Category: Sociology 7256

The first article that I want to summarize concerns the research that Johanna Brenner conducted about intersections and class relations. The research method that she seems to have employed was a secondary data analysis and archival material. In the beginning, the author presents her theory regarding the connection between feminism and other liberation movements. In order to provide evidence for it, Brenner presents an analysis of work by other scholars, including Patricia Hill Collins, Kimberle Crenshaw, Karen Brodkin, and many others. First of all, according to her, aside from focusing on differences between races and sexualities, activists should also consider discrepancies between economic classes (Brenner, 2000, p. 293). The reason for this is that a middle-class white woman cannot be compatible with a poor working-class woman of color in terms of their privileges.

As a result of her findings, Brenner proved that in order to acquire equality and justice for people of all generations, an intersectional analysis of class should also be taken into account. The author believes that while capitalists exploit the workforce, members of other social groups have become a part of this process, including women, immigrants, gays, and lesbians. Therefore, the civil rights movement should collaborate with other campaigns, including feminist ones. In this way, it would be possible to find more ways to end discrimination and poverty. To get these results, the researcher thoroughly explores the wide variety of published works on intersectionality. For that reason, she manages to find evidence of the fact that coalition would be the most beneficial way to resist oppression and make political, organizational changes. As an example, she suggests newly-emerged community-based organizations that fight for both racial justice and better working conditions, similar to trade unions.

Reference

Brenner, J. (2000). Intersections, locations, and capitalist class relations: Intersectionality from a Marxist perspective. Women and the politics of class, 293-324.

The pain and agony of racial discrimination still lingers in the lives of the aboriginal communities of Australia. Compared to the other people in the same country, the indigenous people continue to suffer due to inadequate availability of basic necessities. Poverty and unemployment has led most of the youths into crime and substance abuse. With no appropriate person to address their plight, the children and the women become the most affected. Cultural beliefs and ties have continued to bind these communities and hindered them from being free. The government on the other hand has been slow in addressing the issues of these people. They have taken them for granted and also blamed them for their poor living conditions.

Racism is a term used to define the unfair treatment between people of a different racial background, such a term may however be redefined to the unfair treatment shown towards a people that are lowly regarded in the society. Despite the similar territorial boundaries that the people of the same country share, the resources are not equally distributed. There is always a disparity between the remote community and the rest of the citizens (Hodge, 2006). This group of people are neglected and hence live a life full of frustrations. It is usually for such reasons that high cases of crime, violence and abuse are reported. Even with the reported cases, the action of the government to protect these people is slow.

Australia is one nation in which cases that relate to criminal offences and violence have received a lot of attention from the media. If properly utilised, it is through this media that the cases can be addressed (Howe, 1998). The main problem is that the media can not be trusted with the statistics; it seems to either overlook some serious cases or provide information that is contrary to the exact happening. When it comes to reporting crimes, the indigenous community is not given the much needed attention. The reason for this is that the remote areas where these people stay are not well supplied with the necessary amenities for it to be accessible by the media. The people are neglected and their needs taken for granted.

The lifestyle of the indigenous community is characterised by a frustrated group of people that live for each day and behold whatever befalls them. To them the future has no meaning and they live simply because they found themselves alive. They are not have access to good health care facilities, the water they drink is not pure and they are generally congested. They have come to accept the state of their conditions simply because they have no one understanding enough to report to, if they get an opportunity to do so, little is done to assist them. (Donnan, 2009)

Due to such frustrations of life, there is a lot of violence and abuse in the aboriginal Australia. The young unemployed people that are faced with the responsibility of taking care of the family will always resort to substance abuse to escape such duties (Donnan, 2009). The out come of such intoxications is released on the children and the women. There are therefore many reported cases of negligence on the children and the women. From a critical analysis of the statistics recorded on the life expectancy age, infant mortality rate and the rate of infectious diseases, it was discovered that the percentage of victims in aboriginal communities exceeds at a larger extend from the non-aboriginal people. Despite the effort of the media to provide coverage of these cases, there is usually fear among the victims of the consequences that will befall them if the exact cases are reported. Due to the cultural beliefs and norms most of the victims choose not to narrate their ordeals.

In recent years, the plight of this indigenous community caught the attention of the media and consequently the state government. A lot of funds have since been poured into projects that are to ensure peace and stability amongst the people (Meadows, 2001). Despite the various blames pointed on the indigenous communities inability to boldly resist the norm, there has been a big disparity between the white Australians and the indigenous community. Most of them are not educated and therefore not informed on matters concerning their rights. The housing and health facilities of these communities are at stake and most of them are unemployed. Even though funds are being supplied to provide for the basic human rights of these communities, the funds have not been adequate due to the increasing number of the people and inflation (Broome, 2005). For such crimes to be completely eradicated, more funds have to be invested in ensuring that the community based health centres are adequately equipped with health facilities, better houses need to be established, employment opportunities for the youth to avoid idleness that subsequently leads to crime and lastly ensure that the communities are access to educational facilities where they will be informed of their rights.

With the implementation of the following short term proposals, the situation of the indigenous people can be brought under check; the public should come out and support the government to increase funding to this community, infrastructure and other important services should be provided, the indigenous leaders should be included in decisions pertaining to development projects, educating the community on the dangers of substance abuse which is the main cause of crime and the construction of houses to minimize congestion.

For the long term plans to deliver the community the government should; ensure that there is maximum representation of the needs of the remote community in parliament, with a regular supply of the needed funds, promote independence in the community by establishing training programs to the young people, the indigenous people should be given scholarships to study in remote areas with the aim of improving the area, the indigenous people should be supported to take courses in the areas of education, governance and health to adequately equip them for community responsibilities.

The cases of child negligence have been on the rise in these communities. Due to the inability of the children to speak and express themselves, most of such cases are either never reported or reported when a lot of damage has already been done. The parents of these children may either be unable to protect them or be the main abusers. The main reason why the parents behave this way is because of the situations and circumstances that they are exposed to. They may wish to provide for their children the best treatment but the resources are not adequate. They therefore expose them to both emotional and physical pain to relieve them of their own pain.

The government of Australia has laws that offer protection to the child. It is mandatory for the state to offer the much needed help to the children who are facing abuse or neglect of any kind (Rowse, 2002). Despite these laws being active, the aboriginal children continue to suffer with no one to adequately address their issues. The media has been on the forefront in exposing these issues to the public, yet the government has not treated these cases with emergency. Some cases are however never reported because the people have lost confidence in the justice system and the media; they usually feel that reporting their cases may only tarnish their public image and receive no help from the concerned. The parents also fear to report the cases of their childrens abuse thinking that the children may be separated from them.

There is also a tendency of the community to deny that what their children are going through is abnormal as most of them were brought up in similar conditions. Some of the children are usually abused by their close relatives and they are therefore advised not to report the cases. The community also feels that reporting the cases may lead to the arrest of the perpetrator which is viewed as betrayal. The family of the abused may also fear the consequences of them reporting the perpetrator who may retaliate. Reporting of the case may also bring shame to the family and community, a dignity that the concerned dont want to loose. The communities dont also have a clear understanding of child abuse and neglect; they view them as the responsibilities that the children have to undertake. They are ill informed of the legal procedures that are needed to address the cases of child abuse. This community is geographically isolated and they do not have reporting centres.

