Psychology of Child Development Essay Example for Free

Psychology of Child Development Essay Behaviorist theory: The teacher can utilize the ideals of Operant conditioning. Frequently referred to as instrumental conditioning, it is a method of learning that operates through giving rewards or punishments for a specific behavior. Operant conditioning associates or establishes a connection between a behavior and a consequence regarding that behavior so that children will gain an insight of what is right and what is wrong. Susie should know that even if she is bullied by other children, it is not right to do the same thing onto them. In this scenario all of them should be given punishment and the teacher should not take sides. Moral theory: Kohlberg asserted instrumental exchange with the golden rule as a precise example. The teacher should tell Susie that she should not do things that please her alone. A feeling of satisfaction about a certain deed does not mean it is a right thing for everyone. It is a matter of satisfying needs without necessarily doing revenge to others. Situation2: Behaviorist theory: Operant conditioning is appropriate for this situation. Joe should be given punishment for this act to make him understand that it is not a right thing to do. Punishment is a consequence of physical retaliation and it clearly differentiates good acts from bad, as what was discussed on situation one. Environmentalist theory: According to environmentalists, kindergarten readiness is the stage when young children can either respond appropriately or inappropriately to the school or classroom environment including rules and regulations, policies, activities and directions or instructions from teachers and superiors. When young children are unable to respond appropriately to the classroom and school environment, there is a possibility that they are having some learning disabilities in terms of learning school curriculum or learning to display appropriate behaviors at all times. The teacher should also emphasize that academic learning and establishing healthy relationships with other people particularly fellow students are equally important. Situation3: Moral development theory: Individualism and Exchange. According to Heinz, children or young adolescents account for their individual perspective and judge actions based on how they satisfy individual needs. For this group age, adults should make them know that reciprocity is very important. Reciprocity is not made to serve an individuals own interest, it serves to establish a mutual and peaceful relationship within people and that not anything can be just done according to one’s wills and wants. These adolescents should be guided about moral or societal conducts because if misguidance occurs, it can result to other somewhat antisocial behaviors. Personality theory: Ethnocentrism and egocentrism are the issues here. Since they are adolescents and grew up in modern times. They should be guided about practicing the more conservative norms and make them understand that not anyone can stand what they are up to or what they are used to do. About the ego, everyone is unique and these peculiarities should serve as eye openers the two adolescents. If they will be asking why some find them disturbing, parents or guardians should explain we were born with different interests and point of views and that what they do is usual for them but is perceived unusual by others. Situation4: Personality theory: Openness: This trait features characteristics such as imagination and insight, and those high in this trait also tend to have a broad range of interests. At this stage, the child grows to become very inquisitive and vivid in imagination. They should be given reading materials or pictures to satisfy their need to learn more complex things. Cognitive development theory: Based on theorist Jean Piaget’s theory, children think differently than adults and because children play an active and important role in gaining knowledge of the world, accepting or entertaining their thoughts and views about things are a must. Situation 5: Attachment theory: Attachment is a special emotional relationship that involves an exchange of comfort, care, and pleasure. When a securely attached child is left by his parents, ambivalence is the outcome. Diversion of attention can be done through giving toys and some other materials they can play with. Play theory: Play theory is one of the best ways to free children of stress. It is also fundamental in a child’s development. In this case, aside from the picture book, the caregiver can also give the baby non-choking, appropriate toys for his age. This theory supports the first theory mentioned. Situation6: Psychoanalytic theory: Ego is underdeveloped in young children. This ego identity is constantly changing due to new experiences and activities of daily living. Erikson believed that this character motivates a sense of competence in behaviors and actions. This argument is an early sign of competency. The parent should teach the child that it is unlikely to think that there seems to be favoritism. If the child handles this situation very well, his ego strength or ego quality will be mastered in a sense that he will handle every competent situations smoothly. Cognitive development theory: Piaget emphasized the reasoning processes of children at various ages. Children tend to have different understanding of things and adults should learn to recognize these differences. Various levels of understanding can either makes sense or nothing at all that is why it is a must to explain to them if something non-significant to their eyes is somewhat significant in reality. Situation7: Sociocultural theory: Sometimes, children utter or speak words without knowing what they really mean. In this situation, it is obvious that self-directed speech is used by the children to acquire learning. At this point, minimal guidance is done by parents or teachers so that they will not interfere the children’s independent thinking. Environmentalist theory: Environmental interaction motivates an individual’s behavior, learning and thought processes. Different cultures and different people probably have different perspectives and views. These children should be thought of different contextual views and be opened to new doors of learning if and only if, independent thinking is difficult to achieve. References http://nwscc. cc. al. us/childdevelopment/CHD201Theories. htm

