostly gifts of some economic and prestige value, such as riding horses and weapons – flow from the chief to the headmen. A headman is in a politically convenient position: he can communicate much more freely with the chief than can ordinary tribesmen, and thus can bring up cases that are to his own advantage and, to some extent, block or delay the discussion of matters detrimental to his own interests. Nonetheless, the political power that a headman derives from the chief is very limited. Johnson, 1996) The Basseri as noted are divided into camps of tents, which may or may not have a headman present in a particular camp. If a camp does not have a headman present, then that camp will usually have an informal leader who were recognized by the other headmen, but had no formal recognition by the Basseri chief. For this reason (not being formally recognized by the Basseri chief) the informal leaders still usually answered to an â€Å"official† h eadman in another camp which could bring things up before the chief if something needed to be addressed. The head of the household (or tent) would be the person responsible for bringing things up to an informal leader or a headman for discussion with the chief when things needed to be brought to the attention of the chief for social or political discussion. This political organization is not so hard to grasp as one of a huge population like we see in the United States. In summary, one could see that there are tents that housed families, a head of household for that tent, an informal leader or headman and finally the chief (who would be over many different camps and tents within those camps). This political organization would be closely compared to, for instance, a police department chain of command in where you have the chief, then the captains (compared to the headmen), then sergeants (informal leaders), corporals (heads of households), and finally the troops (members of the individual households). This was a way I could compare and understand the political organization of the Basseri people easily. The economic function of the Basseri was that of true importance to the tents/households ability to sustain themselves. The economic function of the Basseri lies in the occupancy of pastures throughout the migratory fashion of the Basseri. Tents are the basic element of the economic unit in the Basseri community. As much as they are social units, tents are also the basic units of production and consumption. In the summer, there might have been as many as thirty or forty tents that made up a camp; however in the winter months, camps were reduced down to approximately two to five tents and were separated from other camps by three or four kilometers. The Basseri keep a variety of domesticated animals, but sheep and goats have the greatest economic importance. Other domesticated animals include donkeys for transport and riding (mainly by women and children), horses for riding only (predominately by men), camels for heavy transport and wool, and dogs for keeping watch in camp. (Johnson, 1996) Their products obtained from their flocks sustain the Basseri community. The Basseris’ most important products for trade included milk, lambskins, and wool, in that order. The Basseri spins, weave wool and goat-hair, and make their own tent poles, pack-saddles, and cordage. The rest of their equipment is bought from townsmen and gypsies, their vegetable food from villagers. Some of the Basseri own village lands from which they receive shares of the crops. (Coon, 1962) Community members trade in their milk, hides and other animal products at bazaars in surrounding towns and use this money to purchase other types of food such as vegetables, clothing and other necessities. As John Dowling argues, it is informative to contrast the Basseri with another pastoral people, the Turkana of Tanganyika. Both the Basseri and the Turkana are nomadic, both have productive organizations that are family based, both pasture their animals on tribally owned lands to which all individuals have usufruct rights, and in both societies animals are culturally ascribed to individuals property. But the orientation of the Turkana pastoralist is vastly different than that of the Basseri. The Turkana pastoralist produces primarily for consumption, the Basseri for sale. (Dowling, 1975) Dowling goes on to say that the Basseri go frequently to the market, buying material for women’s clothing, men’s ready made clothing, goods of tanned leather (shoes, saddles, etc. ), wheat flour (a staple), sugar, tea, dates, fruits, vegetables, glass ware, china, metal articles (cooking utensils, etc. ), narcotics, luxury goods such as women’s jewelry and carpets, and, for those who are able, land. The Turkana could live without external trade; they are self-sufficient subsistence producers. The Basseri are market dependent. (Dowling, 1975) Gender roles of the Basseri were clearly defined and adhered to by the members of the Basseri camps and tents. The gender roles of the Basseri are clearly defined by the community. When it comes to the tent, all authority lies with the husband (head of household). The husband was the decision-making person in the household and all were expected