The highest percentage of child abuse is neglect (Dickson, 2005). This usually consists of the parents inability to provide to their children the basic necessities of life i.e. adequate food, shelter, clothing, medical care, hygiene and supervision when playing. This however may not be blamed on the parents who may not be in a position to provide these facilities. Next to neglect is emotional abuse, most of these children are required to adequately perform certain tasks in the community, if such standards are not met and appreciated they are emotionally confused and disturbed. Third in the rank is physical abuse, these mostly happens to them when they fail to meet certain demands of the family or the community.

Sexual abuse is the last and probably the most tormenting form of abuse that a child could be exposed to. This may come in several forms but the girls are the most affected. The children who are sexually abused may not understand what is happening to them; they are violently assaulted and threatened in case they report the matter. Most of the abusers are usually under intoxication which makes the ordeal even more violent and painful. Some of them may also be abused by the very people that they rely on to provide for them the security and protection that they need. Such kind of abuse affects the childs psychology and emotional wounds that may not be easy to heal. Most cases of sexual abuse and assault are never reported and those that are reported are probably discovered when the girl becomes pregnant. The parents who may realise that their child has been assaulted may fear to report the cases because they want to protect the child and the family name. With no action, the child may continue to suffer such abuse from the assailant with no one to run to.

Another kind of sexual abuse that is mostly ignored and viewed as normal by the community is early marriages, the girl child is usually at risk as she may have no say when the decision is passed by the community elders. Girls as young as twelve years are forced to take up responsibilities of mothers and wives despite their immaturity and inexperience (Dalton, 1996). When the appropriate suitor is found for them, they are not given any chance to bargain. One of the main reasons why the parents of this children resort to such a move of marrying off their daughters at an early age is because they want to reduce the burden of taking care of many children. By marrying off their daughter, they will have fewer children to take care of and also gain some token as a bride price from their prospective in-laws. The reproductive health of these young girls is put at risk as they understand little about it.

As much as this lifestyle is common and normal to the aboriginal communities, it is unheard off among the white Australians. It is no wonder that when they hear of such, they think it is only a fairy tale. When such few cases are reported among them, they will do all that they can to help the victims and make sure that the same never recurs. For the aboriginal, nothing much may be done, they live as outcasts in their own country. The journalists who manage to penetrate these areas and talk to the people may not get the complete information from them. However they are the people that can help heal these communities from neglect.

What is required of them is to take the correct statistics and bring out a clear picture of exactly what happens in these communities. The media is the only channel that can be trusted to provide fair information on the pain and agony of these communities (Rowse, 2002). It may not be easy especially to get a victim of sexual abuse to boldly narrate their experience and how they feel about it unless it is done with a skilful approach. Many young people in these areas are miserable and frustrated and they are only looking forward to someone who can listen to them and help them out. With thorough investigation it may be discovered that involvement in crime and substance abuse is simply because they desire to release their pain and agony.

It has not been easy for the government leaders to stoop low and look unto the needs of these people, most of them have never led such a lifestyle and therefore ignorant about it (Reid, 2003). It is only the media that can decide to stand strong and expose these communities to the public so that they realise the urgency of their needs. In exposing these cases, the media should not only do it once because it is usually forgotten and life goes on. When such episodes are repeatedly aired, it will catch the attention of the public and the leadership who may sympathise and help their own. The media, using their interrogative skills, may also be able to assist the police in getting the assailants and criminals to face the law.

The media may provide the best alternative for justice in these communities because of the calculated steps they take to find out how and what led to a certain occurrence. They are in a better position to also gather all the evidence that may lead to the arrest of the criminals. The reason why crime has continued to be reported in these communities is because the criminals are never confronted, it becomes a normal lifestyle to them (Carson, 2007). Most criminals in these communities are known yet feared by the people. They are a constant threat to the security of the areas, when such are taken and rehabilitated, they may be given the skills that will provide them with an alternative that legally earn them a living.

When dealing with indigenous violence, the criminal investigation office should understand that. Most of the crimes done are not mainly driven by ones desire to become rich or achieve anything. Most of them are driven into it by frustration and substance abuse. Most of them feel that by harming somebody, part of their pain may be relieved and by harming many, much of it will also sublime. Such conceptions are the ones that make them persist in their crimes (Phillips, 2003). When it comes to such cases, it may therefore be of no help simply punishing the offenders without taking them through cancelling. They need to be interrogated to find out how they got into the crime, at what age and the situations that they were facing.

Another reason that drives the youth into substance abuse and crime is because they have nothing to do. With a lot of energy within them, they may look for a means of flexing their muscles of which they find crime and drugs to be the most appropriate way. Once the background of their behaviour is established it may be easier to provide them with appropriate cancelling and support (Nowra, 2007). Most of the time the criminal justice becomes so hard on the assailants of indigenous violence without offering them with any assistance to completely get out of it.

Most of the victims of indigenous violence are the children and the women. They are the ones to bear the consequences of their drunken husbands and fathers. Several policies have been enacted to ensure that the women and the children are protected from such kind of assaults. Several women organisations have come up to defend and protect them (Attwood, 2005). They are aimed at enlightening the women on their rights and encouraging them to speak out whenever they are found in such a situation. Even though most women look at it as a better alternative to solve their issues, most of them are not bold enough to report the violence in their home. They are required to report such happenings to the community elders who will provide them with solution. In most cases the solutions are never to their favour and so rendering the intervention meaningless.

In order to offer workable solutions to these individuals, the government and other organisations should collaborate with the community elders with the hope of making them change the way they look at family violence. They should be able to suggest solutions that will not only benefit the victims but also make the man behave responsibly. It has generally been assumed in such communities that whenever a family faces instability it is the woman rather than the man to be held responsible (Neill, 2002). These makes the men to persist in their reckless behaviour knowing that whatever excuse they present, the case will turn out to their favour. To change such policies of the community may not be easy as the elders feel they have all the authority and wisdom to defend their people.

When strategic measures are employed in educating these elders, they would be the channel that the government and other organisations can use to deliver these communities from pain and torture. When it comes to addressing the issues of child abuse, the best solution is to get the children into schools where the teachers concerned are to be trained on dealing with them (Broome, 2005). Children that have been abused may show resistance towards any social activities. They feel neglected and abandoned and therefore need a person that truly befriend them and make them narrate what happened to them. Most of them that are sexually assaulted are usually threatened never to reveal the matter or face dire consequences. Such children may therefore find it hard to reveal the truth unless assured of their total security.

In conclusion, we find that the aboriginal communities need a lot of help from the government and the general public. It may not be easy for them to accept the help even when it is available due to the lifestyle that they are now used to. Changing such communities to make them behave like the others is not a change that can be achieved suddenly. It requires a lot of diligence and persistence on the part of the government and other organisations. They need to be first made aware of what is required of them with an assurance that if they submit they will be helped. No matter how many more years it takes before they are completely transformed, the first steps begin now. When all the leaders, communities and organisations come together for the sake of these people, they will feel loved and consequently their lives will change. (Neill, 2002)

References

Attwood B. (2005): Telling the truth about Aboriginal history: Allen & Unwin pp12-15.