The Importance Of Core Communication Skills Social Work Essay

The Importance Of Core Communication Skills Social Work Essay According to Nelson (1980) social work was one of the first professions to recognise the importance of communications skills and the link to effective practice. Communication skills can be essential to the task of assessment, interviewing and later decision making for social workers. In practice, communication tends to be defined primarily as: The verbal and nonverbal exchange of information, including all the ways in which knowledge is transmitted and received (Barker, 2003: 83 in Trevithick, 2005, p 116). The latter elements of communication, which can often translate the emotional content of the communication, are also referred to as interpersonal skills. According to Thompson (2002) social workers use such skills to communicate ethically sensitive practice (p.307). The purpose of this essay is to highlight the role and importance of verbal and non verbal communication skills involved in social work practice. According to Koprowska (2008) communication is both interactive and context related. Therefore, careful consideration needs to be taken when communicating. There may be several barriers involved in communication, such as: authority; language; ability; personality; gender; age; and class (Thompson, 2009). True communication can only be achieved if the barriers are identified and removed. This can be attained by the practice of an anti oppressive and anti discriminatory approach to communication on the part of the social worker. Verbal Communication In practice good communication skills, practically listening and interview skills, are crucial for establishing efficient and respectful relationships with service users and lie at the heart of best practice in social work (Trevithick, 2005, p116). Social workers must demonstrate several skills while assessing or interviewing a client. Verbal communication is a key skill in social work practice and refers to face to face interactions and involves the impact of the actual words we use in speaking (Thompson, 2009, p100). It is importance for social workers to be aware of how and what they say in certain situations; for example, in regards to the issue of formality. If the social worker does not access the situation correctly they may be conceived as being too formal or informal and thus will inevitable create barriers. Further, many service users tend to come from vulnerable sections of society. It is possible that their involvement with social workers may invoke feelings of shame or f ear. It is likely that this will then leave them vulnerable to feeling misunderstood and not listened to. It is therefore fundamental that social workers treat each client as an individual and assess their situation as a unique case. In order to build a good relationship with each client the social worker must demolish any power or untrusting issues that may be present. This power may be either perceived or real in certain situations. For that reason, congruence plays an important role during the interview process. It may not be completely possible to eradicate the power imbalance but it is a key skill to be aware of the need to achieve congruence. This can be active by using the appropriate language so that the client can fully understand and be listened to. It is through such skills that social workers can convey genuine warmth, respect and non-judgement for the service user. Indeed, verbal communication skills also play a major role when working with other colleagues and professi ons, and are essential for decision making and assessments (Cournoyer, 1991). Non Verbal Communication Non verbal communication is a major component for interpersonal skill repertoire and includes posture, facial expression, proxemics, eye contact, and personal appearance (Kadushin and Kadushin, 1997, in Trevithick, 2005, p120), and it can support or contradict verbal communication. The importance of non-verbal communication is not a new concept in the social work field, in an article by DiMatteo, Hays, and Prince (1986) maintained that there are two dimensions of nonverbal communication, firstly decoding or sensitivity and secondly encoding or expressiveness. According to DiMatteo et al nonverbal decoding refers to the capacity to understand the emotions conveyed through others nonverbal cues such as facial expressions, body movements, and voice tone. Nonverbal encoding refers to the capacity to express emotion through nonverbal cues (p 582).For example, much of the understanding of non verbal communication can be gathered through using observation skills. Observation skills can be v ital for social workers interviewing a client. According to Kadushin and Kadushin (1997) there are five thousand distinctly different hand gestures and one thousand different steady body postures so precise observation of non-verbal behaviour is important(P 315). The client may tell the social worker they are coping fine and dont need any help but by observing their facial expression or lack of eye contact they may contradict this. Sheldon stresses that social workers must be aware of their own capacity for self-observation, although always somewhat limited, provides us with an opportunity to analyse our own role and impact. (Sheldon 1995: 132-3 in Trevithick, 2005, p123). Active listening Research has verified listening as the most utilized form of communication. If frequency is a measure of importance, then listening easily qualifies as the most prominent kind of communication (Adler Rodman, 1997, p. 283). Listening may appear to be straightforward but active listening skills need to be learned, practised in training, developed and refreshed for effective use in real situations. Active listening describes a special and demanding alertness on the part of the social worker involved in interviewing a client. For Egan, active listening is about being present psychologically, socially and emotionally, not just physically (Trevithick 2005,p.123). By using skills such as paraphrasing, reflective questioning and open and closed questioning the social worker can convey full interest and understanding to a vulnerable client. Self awareness The concept of self-awareness is important in social work interviewing. Burnard (1992) defines self awareness as the process of getting to know your feelings, attitudes and values (in Thompson, 2009, p.3). A key aspect of self awareness is being aware how we may be perceived by others. In regards to interviewing the social worker may believe they are being laid back, however for the client it may be conceived as being uncaring. Supervision is therefore an important tool to gain feedback and explored any issues. Further importance of self awareness included understanding how possible external factors may affect social workers. Social workers need to aware of concepts such as transference, triggers and blind spots during interviewing process. Thompson stressed that the worker can be affected by a situation without knowing. Therefore, the use of self is extremely important. Empathy Empathy is another important communication skills involved in social work interviewing. This skill involves understanding or appreciating the feelings of others, but without necessarily experiencing them (Thompson 2009, p111). Social workers must show sensitivity and respect to the feelings of the client. There is however a difference between sympathy and empathy. Therefore there is a fundamental skill to achieving empathy not merely expressing sympathy. It is clear from the above information that the failure to achieve efficient communication between the social worker and client can lead to serious consequences. Poor communication can contributed to the harm and inadequate care clients. For example, in recent times such failures of communication among a range of professionals have been highlighted in the public inquiries into the death of several children known to be in the care of social services.(rewrite) Personal Learning