to adhere to the decisions made by the husband. Women had less significant power and were generally their roles were to take care of the day-to-day domestic operations of the tent or household. Women were also considered part of a man’s wealth and it was quite common for a wealthy man to marry more than one wife. Daughters had no rights in choosing a marriage partner as this decision was solely made by the husband/father and the father of the boy the daughter was to marry. Most families viewed the girl children as a means of gaining wealth since they understood that the girl would attract a certain amount of bride wealth into the family. The boy child was of more use to the community as a whole. The boys could look after the herds (even though there were cases that I read where girls were allowed to do shepherding duties as well) and protect and help the communities in the struggle between other communities. Marriage among the Basseri was arranged and it was not possible for a girl of the tent to have much of a say in who she would marry. As stated before, the Basseri of Iran have households that are referred to as tents; within a tent, there were nuclear families that had members of households headed by the husband who was considered head of his tent or household. The husband or head of the tent was the one who made all arrangements for marriages of his sons and daughters under their tents. The husbands would discuss with members of other tents who show interests in his sons or daughters and together, they would arrange marriages between the sons and daughters of other tents or households. The parties that were to get married usually had very little options but to accept what had been decided for them and accepted the marriage. The father of the bride would have to pay the bride price in the form of livestock and would also be expected to give a share of his animals to the new couple as a form of inheritance. This inheritance ould form the means of subsistence for the newly married couple/family. A married man may arrange subsequent marriages for himself, whereas all women and unmarried boys are subject to the authority of a marriage guardian, who is the head of their household. The marriage contract is often drawn up and written by a nontribal ritual specialist, or holy man. It stipulates certain bride-payments for the girl and the domestic equipment she is expected to bring, and the divorce or widow’s insurance, which is a prearranged share of the husband’s estate, payable upon divorce or in the event of his death. Johnson, 1996) Basseri are slowly becoming more and more settled in todays society and some are moving away from the traditional nomadic pastoralist ways of culture and moving towards a more modern approach to life. While there are still nomadic pastoralists today among the Basseri, many of the Basseri have begun to settle down and become a more settled culture. Poverty and debt lead a household to consume their capital in livestock; this makes them poorer, which makes it harder to make ends meet. More capital is consumed, and with no alternative sources of wealth available, settlement is inevitable. (Bradburd, 1989) Successful Basseri build up their herds, accumulating hundreds or thousands of animals. Fearful of losing their wealth to disease and the vulnerabilities of nature, herders convert this capital into an alternative form of wealth, such as land in local villages. The land is cultivated by villagers as tenant farmers, including unsuccessful Basseri who lost their herds and ended up as agricultural laborers. Nowak & Laird, 2010) Bradburd argues that not only poor Basseri settled; wealthy Basseri were driven to settle both by the risks of pastoralism, which threatened them with a return to poverty, and by the fact that the economic realities of their situation did not provide a return commensurate with their risk. (Bradburd, 1989) With increased modernization, many of the Basseri have learned of other subsistence means that are more profitable and have shifted away from the traditional Basseri culture or pastoralists. Traditionally, the Basseri of south western Iran are nomadic pastoralists and they continue to be that way in today’s time, but the number of traditional nomadic pastoralists among the Basseri people a very few. Most Basseri have begun to move towards a more modern approach in living and have settled down in villages or even more urban areas to obtain jobs that sustain life easier than their ancestors had in previous years. In the past, the Basseri of Iran were nomadic pastoralists, but the Basseri have started to come into a culture of a more advanced technological culture in today’s time. The Basseri have now become more advanced in their culture with the world we all live in today while respecting the culture they came from in decades past. Most texts agree that many of the settled people in the southwestern area of Iran either were Basseri or are descendants of Basseri. Even though there are still traditional nomadic pastoralist Basseri in the region, they have become small in number; but the one’s that exist today, value their lifestyle and don’t want to change the way they have been living for many years.