Broome R. (2005): Aboriginal Victorians: Allen & Unwin pp17-19.

Carson B. (2007): Social Determinants of Indigenous Health: Allen & Unwin pp34-37.

Dalton T. (1996): Making social policy in Australia: Allen & Unwin pp45-48.

Dickson J. (2005): Will the circle be unbroken: University of Toronto Press reprint pp56-58.

Donnan H. (2009): Transgressive Sex: Berghahn Books pp12-16.

Hodge R. (2006): Border work in multicultural Australia: Allen & Unwin pp14-19.

Howe A. (1998): Sexed Crime in the News: Federation Press pp16-18.

Meadows M. (2001): Voices in the wilderness: Greenwood Publishing Group pp25-28.

Neill R. (2002): White out: Allen pp16-19.

Nowra L. (2007): Bad Dreaming: Pluto Press Australia pp15-19.

Phillips G. (2003): Addictions and healing in Aboriginal country: Aboriginal Studies Press pp35-37.

Reid C. (2003): Negotiating Racialised Identities: Common Ground pp16-19.

Rowse A. (2002): Indigenous futures: UNSW Press pp36-38.

Social-cultural determinants of substance abuse

Children born in families with parents who abuse drugs are more likely to do the same. Parents and TV stars are role models. As a result, children copy this habit to abuse drugs. Prevalence of drugs misuse is common in families with low socioeconomic education status because they have little knowledge of drug use and experience ill-treatment (Langwith, 2007). Peer influence also compels one to abuse drugs. A person who is not principled is vulnerable to drug abuse like his friends. Adverts and promotions persuade teenagers to use some drugs so as to feel good (Henderson, 2005).

Reasons for rampant drug abuse

Most teenagers abuse drugs out of ignorance. Parents mislead them showing that some drugs dont need to be prescribed by a medical practitioner. Parents make children realize that drugs, such as paracetamol, are safe for use compared to illegal ones. Some teenagers use drugs to overcome stress in school. This makes them forget real life and live in a fantasy world (Henderson, 2005).

Lack of proper drug outlets, depression, and anxiety make teens resolve to self-medication so as to get quick recovery. Most teenagers indulge in alcohol so as to gain social acceptance and increase their self-esteem. They believe that abusing drugs makes them have fun. The ease of accessing such substances makes most people abuse them (Langwith, 2007).

Psychological and physical cost of drugs

Drugs have numerous side effects. They change the way the body responds to pleasure, alter the appetite and body temperature. Excess drug abuse can lead to kidney and liver damage, respiratory problems, heart attacks, stroke, brain damage, abdominal pain and vomiting accompanied by diarrhea (Henderson, 2005). Substance abuse is a cause of psychological problems like hallucinations and confusion. In other instances, it can make someone have wild mood swings, depression, and anxiety (Langwith, 2007). These people are likely to develop mental health complications, thus become violent. Addiction creates a cycle in which a person sees no meaning in life without drugs. People tend to indulge in drugs as a remedy for their stress (Langwith, 2007).

The indirect and direct financial cost

Drug abuse and addiction have an association with poverty. Drugs are costly, and people spend family resources to buy them. In case of dependency, they want to get the satisfaction they cant obtain from the consumption of excess drugs. Such victims are prone to medical complications that require a lot of money to treat. As a result, they are forced to pay large amounts of money for their cars, lives and health as premiums to insurance companies to cover their lives. Such addiction leads to poor concentration at work and individuals are more likely to lose their jobs due to reduced productivity (Henderson, 2005).

The link between addiction and suicide, crime, homicide, accidents & interpersonal relationships

Drug abusers commit delinquent acts. They turn out to violence, kill other people, and steal as a way of tapping income to purchase drugs. Drugs inhibit a sense of moral judgment making people commit suicides, assaults, and impulsive murders. 45 percent of deaths in road accidents result from drinking and driving. Domestic violence is a common cause for abusers, especially when there is not enough money to buy drugs. Violence reduces interpersonal relations greatly. (Henderson, 2005).

Defense mechanisms

Regression

In regression as a defense mechanism, an individual reverses behavior to an early stage of development when fighting unacceptable thoughts (Cobb, 2013). The person becomes childish and may resolve to cry or refusal to eat, thinking he/she is solving a problem. Another example involves a grown-up person who wets the bed because of great stress (Hentschel, 2004).

Denial

In this mechanism, a person doesnt want to be in touch with reality. One behaves in a way to suppress the feeling of a painful event or thought as if it didnt happen. It is a backward defense mechanism of dealing with painful experiences. For example, an alcoholic person will deny being an addict because of the desire to avoid reality (Cobb, 2013).

Projection

The defense mechanism involves the transfer of character traits onto a person who doesnt have them at all. If one considers a feeling or a thought to be unacceptable, he/she thinks that its him/her that gets offended and not the other party. An example is a man talking continuously to his spouse without pausing. When the wife interrupts him, he accuses her of being a bad listener. He knows its wrong to be a bad listener, which he is, but he accuses his wife (Hentschel, 2004).

Reaction formation

The mechanism involves a change of unpleasant stimuli to be interesting. For example, a woman who is unhappy in her marriage because her husband beats her may want to quit the marriage. She doesnt show her anger and betrayal to her husband. Instead, she pretends to be happy and says openly how her husband loves her and thus has no reason to quit the marriage (Cobb, 2013).

Displacement

This mechanism involves the transfer of ones frustrations onto an object. People resort to diverting their anger when they cant express their opinion in the correct manner to the right person. An example is a lady who gets mad at her boss but doesnt confront him for fear of losing the job. When she gets home, she redirects her anger on a dog. It is an inappropriate defense mechanism because the anger is directed at an innocent dog (Hentschel, 2004).

References

Cobb, D. (2013). Defense mechanisms. New York: America Star Books.

Henderson, H. (2005). Drug abuse. New York: Facts on File.

Hentschel, U. (2004). Defense mechanisms. Amsterdam: Elsevier.

Langwith, J. (2007). Drug abuse. Detroit: Greenhaven Press.

Eugenics is the act of mating people with desirable traits to improve the human species and was first introduced by Francis Galton. Charles Darwins theory of the origin of species is what caught the attention of Galton who became interested in the work. In 1859, Galton embarked on research that aimed at determining the social implications of Darwins concept. According to Galton, the essential characteristics of living things are biologically influenced rather than shaped by the environment CrashCourse, 2018). In 1883, he published inquiries into human faculty and its development and called it Eugenics, the discipline of good breeding.

Such countries as the United States started passing Eugenical Laws driven by the fear that the birth of the supposedly inferior individuals would lead to weak or criminally degenerate adults. Many American states began implementing forcible sterilization in 1907. However, the actions taken by the states is not what Galton had argued for as it was negative Eugenics (CrashCourse, 2018). Many Galton-inspired scientists in the United States performed unconventional research on human differences and advocated for terrible ideas.