Internet Research: A Strange, Foreign World :: Research Essays Term Papers

Internet Research: A Strange, Foreign World My knowledge of Internet research is limited. I made it through the first 14 years of my education thumbing through library card files and magazine reference books. In my mind, a big stack of books and articles was the only sign of thorough research. I feared Internet research for the same reason that my mother hated microwave ovens (at least until she had the chance to use one). The Internet was a strange, foreign world to me. Like my mother and her microwaves, I feared it because I did not understand it. However, my mother has learned to love her microwave, and becomes testy if for some reason she can't use it. Maybe there's hope for me, after all. I did possess a smattering of knowledge about the Internet. My feeble attempts to locate long-lost friends yielded an awareness of some sites called "Yahoo!", "Excite!" and "Lycos!". I knew that if I typed in a word or two, then clicked on the word "Search", that a listing of references would pop up. Attached to these references were some obscure foreign hieroglyphics that usually started out with something like "http:\\%$@@!!" I have heard about chat rooms but had never forth into that unknown world until I was required to enter the MOO discussion room. Armed with this vast wasteland of information, I began my research. Having recently acquired an orchid plant, I was determined to become an orchid aficionada overnight. My history with horticulture is riddled with memories of potted dead leaves, the only remains of plants that advertisements had claimed could be grown by anyone. I guess they never counted on my brand of tender loving care. I imagined a world of virtual encyclopedias. I could type in a word, and on the screen would pop up a page with an explanation and pictures containing everything I wanted to know, just like they do in the movies. I remember a scene from the movie Deep Impact, in which a reporter typed in an abbreviation, and almost immediately, a picture and facts on world destruction popped up. This scene made internet research look as uncomplicated as kindergarten math to a math major. My first step was to log-on to Yahoo! dot com. I had fallen prey to the yodeling serenaders who claimed to be able to find anything, anywhere, anytime. This stop yielded a list of 11 categories.