Women and Equality: Current Reality or Distant Future?

Given that women now hold jobs which conventionally have not been associated with their gender, some may think that the plight to attain equality in terms of opportunities has succeeded. People sometimes accept such notion unconditionally as if gender bias has been eliminated. However, such thoughts would definitely be ideal examples of a form of fallacy: hasty generalization. In reality, such notions could not be any farther from the truth. In pursuits as simple as sports for example, women still suffer from the bias; highlighting women basketball players as evidence, their paychecks are only a meager fraction if compared to their male counterparts (Person, 2009). Furthermore, the opportunities of women in athletic pursuits are still crippled due to the presence of stereotypes. Profitability remains to be a question in forming women sports leagues or teams as businessmen still believe that men's sports would garner the most beneficial public response and attention (Person, 2009). With such examples, it is irrefutable that equality is still yet to be reached. If modern-day America still cannot be referred to as an example of a society where in men and women have equal opportunities, when would such a time come? When the time comes that headlines about women holding jobs as a minority would no longer be existent then equal opportunity among genders might have been achieved. Some may claim that such a scenario would never materialize as women are not inclined toward certain tasks. In rebuttal, is it not true that such inclinations or tendencies manifest only due to biases, stereotypes, and gender roles? It is quite interesting to think that equality may only be possibly attained if such concerns are first eliminated. Naturally, obstacles such as gender marking and administrative representation, all present in sports as well (Person, 2009), should be effectively tackled. Nonetheless, when gender distribution among jobs no longer become an issue or when a meager number of women holding high profile responsibilities no longer make headlines as aforesaid, then equality of opportunity must have been realized.

themes of the book eaters of the dead essays

themes of the book eaters of the dead essays My book is titled Eaters of the Dead by Michael Crichton. There are two major themes to this book. First is man versus man and the second is man versus nature. The nature that man is going up against in this book were the supernatural monsters that terrorized the town. Through most of the second half of this book the northmen are fighting the monsters or preparing to. This is the main struggle of the book. These monsters are the eaters of the dead. The second struggle of this book is man versus man. This man versus man struggle is an internal struggle between the tribe. It is a struggle for power within the tribe. This occurs at the beginning of the book. Two men of the tribe are struggling for power after the leader has died. Those were the two main themes of the book. The main conflict in this book is the men fighting the monsters. Throughout most of the novel the men are fighting these monsters. The monsters had killed many people in the village and kept returning to kill some more. These monsters were the main problem within the town and the villagers had to kill them. This conflict was finally resolved when the men killed off the rest of the monsters. The main character in this book was Ibn Fadlan. He is the only character in this book that you really get to learn a lot about. At first he seems like he he is a stuck up Arab rich man. He criticizes the northmen and doesnt go along with their rituals. He basically doesnt give them any respect at all. Then he starts to change though. After being with the northmen for awhile he starts to become like them. He acts like them, and he takes part in some of their rituals. A symbol in this book was the huge sword that the leader of the tribe uses. It was a huge sword and it symbolized strength and leadership. It was a huge sword so it would take a very strong person to use it. It showed you who ...