Some of the worst of such scientists are Lawyer, Zoologist Madison Grant, and Zoologist Charles Davenport, all of whom promoted scientific racism. By late 1920, biologists had discovered that Eugenics was bad science, but, as a source of policy by many lawmakers in the United States, it was still much present (CrashCourse, 2018). Compulsory disinfection was challenged in the United States Supreme Court, but the decision was in eugenicists favor and has never been technically overturned. Forced sterilization was still happening in California prisons until 2014 when it was finally banned.

In terms of the history of birth control in the United States, Margaret Sanger is recognized by most healthcare experts as a nurse who helped to advocate for its acceptance in society. Birth control is the use of contraceptives or other methods to prevent conceiving a child (TIME, 2015). After coining the term birth control, Sanger later decided to open the first-ever birth control clinic in 1926. She is credited for being the founder of the Birth Control League which focuses primarily on helping to teach people about safe abortion procedures and contraceptives. She also gave birth control lectures to many groups, including the Ku Klux Klan.

References

CrashCourse. (2018). Eugenics and Francis Galton: Crash course history of science #23 [Video]. Web.

TIME. (2015). The history of birth control [Video]. Web.

This paper is an elaboration and analysis of social problems observed during a late night stroll around Toronto. Numerous observations were made and a few people were also interviewed to acquire a more direct and accurate observation of the scenario. In the following paragraphs, each observation made during the late night walk shall be considered in light of the social problems and principles it can be identified with.

The primary observed points constituted Church/Carlton/Jarvis/Gerrard, Filmores Bar at George & Dundas, Gay Ghetto at Carlton & Church, Boys Town at Grosnover and Bay, and Regent Park. The purpose of these observations was to acquire a thorough understanding of the numerous social problems that exist in society and the manner in which they relate with each other. The late night street walk was designed to be carried out in the form of groups of students and the central objective was to develop a clear and firsthand perception of communal harms and evils. The observations were fundamentally made through direct surveillance made through physical presence by standing at a distance from the subject under observation and studying the individuals activities and surroundings. The paper shall proceed by identifying social problems and relating them to social theories based on psychological perceptions and perceptive build ups that prevail across modern day society.

Grosnover and Bay

In Grosvenor and Bay, a boy was standing at the corner, prostituting himself. Patriarchy was observed in the most obscure form at this point since the boy was not simply selling himself for the sake of acquiring money but a conversation with the boy revealed that he was doing so in order to acquire money for a purpose: He wanted to purchase medicine for his sick mother. The boys age was considered to be less than eighteen and he was quite cooperative and obliging in the conversation. It was evident that the boy was the victim of an Inferiority Complex as he continued to narrate his story and made frequent references to himself as person who nobody would want to hire and who was of no use to anybody. It was evident that poverty was forcing the young boy into prostitution and he had reached a state of mind where he considered himself to be unsuitable for any job setting. The boy was observed to be so lost that he had not even given serious consideration to the possibilities that he would explore as he grew older or the career that he would attempt to adopt later on in his life.

It was observed that the boy was a classic case of the mutation of imagination and the subtle evolution of conditioning (Uebergang, 2007). A compounding nature of subjection to criticism and failure seemed to be at the root of the boys desperation to earn quick money and the situation was only further aggravated by the boys inferiority complex. It can be suggested in light of the boys condition that the boys current state may have long term implications on the boy and may cause him to develop addictions (Farley, 2003). Also, the general context of the neighborhood observed was also observed to be threatening. If what the boy told us was true, then one can surmise that the boy was peddling himself in a location that was highly dangerous and where the boy could be exposed and could eventually become addicted to different forms of corruption.

The boy did not reveal any information about his father however and it was apparent that the general prevalence of patriarchy still holds strong in society (Evans, 1996). Whatever the reason for the fathers absence was, the boy was attempting to play a role that was that of his mothers husband and it is therefore justifiable to conclude that the father was not a part of the picture. The concept of patriarchy was observed to have evolved in this case into one where the womans position is one that the man of the house is attempting to protect (Marshall, 2005).

The research brought forth a new perception of prostitution through which there was no doubt left in the fact that a significant cause because of which numerous forms of corruption prevail in society is the external mechanism through which poverty is channeled into slums such as these. Most of the people engaged in prostitution were observed to be ones who were not present by their own choice at all but were present in the neighborhood out of either an obligation to their families or out of the singular desperation into which they were thrust by society. The boy engaged in prostitution had lost aim of his future and was no longer in control of his life. This fact was one that brought forth another side of the entire observation. Not only is modern day society highly male dominated but is also one that does not take kindly to the weak.

The boy was in a position in his life where he had the responsibility of his sick mother and while the boy was not of an age that justified the position, the responsibility of taking care of his sick mother was one that he could not escape no matter what or how he tried. Having lost all desire to live his life for his own being and making choices for his own self, the boy had entered a perilous level of inferiority complex where he did not choose to engage in any activity whatsoever that could help him to actually develop himself. It can therefore be justified that his actions were ones that were based on decisions made on the spur of the moment and for the spur of the moment without having given relevance to any long term consequences.

In terms of the understanding of this incident in light of the Social Bond Theory (Kendall, 2008), it is apparent that in the perspective of attachment, the subject is extremely attached to the mother and has taken on a commitment that had induced the individuals involvement in the scenario in which he is present. While the Social Bond Theory perceives commitment as an element that relates the subject to adherence to law and regulations, it is evident that in the case of this boy, adherence to family protection and upkeep norms appear to be of primary relevance. In this perspective, the case of the boy comes forth as a highly unique application of the Social Bond Theory in which the outcome is far from deterrence but lies in the extensive opposite.

Transsexual

A transsexual was interviewed briefly during the late night stroll. She told us that the feeling of wanting to be a woman had been present in the mind from as long as she could recall. The intensity of the feeling was observed to be so strong that the transsexual had gone through surgery in order to have her gender changed. The transsexual was observed to be in a state of mind where she had absolutely no objections or regrets about the gender change through surgery and openly declared that she was happy with her life. While the general perception regarding transsexuals holds that they are of a shy nature, it was observed she was not shy at all and was not ashamed of her choice or decision in any manner.

Feminism can be found to be very strongly in action in this transsexuals case since the individual is clearly choosing to take a stand against biological certainty (Stryker & Whittle, 2006). The individual is of the opinion that the genetically present biology should not have any influence whatsoever on the destiny of the individual. The transsexual did not merely appear to be attempting to revolt against gender based restriction of roles but was one who appeared to have made an independent choice in life.

The transsexual appeared to harbor an attitude which was slightly aggressive towards questions regarding any potential regrets or compunctions at having become a transsexual. This indicated that there was the presence of an unpleasant and unwanted conflict (Hollows & Moseley, 2006). Either the transsexual was feeling insecure about the change of gender or the degree of acceptance that the transsexual had been given upon implementing the decision of changing her gender. Or the second possibility could be that the transsexual did not acquire adequate acceptance and reception and had been subjected to stigmas of in-acceptance upon changing gender.