The effect of the macro-economy Essays -- essays research papers

External Influences The Macro-economy The production and exchange process of the whole economy as opposed to individual markets within the economy. Businesses are affected by changes in the macro-economy and by government processes towards the macro-economy. Government economic policies change a lot. (E.g. labour made bank of England independent on their first day in office.) Instead of dividing the economy into different sectors (e.g. retail, cars etc) we look at the economy of the country as a whole. Government Macro-economic objectives: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Control of inflation – 2.5% †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Maintain full employment-all who want a job can get one. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Control of balance of payments. Imports vs. exports †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Stability of exchange rate. Could stabilise exchange rate by joining euro. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Maintain steady economic growth -2%-2.5%. That means that the country as a whole does better next year than it does this year. Inflation is a general rise in the price level over a period of time. Inflation in the late 70’s in the U.K was 27%. That meant that if bread was 100p, the next year it would be 127p We can measure inflation by: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Looking at the standard retail price index. This is where the government agrees a standard shopping basket e.g. food, petrol, mortgage. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  RPIX-RPI take away mortgages †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  RPIY-RPIX takes away taxes and local authority taxes. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  HICP-adopted by all EU countries. This was made to try and determine with the position is within Europe. They have decided not to include for example, housing costs in each country, they are looking for a general price rise in general retail goods. However it is expensive in any city to live there, so housing costs are an extremely important factor. It does include university fees, to measure how good an economy is in any country. Because students are future of economy, the more students you can produce (theoretically) the better. Balance of payments †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A record of trade between U.K and other countries. (although it applies between all countries) †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is the difference of imports and exports †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  &... ... own country. Economic Growth Measured by the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) – the value of output of goods and services in the economy over a period of a year. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Measured by adding up total incomes (Y) or total expenditure (E0 or total output of industry †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In theory all should be the same. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Appropriate growth levels in U.K e.g. If it is too high, the economy is overheating, if it is too low it is stagnating –resources, unemployed, an actual growth of 2-2.5% is seen as being sustainable and is ‘appropriate’ †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If growth rates get too high the economy is expanding too quickly and people spend too much money which leads to an overheating of the economy and inflation. There is also a fear of whether it is sustainable to have it expanding that quickly. If it is too low resources may be unused/underused (e.g. labour) and this leads to unemployment. This is with low economic growth, not a recession. The u.k economy has not hit the targets it wished, but was not shrinking like U.S.A and Japan and Japan went into recession (2 quarters, or 6 months of a shrinking market.

To Accept or Reject the Risk of Error :: essays research papers

â€Å"To accept anything as true means to incur the risk of error. If I limit myself to knowledge that I consider true beyond doubt, I minimize the risk of error, but at the same time I maximize the risk of missing out on what may be the subtlest, most important, and most rewarding things in life†. That was on page three of E.F. Schumacher’s A Guide for the Perplexed. It was included on the third page on the text because it is one of the most important reoccurring themes throughout the book.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Schumacher means that if we only consider things of proven fact then we would be missing out on the rest of the world. If we only concentrate on what is proven then we will miss out on what is unproven thus far but could eventually be proven. Schumacher stresses his point by using the philosopher Renee Descartes. Schumacher says, â€Å"Descartes limits his interest to knowledge and ideas that are precise and certain beyond any possibility of doubt, because his primary interest is that we should become ‘masters and possessors of nature.’ Nothing can be precise unless it can be quantified in one way or another† (9).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Descartes means that humans are the Supreme Being reining the earth and we should know everything about it. We should only accept the facts that are precise and clear cut. Everything has a reason, and it is our job as humans to know what that reason is. Schumacher takes this discussion further by analyzing the ideas of the philosopher Immanual Kant. In talking about Kant, Schumacher said, â€Å"Neither mathematics nor physics can entertain the qualitative notion of ‘higher’ or ‘lower.’ So the vertical dimension disappeared from the philosophical maps, which henceforth concentrated on somewhat farfetched problems, such as ‘Do other people exist?’ or ‘How can I know anything at all?’ or ‘Do other people have experiences analogous to mine?’† (11). Vertical dimension is clarified on page 12 where Schumacher states, â€Å"The loss of the vertical dimension meant that it was no longer possible to give an answer, other than a utilitarian one†. Schumacher also discusses Plorinus’s Adaequatio philosophy. Schumacher said, â€Å"This is the Great Truth of â€Å"adaequatio† (adequateness), which defines knowledge as adaequatio rei et intellectus – the understanding of the knower must be adequate to the thing to be known† (39). By knowing just the things that are adequate for our understanding we are leaving so much behind.