Why Your Job Board Applications Aren’t Working

Why Your Job Board Applications Aren’t Working Are you a talented professional with amazing accomplishments, but who is getting nowhere applying for jobs through job boards?   If so, you are not alone, and you are fighting an uphill battle.   The fact is, job seekers get only a 1-3% response rate from the major job boards.   That means you might have to send out 100 resumes to get just one response! There is a trick to getting a higher response from the job boards, which I talk about in detail in How to Write a Resume that Beats the Computers.You also need some other strategies. There are plenty of jobs out there that are not posted on job boards, and that even your networking contacts dont know about. The company itself might not even know they want someone like you until you show up!  Ã‚   Mary Elizabeth Bradford, who won a Career Innovator Award at the 2011 Career Directors International conference, has packaged a Job Search Success System that will help you present yourself powerfully to find those hidden jobs. The basic premise of Mary Elizabeth’s system if that you need strategies to connect directly with companies.   You cut out the â€Å"middle man† (recruiters, HR, job boards, etc.). Most companies go through  at least five steps to fill a position  before they will post the position to a major job board. They get on the phone to a few trusted colleagues. They look to see if anyone internal is qualified to be promoted. They alert their staff to refer someone they might know. They launch an intimate campaign to try to fill the position waaaay before the general public is notified. And if after a few weeks, the position is still not filled, perhaps they contact a related association to post the job on their â€Å"Members Only job† or they contract a recruiter.   Job boards are a last resort. Can you break through to the Hidden Market? Mary Elizabeth emphasizes, â€Å"ANYONE (and I mean even if you are right out of college) can enjoy the benefits of the hidden job market. These jobs are available on all levels and in virtually all industries.   The trick is to hone your focus so you actually achieve the results you want.† What are the advantages to you of connecting to the hidden job market?   You get more job opportunities, more market leverage, less competition, a shorter interview process and bigger offers.   You still might want to send resumes out via the internet as part of your strategy; but why would you focus there exclusively when you can have so much more control over your next career move?! You might be wondering precisely how to tap into the unadvertised job market. There are three strategies recommended by the Job Search Success System that help you focus on and find great jobs that will never see a major job board. Tip #1: Have a plan Launch a proactive job search. Know precisely what you are looking for, then reach out to get it. Know your primary target market(s), primary positions sought, geographic parameters, and timeline. Tip #2: Pick three main job search strategies for tapping into your market Here are two examples of techniques you can utilize: Offer your skills to growing or changing companies: Companies that are expanding, merging, acquiring other companies, rolling out new products or services, or moving are likely to be seeking new employees to help them with their transition. Make direct company contact: Contacting a company directly is a great way to take leadership and control over your job search. Are you interested in looking at the higher education market in your state or the top organic food manufacturers in the US? Or maybe the fastest growing healthcare oriented businesses in your city? All of these â€Å"lists† are accessible to you and allow you to tap right into your market of focus. Tip #3: Manage your job search like a marketing campaign Make a simple plan to move forward. Pick the hours and days each week that you plan to invest in your next career move. Block out those times and stick to them! Honor your commitment to your job search just like you would honor your commitment to your present employer to show up on time each day. During your job search, keep things simple and focus on your actions, not their immediate results! This way you can celebrate your initial â€Å"successes†    the completions of your daily and weekly goals. The results will unfold elegantly and abundantly and you will enjoy the satisfaction of success whether you are investing in marketing yourself or basking in the warm glow of landing your third or fourth interview! How are job boards sounding now?   If you are ready to try a new strategy, I highly encourage you to look into Mary Elizabeth’s award-winning Job Search Success System. And please report your success to both Mary Elizabeth and me.   I love success stories and look forward to hearing yours! Category:Job SearchBy Brenda BernsteinNovember 14, 2011 1 Comment William Dufour says: May 10, 2017 at 8:14 am Thanks for the information. Log in to Reply

Information Systems and Technologies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Information Systems and Technologies - Essay Example Information systems are usually confused by management information systems. However, MIS strictly refers to the management of information systems whereas information systems include systems that include decision making as well. In today's every growing fast paced world, information is termed valuable more then any other tangible asset. The reason is that information systems have slowly and gradually taken over the decision making responsibilities from human beings. In this 'Information Age', these systems have become the basis of conducting efficient business. In today's world, the environment changes every other day. With the changes taking place everyday, it is a requirement for the companies to continuously collect and manage information so that they may be better informed then their