Another fact observed was that the transsexual was encountered in a neighborhood and at a time when there seemed to be a tendency for underhanded elements in the society to be out in the streets. This led to the development of the hypothesis that the transsexual might have encountered such a harsh level of in-acceptance that she had to resort to prostitution out of the need to earn money.

Crack Central

The next observation point was the corner of Sherbourne & Queen, which is also referred to as crack central. It was observed that drug dealing was going on without any hindrances or obstacles. Drug dealers were present and were not only selling cocaine but were actively involved in sniffing it as well. What came forth as more surprising was that most of the dealers were young and were between the ages of twenty two and thirty five. Another acute observation was the fact that there hardly seemed to be any decent women in the area. The only females present were those who were extensively intoxicated and those who were there with the men who had bought their services for the night.

This observation was one that came forth as a stark realization of the fact that the modern day society is one that is still highly male dominated and is one that serves to raise questions about the degree of comfort and security that the modern day woman is provided in a male dominated society (Enns, 2004). It is essential to note that while the identification of this attribute did not bring us back to patriarchy, it brought us to the realization of the manner in which there is a strong need to realize the vulnerable and exploited form in which modern day society has left women. One cannot help but associate Chauvinism with the scenario at hand.

Gay Ghetto

The Carlton and Church is also referred to as the Gay Ghetto and is a place where the general observation held that male and female gay couples chose to express not only their orientation openly but also engaged in public displays of affection without any hesitation. However, it was observed that a gay individual asked one of the late night stroll members if he was gay and expressed his desire to go back to the hotel with him. Even though the incident was harmless and was asked out of polite curiosity, it was later felt that the advance was perhaps inappropriate in the part that the gay individual had also taken the liberty of mentioning the intimate desires without regard to the team participants sexual orientation beforehand. It was surmised that the tendency to do so owed itself to the still present stigma and suppression that many gay individuals in modern day society. The Carlton and Church was therefore serving the role of a haven for the gay couples who came there and was an avenue where they could express their orientation openly. The expression of the desire to engage in intimacy was therefore interpreted as a tendency of the gay individual to make the most out of being in a situation where he could express himself openly.

Another observation made was that the gay community was highly cooperative and welcomed the late night stroll group into the bar. The people present in the bar were extremely warm and made the group feel very comfortable. There was perhaps even an element of safety that the bar held. This element of safety can be associated with the presence of members of a specific social group. The bar allowed the gay people present to form a small tie or establishment of sorts that was free of external contaminants. The gay people present in the bar appeared to be feeling safe and while there appeared to be a tendency for the gay people entering the neighborhood to proceed to the bar since they felt safe in the bar. This indicated that the gay community still has a significant degree of acceptance that they desire and that they still have not reached a natural degree of comfort where they can express themselves openly in general circumstances other than when they are present in their own community.

Hooker Harveys

Hooker Harveys was perhaps one of the few places that caught the attention of the group the most. It appeared to be an informally known epicenter for prostitution. It was noticed that the operations that incorporated corruption were not isolated from each other but were heavily integrated with each other. This observation was made from the fact that a flesh monger who had been observed to have driven around the block for nearly nine times later stopped his car and came out of his car to simply sell drugs to a boy. The flesh monger was in his middle ages and must have been around forty or forty five. All the while, a prostitute sat in the flesh mongers car in wait for customers while the flesh monger showed her off around the block. Another observation made was that the prostitute continued to remain in the car while the flesh monger came out of the car to sell drugs to young boys, the prostitute stayed in the car. The observation made from this occurrence was that the prostitute was in complete control and under authority of the pimp, indicating a high degree of reliance on the pimp. Another observation made was that the pimp appeared to be selling drugs to black young boys, which indicated that there was a strong element of corruption and a ghetto like internal structure functioning in the neighborhood.

Around the same area, another observation made was that there were men driving by in cars and most of the cars had men in groups of three or four sitting in them. They were peering outside of their cars as if in search for something. This researcher was not dressed in any manner that would resemble the dressing of a prostitute, yet a car with four men in it came by and asked the researcher to get in. Fortunately, a male researcher was also present in the proximity and he immediately took this researcher away from the scene. This small incident that spanned no more than perhaps a few seconds showed that the neighborhood was known and somewhat formally acknowledged as a center for prostitution. No matter what the dressing of a woman may be, a woman standing in the neighborhood was taken to be a prostitute (Hooks, 2000). In an inductive perspective, this observation can be surmised in a manner such that the inference holds an indication towards a deteriorating perception of the woman in modern day society. In day time the area may have been absolutely perfect with all kinds of people walking by, but the night appeared to have brought out a side of the neighborhood that was in stark difference to the picture that must have been present in this very neighborhood during the day.

Filmores Bar

This was an area avidly patronized by white working class men, an interesting fact worth mentioning is that mostly all who patronized Filmores were white working class men, possessing rented cars. This indicated that either they were non residents or that they were trying to maintain a degree of anonymity to avoid investigators or other such, wifely traps. However any one of these disturbing facts clearly indicates that the degree of corruption in this particular area was extremely high. Investigative observations led to an incriminating factor that almost all of the patrons were of the 40 and above age category. Pointing out that clearly many of the visitors were married, and corruption like this was causing temptation and was the cause of many broken lives, and disrupted childhoods. The location itself was not very secluded; therefore it was of an extremely adolescent exposed nature.

With all the acts of sexual intercourse being carried out, one would imagine that a place like this could lead to the highest degree of Aids the world has ever seen. Secondly, corruption leads to not only the disruption of normal otherwise happy lives but the conversion of an entire neighborhood into a brothel of sorts can be a source of the greatest globalized industry which is the pornographic industry. This transpires the kidnapping of girls, selling of young children and the works.

It came forth as a bit of a surprise that Filmores Bar was an establishment that seemed to be catering to a rather established segment of people. Most of the men at Filmores Bar were observed to be white and a vast majority of the people was observed to be in a highly intoxicated state. The bar seemed to be serving a purpose similar to the one that the pimp on the street was observed to be engaged in but it was observed that the men coming to the bar were economically rich. The prostitutes present were ones who appeared to be catering to a higher class and there was no doubt that the price of a prostitute must have been much higher in the bar than that of a prostitute on the street. Another observation that stood out was that there was that most of the cars parked in front of the bar were those from car rentals, indicating that most of the bars clientele was based on people who came out of town.

This inference is one that speaks volumes about the reputation of the neighborhood. Not only is the bar infamous for being a hub for prostitution for the high class but this understanding appeared to be one that went far beyond the people residing in the neighborhood and even in the city. Most of the men appeared to be working men and over the age of forty, which further indicated that the bar catered to a clientele that had the means and the money to pay for the high class services provided by the bar. However, the women in the bar were selling their bodies the same way as the women outside on the streets. They were asking women if they wanted to have a fun night and it was evident in this fact that the reputation that the women on the street held was the same that the women in filmores bar held. The only change was in the immediate scenery, whereas the mutation of the conception of feminism remained the very same. The woman in the bar was one who nothing more than sold her body, as did the woman on the street (Devlin-Glass & McCredden, 2001). The customers in both cases were men while the only difference that existed was that the men in the bar were those who agreed to pay more money than the men on the streets who roamed the blocks in groups of three and four in their cars.