Movie Analysis: “Goodfellas” and “A Clockwork Orange”

Goodfellas: a film on Juvenile Delinquency. The film â€Å"Goodfellas† by Martin Scorcese showcases the day-to-day life of a Mafia family. As compared to other mafia movies that focus on an individual character, Goodfellas showcased the mafia account as a whole, general point of view. The movie’s main character is Henry Hill, whose transition from a street scum to a mafia became the main plot of the story. All the other events were more in-depth analysis of the formation of a mafia family, its management, its initiation, and its ups and downs (Cannon, 1997). Henry Hill dreamt of a mafia life. He spends time on the streets, looking at working-class people, thinking about their clothes, cars, and basically every luxury that he could dream about. For him, mafia is the only way to achieve a luxurious life. He started running errands for small time gangsters, until one time, Paul Cicero took him under his wing as his apprentice. He became Pauli’s sort of a right hand. As an apprentice, he has adopted some of the mafia ways, and came into liking it, getting accustomed with it. Young Henry’s ways were never a good sight for his parents. They didn’t like him getting along with his gang that’s why they always fill him with arguments, telling him to get away from them. But he never listened to what they say. He liked the gangster life: he easily gained a following, using these people to scare others, thus gaining â€Å"respect† from many people. You are respected by a lot of people if they fear you, and that’s what Henry Hill wanted to earn. Henry failed his schooling, something that his parents never found out, since he put on some frighteners on the postman to make sure that the letters from the school never reaches his parents. There came a time when Henry was arrested by the local police. He was investigated, asked who was with him, but he chose to put a tight lid in his lips. He never squirmed, even with the threats and the physical pains that they gave him. Unknowingly for Henry’s part, he has just completed the final part of the initiation; he is now officially a â€Å"goodfella.† He has been tested by the top leaders of the mafia family, including Pauli, James Conway, and Tommy DeVito. The following years were the â€Å"good times† for Henry. Money was flowing like water for him. The respect he was looking for back then is easily given to him at these good times; even the cops fear him and give him respect. At a certain point in his career, he met a fine young woman, Karen. This Jewish girl becomes his wife and bore of his kids after a few years. Meanwhile, Henry hasn’t given up on a life of a women and wine, wherein he has mistresses and keeps on going into nightclubs. Well, they can have anything they want in these â€Å"good times.† The glory days came to an end when another member, Tommy, killed an important mafia member. Pauli and Henry wind up in jail, but their lives were merely affected: they’re respected even in prison. But his family suffered. Karen was deserted by the people she trusted because there is no more Henry to earn them respect. While in prison, Henry became addicted to drugs. This broke him to half the man he was before. It was then became his problem when he was finally released. A Clockwork Orange. This is set in the future England, 30 years from the actual time that it was made. It revolves around the character of Alex de Large, age fifteen; a leader of a small group of gangsters, which calls themselves as â€Å"droogs.† His activities revolve around deriving pleasures from classical music, to raping various women, and ultraviolence – a random act of unjustified, extreme violence (Dirks, 1996). Alex’ character is basically full of negative aspects, wherein he is used to abusing other people just for the fun of it. He is sent to school by his parents but chose to skip and not attend at all. He has an eccentric character which is justified by his terrarium and a pet boa named Basil. He also has an expensive audio system: a stereo sound deck that plays most of his classical recordings collection. The reign of the evil Alex after an arrest: this was set-up by his droogs. He learns that the person they robbed died, leaving him as the only suspect for the crime, as a murderer, not just a robber. He was sent to prison with 14 years in his head. After two years, he was given a chance to be set free by means of a parole. This is through a deal: he will be a test subject of a certain Ludovico technique, wherein it was said to solve societal crimes. Because of that, he became incapable of violence, and also not able to touch naked women, and not being able to stand Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. When he was released, he has nowhere to go. His parents did not welcome him in their own house. While wandering in the streets of London, he encountered previous acquaintances. These people were oppressed by the evil Alex. Apparently, they have returned the favor and all attempted to kill him. They were assaulting him, and Alex is left with nothing to do but run. The Ludovico left him as a violence-free man, wherein he can’t fight back, even in self defense. He came into the woods and came into a house of a writer. The writer discovered that it was Alex who has raped his wife and has beat him to a pulp. He then drugged Alex and planned to drive him insane by making Alex hear the Ninth Symphony in full blast. Alex decided to kill himself by jumping out of the window, but he did not succeed in killing himself. The movie came to an end with Alex returning to his old self, and a narration, telling that he was cured. Characteristics of Juvenile Delinquents. Looking closely at how the movies