competitors. This will lead to the development of a viable advantage that will help organizations in better decision making. Gaining competitive advantage over competitors and rival companies is one of the major strategies that can help companies excel in the long run. The question arises that if the application of IT really provides a competitive edge to organizations. Answers to this question have been discussed and explored over many decades and it will be explored for the many years to come due to the ever-changing and evolving economic conditions of the world and transformation of industries. Due to these explorations, we have found out that usage of information technology effectively in organizations can create legendary results. Examples include the American Airlines Sabre System for traveling reservations, the FedEx's suite of tracking shipments and packages and Amazon.com's approach to internet based retailing. All the above mentioned examples have put forward the idea that information technology can help serve as a competitive advantage if it is used to leverage operational and organizational activities and support the collection of critical data at the right time. COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE IN HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS Information Technology soft wares and systems are tremendously used in today's health care organizations to manage the extensive amount of data and analyzing it critically to help benefit the patients, staff, doctors and the overall organization. The basic idea is not applying the system; however, competitive advantage is gained depending on three factors. These factors are how the system is implemented, whether the implementation done was cheaper or not then the competitors and the strengths of the organization's technical and IT staff. Effective implementation of IT in an organization can make the programs used in the organization faster, less prone to error and convenient. For example, accounts receivable applications have made the collection A/R processes faster, economical and less expensive. To improve organizational performance the right kind of information system must be implemented. The leverage of the processes is the most effective when the process on which the technology is applied are core processes that customers usually use to gauge the performance of an organization. For

Rise of fascism and communism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Rise of fascism and communism - Essay Example In many different ways, fascism and communism possessed quite a number of contradicting principles, but at long last they became authoritative political frameworks that were controlled by one person in charge (Merriman, 2010, Pg. 56). Communism was concerned with ensuring that there is equality in the economy, fascism is concerned with the magnificence of the nation and the power that depicted through conquest and violent behavior. Both political systems begun from Europe and gradually but steadily became popular during the early times of the 20th century. The countries that witnessed fascism were: Italy during the reign of Mussolini, Germany under the leadership of Hitler, Hungary between the years 1944 – 1945, Spain under the leadership of Franco and Romania between the year 1940 -1941 under the leadership of the Iron Guard. The start of this century witnessed a different form of the political environment in the nations of the West. The past century, the 19th century, had wi tnessed the industrial uprising substitute farming. This change was accompanied by dynamic changes in political, social, and shifts in the demography. People who were concentrated in rural areas seriously busy with agriculture whereby they grew crops and reared animals changed their lifestyles and migrated to urban centers and towns. In the urban centers, they got employment in the industries and factories. The industrial movement generated a lot of capital and consequently propagated cultural alienation and divisions among community members in regard to wealth. Some of the revolutions aiming at better living standards and improved working environments were witnessed in many countries. Many of these revolutions were initiated by leaders who pursued deep-seated visions on what the community should be (Merriman, John M, 2010, Pg. 45). In the year 1930, when fascism and communism arose in the Western countries, and the spreading out of the empires of Italy and Germany and the extension of the empire of Japan in Asia show the United States of America shift from isolationism policy to support local partners and protect democracy. The United States of America openly got involved in World War 2 immediately after Japan attacked the harbor of Pearl. The fascism of Europe, which started when Germany turned to Hitler who was an extremist, turned to be more powerful in the 1930s under the leadership of Benito Mussolini. Mussolini had the capability and ability to unite the country with a vision of gaining their territories they had lost. Communism had commenced rising during the time of Joseph Stalin when he succeeded the Soviet Communist. In the year 1939, under the governance of Joseph Stalin, the union of Soviet and Germany signed a deal of aggression. From this time, Germany did not fear of fighting. Communism and fascism were portrayed as a system of governance that was posing threats to democracy. Later on, Italy, Germany collaborated with Japan to form an alliance (Merriman, 2010, Pg. 63). Their empire was greatly expanded by the year 1941. Germany had attacked Poland and the same time Italy conquered Sudan, Egypt and the entire North of Africa. Japan succeeded in her conquest and expanded its territory into China. This revolution did not only create threats to democracy but also countries like Holland, United States of America, France and Britain were also threatened. At this particular point, the involvement of the United States