It is evident from this observation that the neighborhood was one that appeared to hold a generalized understanding of women; one that regarded the woman nothing more than an object and an entity to make use of in exchange for money. Alcohol and drugs appeared to be rampant in their prevalence across the bar and appeared to be fueling the entire experience that the men in the facility were having.

The degree of sophistication of this place, hinted toward the high class seniority of prostitution that was going on here. It was not some small time brothel that operates at the side of the road, with hookers offering their bodies right out on the streets like some hawker offering his cheaply sold goods. Everything was done is a sophisticated high class, atmosphere, which only meant higher paid flesh mongers, and higher paid prostitutes. The atmosphere has a very minor link to the fact that the pomp and show was for the benefit of their clients. They were looking to attract the highest paying customers offering the highest bids on the most expensive prostitutes. That is how Filmore made its income.

This was a high class white collared working class patronized brothel that played a major role in the corruption increase at the time. With no attempt to shield its clandestine affairs, the patrons and prostitutes alike, were very aware of the power of their sexuality and flaunted it openly. Intoxication was a major source of their shamelessness. After all they had to be coherent to be aware of the compromising situation they were in.

Conclusion

It is apparent from the discussion that social stratification in the modern day society tends to mutate into an alternate form during the night time (Loudon & Bitta, 2001). This form is one that is extensively different in its social perceptions of gender and attempts to harden the barriers and increase the degree of isolation present between different social classes. It was evident in the observations made that the stratification is one that is tends to go against feminism.

Also, with regard to gender inequalities, it is evident that there is a significant under-crediting of the role of women in society. In this social stratification structure in particular, it was evident that women are being treated as an object in this particular night-time form of society.

When considered with respect to the labeling theory, it is apparent that not only the applicants of the social labels but also the recipients of the social stigmas have chosen to accept the presence of the social stigmas and have chosen to adhere to them in the course of their day to day lives. None of the people observed appeared to be reluctant or opposed to the roles that they were fulfilling and it was apparent that they were very firmly placed in their stigma riddled roles.

One can surmise from the discussion of the observation presented above was one that depicted the existence of a particular in society. The observation indicated that modern day society functions in a manner that is particular to it. While modern day society may have developed and may have become extensively sophisticated, an internal paradox exists inside this sophistication in the form of the shape that modern day society tends to take upon nightfall. There was a highly strong of corruption present in the observed neighborhood and one can surmise from the observations that modern day society is still dominated by man. The extensive presence of man and the extensive degree of prostitution and drug selling observed was more than enough to indicate that this dominant form of man was one that was not limited to a specific group of people but was deeply rooted in society. As uncanny as the resemblance may be, the idea of the childhood story, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, seems to hold true in the most crude of fashions if one was to isolate the manner in which all sophistication comes down to nothing as night approaches. the fact that the rich and relatively well established gentry of the area, residing in Cabbage Town, did not choose to step out of their house upon the approaching of night only served to further strengthen the observation that the presence of corruption and evil is still dominant and is fueled and strengthened by social problems such as poverty, family obligations and other similar elements. The walk proved to be an extremely enlightening and revealing experiment and ascertained the fact that no amount of text based study can replace the awareness that one acquires when exposed to reality and made to experience it firsthand. Not only did the walk provide answers to several questions but was next to empirical in opening up new horizons and giving birth to broader questions in the mind of this researcher.

Reference

Devlin-Glass, F., & McCredden, L. (2001). Feminist poetics of the sacred: creative suspicions. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Enns, C. Z. (2004). Feminist theories and feminist psychotherapies: origins, themes, and diversity. New York: Routledge.

Evans, P. (1996). The Verbally Abusive Relationship: How to Recognize it and How to Respond. Avon: Adams Media.

Farley, M. (2003). Prostitution, Trafficking and Traumatic Stress. New York: Routledge.

Hollows, J., & Moseley, R. (2006). Feminism in Popular Culture. Oxford : Berg Publishers.

Hooks, B. (2000). Feminist theory: from margin to center. London: Pluto Press.

Kendall, D. (2008). Sociology in Our Times: The Essentials. Connecticut: Cengage Learning.

Loudon, D. L., & Bitta, A. J. (2001). Consumer Behavior: Concepts And Applications. New Delhi:Tata McGraw-Hill.

Marshall, J. (2005). Humanity, freedom and feminism. Surrey: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.

Stryker, S., & Whittle, S. (2006). The Transgender Studies Reader. US: The transgender studies reader.

Uebergang, J. (2007). Inferiority Complex and the Self-image. EarthlingCommunication.com , 1-15.

In the course of human history there occurred a lot of tragedies, which were not only personal by nature, but concerned and wounded the whole nations or races of people. What is more, these tragedies have left painful signs not only on people, who were involved in the situations directly, the worst thing that proves the seriousness and chronicity of the communal traumas is the fact that they have long-term effect based on their insolubility, that may be observed in relation to the descendants of the victims of racial atrocities. It is commonly known that the most awful intergroup tragedies are as follows: holocaust, genocide and slavery. The book After Such Knowledge: Memory, History, and the Legacy of the Holocaust by Eva Hoffman is aimed at the study of the impact of the past negative experience on the current situation with collective identity of people. The same perspective may be applied with the consequences of the greatest tragedy of American people, 240 years of slavery and one hundred years of the sanctioned segregation based on racial prejudices.

First of all, it is necessary to resort to Hoffmans concept of communal trauma and its perception by the second generation of the Jewish people. The authoress presents the change of perception of the tragedy that may be illustrated by the title of the chapter From Event to Fable (1). She urges to transform potent family narrative into a fully informed understanding of forbidding history (Hoffman ix). The chapter suggests the effects of holocaust on the post war people, mainly, children who were born immediately after the end of the World War II. The personal reminiscences of the authoress vividly depict psychological and social deviations that were typical effects of the holocaust that had affected her personal collective identity: in her childhood, Hoffman was sure that people emerged not from the womb, but from the war (3), she was surrounded by traces of destruction everywhere around her: in the injured bodies of war veterans, & in the orphaned children & in the pervasive presence of and consciousness of death (Hoffman 3). Since it is commonly known, that a persons character is mainly formed during childhood, deviations caused by past, even indirect, experience are evident, like, for instance, constant anticipation of war and unconventional reaction to the death of parents (Hoffman 5). Nadell also mentions emotional legacy of post war children as depression, anxiety, panic attacks (845).

The grave long-term consequences of the holocaust for the Jewish people suggest the analysis of the human atrocity that was not less awful and, what is more, long-lasting, slavery in America and subsequent segregation of certain groups of people that lasted for 340 years. Though the tragedy of holocaust and slavery occurred in different countries and in different epochs, the traumatic effect of them is absolutely the same: deep psychological traumas of the next generation that in the case of slavery was supported by long segregation of the people. Brooks defines the element of society that is guilty of it; it is government with its main function of protection of the citizens, that was neglected, because it denied liberty in a most blatant way (Brooks 21). Harm done to slaves is defined by the author as deficiency in all spheres of life: denial of life and dignity, absence of property, absence of education and absence of adequate attitude of other societal groups (Brook 21). The life of a free black was also spoilt by artificial freedom, for he was never as free as a white man could be (Brook 32).