portrayed these delinquents, it could be generalized that these delinquents exhibit certain characteristics different from their peers. These characteristics can be classified as either fundamental personality factors, mode of social interaction, or some background traits. It could then be seen as that this traits could be significant indicators of delinquent activity in a person. This is essential in finding out the sources or causes of certain delinquencies, thus making it easier or better to understand these people (Mason, 2004). Fundamental personality factors are often seen as the major trait of a certain delinquent. They exhibit these traits in front of the people, unknowingly or knowingly, since it is their innate trait in them. These traits include hyperactivity, alcoholic tendency, and psychosis. They are often small in stature and of poor health conditions. These are more on the males than the occurrence in females. Their outlook towards the society, or their social interactions could also be a proof of their delinquency. This is associated with bad temper or short temperedness, which is commonly found on most of the delinquents. The traits that are indicators of their social interactions can be unpopularity among peers, disruptive behavior is school, a difficult childhood as perceived by parents, violence towards others, and poor performance in school works and activities. Theories of delinquency. The theory that could be applied in the movie â€Å"Goodfellas† was the Strain Theory. This is theory states that the conditions of a society which could be detrimental to the success or social status of a person could cause him to become a delinquent. In the movie, the young Henry Hill was transformed to become a juvenile delinquent because of his dream of becoming a mafia, because he wants to alleviate his position in life. He is living a poor life, that is why he was somewhat driven to live a life of a gangster. This is a solid manifestation of juvenile delinquency under Strain Theory (â€Å"Strain Theory†, 2001). The theory that could be associated with the movie â€Å"Clockwork Orange† is the Self –Control Theory of Delinquency, proposed by Gottfredson (Welch, 1998). In this theory, it is stated that self control is the main theme in which crimes originates. It is not deterministic; hence the people who engage on these crimes seek a sort of gratification, a certain pleasure that is why they engage on various analogous behaviors. These behaviors that provide this short time pleasure or gratification are smoking, drinking, gambling, irresponsible sex and much more. These are commonly manifested by criminals, who are looking for that instant achievement of pleasure or gratification. Causes of delinquency. In the movie â€Å"The Goodfellas,† as well as the â€Å"Clockwork Orange,† the main cause of his delinquency was his motivation to alleviate his social status from poor to a well-off person, and he views that the only way he can achieve it is through becoming a gangster. With this, he opened himself on becoming a juvenile delinquent. He didn’t attend school, he was involved in fights and other illegal activities, and he adapted the ways of the gangsters who was with him. Analyzing this carefully, we could see that a cause for his delinquency was his social status: he was poor, and he didn’t want to stay that way. Another is the environmental factors that play on a person’s life. This is accounted by his frequent rendezvous with these gangsters, which is also the reason why he adapted a delinquent kind of lifestyle. Juvenile Justice. Juvenile justice is a law in the justice system that deals with persons which are found to have committed crimes below the legal age which is 18 years old. This juvenile justice system is aimed towards rehabilitating these young criminals, since they are not yet of the right age, and assumed to be not in the right frame of mind. But they could relinquish their hold on these criminals depending on the weight of the crime, or the court waives to do so (Burns, 1994). There is legislation for the protection, care, and custody of these children under their jurisdiction, since they are the ones that manage these legal concerns. People often deal with this delinquency problem by looking at the root of the problem: society and its components The society shouldn’t rely on the authorities alone. They have a lot of other concerns that they may have little time to deal with juvenile delinquencies. The people should start with their own homes and see whether they have proper communication with their children. Another is making sure that the environment is safe, free from other factors that could elicit delinquency. If it still couldn’t be managed, then that’s the time we need professional help. The authorities are more than willing to help, especially if the people are cooperating with them. There should be partnership with the authorities and the locals in order to solve the problem of juvenile delinquency. References: Burns, K. S. (1994). Juvenile Justice System. from http://www.karisable.com/crpunyouth.htm Cannon, D. (1997). GoodFellas (1990).  Ã‚   Retrieved April 8, 2007, from http://www.film.u-net.com/Movies/Reviews/GoodFellas.html Dirks, T. (1996). A Clockwork Orange (1971) Retrieved April 8, 2007, from http://www.filmsite.org/cloc.html Mason, T. (2004). The characteristics of delinquents. from http://www.timothyjpmason.com/WebPages/Deviance/Deviance4.htm Strain Theory. (2001).  Ã‚   Retrieved April 8, 2007, from http://www.skidmore.edu/academics/english/courses/en205d/student7/anomie.html Welch, K. (1998). Two Major Theories of Travis Hirschi.  Ã‚   Retrieved April 8, 2007, from http://www.criminology.fsu.edu/crimtheory/hirschi.htm      