The legal end of slavery does not exclude the racial problems among free societal groups. The question of deficiencies is brought up by Brooks again when he dwells on the harm of slavery for the descendants of slaves. Here we should mention, for instance, lack of access of black graduates to elite educational establishments. If the question of violent racism is not topical today, the problem of racial subordination still remains urgent (Brooks 40).

In conclusion, it should be mentioned that though the saying states that time is the best healer the long-term consequences of the tragedies connected with race still remain urgent and need attention and action. The tragedies of the past should remain in the memory of the next generation as historical experience of the people. However, they should not harm the psychological and social world of the descendants of victims of injustice. We agree with Brooks that the matter should be handled by the government that should find the way how to make all people equal and free in democratic American society.

Works Cited

Brooks, Roy L. Atonement and Forgiveness: A New Model for Black Reparation. Berkley: University of California Press, 2006.

Hoffman, Eva. After Such Knowledge: Memory, History, and the Legacy of the Holocaust. : PublicAffairs, 2004.

Nadell, Pamela S. After Such Knowledge: Memory, History, and the Legacy of the Holocaust. Biography 27.4 (2004): 845-846.

Many prominent philosophers determined concepts about moral and political issues in terms of their unique philosophical doctrines.

Aristotles theory of virtue ethics

According to Aristotle, humans, unlike animals can reason. Hence, reasoning together with pleasure can bring happiness. And by Aristotle happiness is naturally our highest objective, meaning our highest good (Moore & Bruder, 2011, p. 264). Therefore, the virtue by Aristotle is using our capability to reason and restraining our desires (Moore & Bruder, 2011, p. 265). Thus, we obtain intellectual virtue, for example, by learning; we gain moral virtue, for instance, by going on a diet (Moore & Bruder, 2011, p. 265).

For people of keen intellect, it might be true. However, for a carpenter or a musician, for example, it is not. If our highest goal is to be happy, even if it is not necessarily connected with pleasure, it cannot only be in intellectual activity and moderation of our wants.

Augustines notion of evil

Augustine offered a solution to a debatable Christian question about the presence of evil in a world created by a perfectly good God (Moore & Bruder, 2011, p. 270). Firstly, he claimed that evil was not created by God. Furthermore, following Platos ideas, Augustine also debated the reality of evil. Therefore, ignorance of the right and misdirected love can lead to the wrong deeds of a human (Moore & Bruder, 2011, p. 271). The highest, virtuous good is God because God is good virtually, of the essence. Consequently, a human must be guided by a love of God, this is Augustines moral imperative.

It can be true for Christianity, but there are other religions as well: Buddhism, Confucianism, Islam, Hinduism, and finally atheism. And all these doctrines understand seeking for the highest good and virtue differently.

Benthams and Mills utilitarianism

Being utilitarians, Bentham and Mill explained virtuous actions as opposition to Kant and support of Hume. Bentham and Mill stated that the rightness of an action is identical with the happiness it produces as its consequence (Moore & Bruder, 2011, p. 284). Unlike Aristotle and Augustine, this is about individual virtue and private happiness. What makes you happy, is your idea of morality.

So, there is a lack of a core idea about the essence of such virtue as it is subjunctive. It can be true for happiness, but not for morality.

David Humes ethical view is known as sentimentalism

For moral virtue, David Hume put emotions, not reasoning first. Reasoning cannot explain the value of art and the immorality of killing people (Moore & Bruder, 2011). When you feel disgusted, the action is wrong; when you feel joy and happiness, the action is virtuous.

However, some people feel happy by killing people, so nowadays it is a law that distinguishes a murder for your protection from crime for your pleasure.

Kants ethical theory, the categorical imperative

By Kant, there must be supreme prescription of morality& The supreme categorical imperative (Moore & Bruder, 2011, p. 283). Therefore, he speaks of universal, objective morality. Your action is virtuous if you want this action to become a universal moral law. Still, people are all different by nature.

Nietzsches master and slave moralities

Nietzsche differentiates slave morality and master morality (Moore & Bruder, 2011, p. 289). The first one is soft-hearted and, therefore, weak; and the second one is selfish and, in contrast, strong (Moore & Bruder, 2011, p. 289). Consequently, an evolution of the world and society is performed by masters, not slaves (Moore & Bruder, 2011, p. 289).

Jean-Jacques Rousseaus notion of the natural man and civil man

By Rousseau, when a human was close to nature, a person was innocent, free and, therefore, happy (Moore & Bruder, 2011, p. 323). On the contrary, civilization, meaning private property, destroyed this natural freedom.

Lockes labor theory of property and Marxs labor theory of value

According to Locke, your property is what you mix your labor with; and the state should protect the right to ownership (Moore & Bruder, 2011, p. 321). By Marx, the value of a commodity is determined by the amount of labor required for its production (Moore & Bruder, 2011, p. 337). Hence, a socialist state should be created to protect workers who are exploited by private property owners (Moore & Bruder, 2011, p. 337).

Thomas Hobbes and John Locke about the state of nature and natural rights

Thomas Hobbes understood natural laws as rational principles that can defend a human (Moore & Bruder, 2011, p. 314). Besides, there is a social contract when people freely give up their powers and rights to a state in return for protection (Moore & Bruder, 2011, p. 317). However, people have natural rights to use all means for their protection once the state fails to maintain peace (Moore & Bruder, 2011, p. 317). In contrast, Locke says that people cannot kill others or damage their property because every human has God-given natural rights (Moore & Bruder, 2011, p. 320). Thus, this is an opposition of God ruling the society or people themselves.

John Rawls notion of the veil of ignorance and the original position

To select the principle of justice, John Rawls offers a veil of ignorance that guarantees that nobody is advantaged or disadvantaged when choosing the policies (Moore & Bruder, 2011, p. 366). The veil can give us an original position meaning initial situation (Moore & Bruder, 2011, p. 366). Hence, we can avoid bias when creating a justified social contract.

Robert Nozicks notion of the night-watchman state and entitlement concept of social justice

According to Robert Nozick, a state should be the minimal night-watchman for the protection of the citizens from any danger (Moore & Bruder, 2011, p. 370). Thus, the entitlement concept of social justice by Nozick is based on the fact that any redistribution of a persons possession or any other belonging is wrong and unjust (Moore & Bruder, 2011, p. 370). Nevertheless, redistribution is possible once it does not violate a humans freedom and serves to enlarge the good (Moore & Bruder, 2011, p. 370).

Depending on the core ideas of each philosophical doctrine, the subject of morality and political conception is presented differently. Nevertheless, it is either related or opposed to the views of other philosophers.

Reference

Moore, B., & Bruder, K. (2011). Philosophy: The power of ideas (8th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

People are social beings according to their nature but sometimes this social factor becomes dominant in the life of people and they begin to be influenced by the society is a great way. Such influence is often observed in the life of teenagers when they begin to copy the style in close or in the music of other people. Such notions as self-concept, self-esteem, and self-identity have some common and differential features. Self-concept of the person shows the value which the person attach to him/herself. Self-esteem is how the person respects him/herself and self-identity is how the person identifies him/herself in the society. The stylistic color of these notions is common, but it has the same common word value. Ones social perception depends on the self-concept, self-esteem, and self-identity of the person and how he/she represents him/herself in the society. The factors, which influence persuasion, are positive emotional condition, the repetition of the messages, the low self-esteem and the persuasion by experts and celebrities. The factors, which influence conformity, are belonging to a collectivist culture, desire to be liked by others, low self-esteem, shyness, and lack of personal expertise in the situation (Nevid & Rathus, 2005, p. 255)

Psychological tests are very important in the life of every person as they allow valuing the personal traits which are impossible to see, they help for person to understand him/herself and to find the solution to the problem. Different psychological tests help people to find the problem in their low self-esteem and self-content. Self-concept and self-esteem influence peoples self-identity greatly as it is as if the part of self-identity. The stylistic color of these notions is common, but it has the same common word value. Peoples behavior influence the behavior of the other people and these people are influences, there is a sort of circle there.

People are constantly making first impressions in social, personal, and professional situations. It is very important as the first impression predetermine the future relations. The first impression is significant while the job interview or the first date. The behavior of the person depends on the situation and on people who are involved in the situation, but the positive impression is better to create in any situation.

John is more likely to be persuaded by peer pressures such as drinking, drug use, skipping class, and other irresponsible behavior in a new city as he seems to be a very communicative person and coming to the strange city his main aim will be to find friends. The friends are different and coming to the spoiled company of people, he may also take up their habits. John seems to be very communicative, and moreover, the communication is very important for him. Being in a good mood, John may be easily persuaded to try some drinking or drugs, people, who are authorities for him, may also easy convince him. Moreover, the communication and the constant repetition of one and the same may be a great pusher for persuasion. The mentioned factors are the main factors of the persuasion, according to which people may convince the others to do this or that (Nevid & Rathus, 2005). Taking into consideration the factors which influence conformity (as the reasons to convince John and make him addicted), such factors may be mentioned: (1) John is the part of the collectivist culture as the member of the sport collective and (2) coming to the other city, the desire to get friends will make him to try to be liked by them.

So, the whole society is interconnected, people are influenced by the other and their activities influence other people, this is the society, and people in the society are usually alike. People should study psychology in order to be independent and to be able to analyze the situation from different sides (Ohara, 2005).

References

Nevid, J.S., & Rathus, S.A. (2005). Psychology and the challenges of life: Adjustment in the new millennium (9th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

Ohara, S (2005). What can you do with a major in psychology? Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

On Friday, May 27th, 2011, the famous search engine Google celebrated the birthday of the founder of sociology, Ibn Khaldun. He named it the science of human construction leaving a huge intellectual legacy that is still extending its influence today. Ibn Khaldun is a great and famous Arab historian and sociologist who enabled the delivery of numerous theories in scientific sociology and history. Ibn Khaldun was involved in many sciences fields including economics, astronomy, mathematics, history, jurisprudence, and philosophy. In the social system of human beings, he started a new concept that humans are affected by a range of factors the most important of which are environmental. He concluded that the condition of the earth, impact of climate, and type of food in addition to an individuals emotions and soul have impacts on ones ability to think. Dr. Bernard Lewis was greatly impacted by Ibns theory to the point that he considered Ibn Khaldun to be the best Arab thinker during the Middle Ages. This gave much value to Ibn Khalduns logical facts which were later adapted to the modern society to achieving a balance between the material and spiritual life of the people.

Synopsis

Noone, Allen, Sullivan, McKenzie, Esqueda and Ibarra (2014), the authors of the article Escuchando a nuestros jóvenes: a Latino youth photovoice project on teen pregnancy, attempted to analyze the situation regarding increasing rates of teenage pregnancy among the representatives of the Latino culture. However, due to the specifics of the issue, the researchers also touched upon the Latino teenage subculture and the effect of traditions and media on it.

The goal of the paper, therefore, concerned both addressing the current social process within the Latino young subculture, and to generate a theory regarding the ways of bringing the rates of teenage pregnancy among young Latino women down.

Noone et al. (2014) used two key research tools, i.e., surveys and photovoice. While the former is a comparatively well-known tool that does not need representation, photovoice is an innovation, which the authors of the study tested. Traditionally, the photovoice method presupposes a combination of photography analysis and action research (Noone et al., 2014). The researchers never touched upon the issue of biases and preconceptions in their paper; nor did they mention any specific pieces of data.

The credibility of the paper is quite high, as it was published in a peer reviewed journal. Qualitative research as the study method can be justified by the necessity to get a deeper insight on the behavior of the research subjects. Both the use of interviews and the adoption of the photovoice method were valid and efficient, though there was only slight dynamics in the data collection and the analysis method interaction. The information retrieved from interviews and pictures justified the theory and provided a graphic portrayal of the effects of the Latino values on young Latino women (Brown, 2013).

As far as the themes are concerned, risks for teens, peer pressure, education, community resources and Latino values (Noone et al., 2014, p. 66) must be listed. The study results show that the key to reducing the rates of Latino teen pregnancy should be sought in both the specifics of Latino culture and the effects of modern media. However, Latino culture and its traditional values have been considered the factor having a major effect on pregnant Latino teenagers. The reconsideration of the role of education in the lives of Latino teenagers was viewed as the key solution to the current situation. Raising awareness among the Latino girls and young women, i.e., the potential targets of sexual predators, was also mentioned as a necessary addition to the current policies concerning sexual education (Noone et al., 2014).

Conclusions

By thinking outside the box and linking the phenomenon of teen pregnancy to both the cultural values promoted by modern media and the traditional values of the Latino culture, at the same time utilizing the Photovoice technique, which allows for linking the data acquired from social research to the information from traditional media, particularly, photographs, Noone et al. (2014) have made a breakthrough in the analysis of the issue.

While the problem of teen pregnancy among Latinos is not new, the idea of incorporating the analysis of opinions belonging to the representatives of several generations and the research of older data, let alone the data acquired from pictures, is very fresh and seems quite legitimate. It was by tying the current social and economic trends together with the traditional values of the Latino culture (e. g, the importance of a family, the concept of abortion as a cultural taboo, etc.) that the researchers came to the aforementioned conclusions, which shows in a very graphic way that photovoice, in fact, is a very efficient research tool.

It could be argued that the specified approach would not have worked in a different racial/ethnic group or in another continent. However, the contrast between the power of traditions and the effect of the current trends, which the use of photovoice allows for, is a crucial step in approaching a social problem within any cultural setting. Therefore, it can be assumed that the researchers have designed a perfect tool for a cultural analysis.

Reference List

Brown, S. J. (2013). Evidence-based nursing: The research-practice connection (3rd ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Noone, J., Allen, T., Sullivan, M., McKenzie, G., Esqueda, T. & Ibarra, N. (2014). Escuchando a nuestros jóvenes: a Latino youth photovoice project on teen pregnancy. Hispanic Health Care International, 12(2), 6370. Web.