Pluralistic and Elitist Matrix Essay

Introduction Power is an essentially contested concept. Power is an inherently political concept. Therefore, to define power, we should constitute components of political sociology. Power is the ability to share, exercise or delegate responsibilities and authority (Byme, 2010). There are various theories of power; the pluralists, elitists and Marxists. Pluralists explain the way power is distributed in the society. Elitists show how power is concentrated in the society. Marxists show how class conflict with economic power (Connolly, 2006). However, this paper will create a matrix of difference between the pluralist and elitist. Under pluralists, political power is split and detached. The presence of social classes, status groups, political parties, interest groups and pressure groups are evidence of power distribution. It is agreeable that groups provide more efficient and effective means of representation than the electoral process (Patron et al.., 2006). Pluralists provide that no one group will dominate because every group has equal and opposite changes. It postulates that the larger the group, the more influencing power it has. Policies prove as the outcomes of their bargaining; therefore, compromises tend to be moderate, fair to all and conductive to social balance. The state is so impartial in the contending groups and behaves like an orientation between them. Pluralists are divided into two groups: insider and outsider groups. Insider groups are those that are more powerful as they form part of establishments. Insider groups can work intimately with the voted and selected Provo in both central and local authorities. However, the group is not so beneficial because it is conferred upon those with principally attuned opinions to the ruling regime. On the other hand, outside groups are less powerful and do not have easy access to politicians and civil servants since its outside status is a sign of weakness. Groups can choose to remain outside because perhaps to avoid  being compromised (Hill, 2005). An example of this system is the National Union Party (NUP). NUP from the pluralistic view is an independent party group formed and given power during an electoral process to represent and fight for the rights and interests of citizens. The roles and representing interests are put in the manifesto. Elitists, on the other hand, include the ruling over by small elite groups that make decisions or rules over a large group which is submissive and marginalized in political powers (rothkopf, 2008). Elitists have colossal sources of power got either through wealth possessions, religious authority or traditional authority in the society. Modern democracy contains democratic elitism opportunities for the ordinary passive masses to vote in various elites to rule over them (Patron et al.., 2006). Distribution of power in society reflects the inequities in wealth. Some groups have few resources, and others have many. Some interests are unorganized; some rely on others to protect them, for instance, the poor, mentally ill, children, homeless, and women among others. Groups always fight their battles in a pattern that is systematically loaded in favor of middle and upper-class interests or the interests of economic groups (Richardson et al.., 2011). For example, Public oversight Authority (POA) from an elitist viewpoint is a politically organized committee with the purpose of raising and spending resources so as to withdraw and choose a political candidate. POA represents youth, employments, business projects and youths with special interests.POA can raise up to $20000 to promote a committee in the national political party. In conclusion, the difference in sources, nature, analysis and verdict of power between the Pluralists and Elitists is stated by the following matrix. Pluralists Elitists Sources of power Interests of the society Elite group formation Nature of power Detached intense Analysis of power Positive neutral Ultimate verdict The system of power is engaged. The system of ruling is accepted. References Byrne, R. (2010). The power. New York: Atria Books. Connolly, W. E. (2006). Political science and ideology. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers. Hill, M. (2005). The public policy process (4. Ed.). New York: Pearson Longman. Patron, S., & Phelan, M. (2006). The higher power of Lucky. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. Richardson, I., Kakabadse, A., & Kakabadse, N. (2011). Bilderberg people: elite power and consensus in world affairs. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. Rothkopf, D. J. (2008). Superclass: the global power elite and the world they are making. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.