Together free essay sample

There is something about synchronized sports that bring people together. When I sit down in a boat with eight other girls we become more than ourselves, we become a powerful machine others would not dare to cross. When every waking hour outside of school is spent with the same twenty girls, there is no way we could not be influenced by each other. Every stroke is oiled to perfection, no nut or bolt out of place. Sitting in that boat I can feel the movement of each individual girl, and they can feel me. We move as one force, race as one, think as one. A rower’s mind is more than resilient. A rower never backs down. A rower pushes through the fiery wall at the last 500 meters, because they know that if they do not they will not only let themselves down but also the eight other rowers who did not even consider stopping. We will write a custom essay sample on Together or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This mindset is drilled so deep into our minds that it does not simply dissipate when I step out of the boat, or drive home from practice. Such mental strength shows itself in all aspects of my life. The girls at crew have made it impossible to back down from any challenge be it final exams, speaking up during discussions, or stepping forward to lead a club. I continue to push myself to my limit, and then a little more, because I know I can. My teammates have showed me that.

Meet the Celestial Bull and his Angry Red Eye

Meet the Celestial Bull and his Angry Red Eye Theres a starry bull in the sky called Taurus, the Bull that is visible from late October through March each year in the evening and pre-dawn skies. The face of the bull actually shows up in a vee-shaped  star cluster  in the sky that you can observe pretty easily. Its called the Hyades (pronounced HIGH-uh-deez) and is a naked-eye object for most people. Its also visible to stargazers from almost anywhere on the planet. To find it, search out the constellation Taurus using a star chart or digital astronomy app.   Thank the Ancients for Their Astute Observations We owe our ancient stargazing ancestors a great deal when it comes to exploring fascinating things in the sky. For example, Greek astronomers identified the Hyades and its nearby neighbor - the Pleiades star cluster - thousands of years ago. Other cultures noted it, too, seeing everything from the face of a bull to the figures of gods and goddesses in the structure. There are star tales for just about every object in the sky, from every culture that has lived on our planet. The Hyades were thought to be the daughters of the god Atlas, and sisters to another group of daughters portrayed by the Pleiades. The Greeks werent the only ones to tell tales involving these clusters. The Maori, for example, also told tales of the Hyades and Pleiades, as did cultures in ancient North America, China, and Japan. They were a popular sight and topic for mythology.   The Stars of the Hyades In reality, the Hyades are more closely related to another star cluster called Praesepe, or the Beehive, which is an early spring object for Northern Hemisphere observers. Astronomers have long suspected that these two clusters had a common origin in an ancient cloud of gas and dust. The Hyades stars lie about 150 light-years away from us and formed some 625 million years ago. They travel together through space in the same direction. Eventually, even though they do have a slight gravitational attraction for each other, they will go their separate ways, just as the Pleiades will do. At that point, even though their stars may have unlinked from the cluster, theyre still traveling along the original trajectory. Astronomers call them moving group or a moving cluster.   There are about 400 stars in the Hyades, but we only see about 6 or 7 with the naked eye. The four brightest Hyades stars are red giants, types of stars that are aging. Theyve run through their nuclear fuel and are heading toward old age and eventual destruction. These stars are part of the V shape that ancient stargazers thought made up the face of a celestial bull named Taurus.   Meet the Eye of the Bull: Aldebaran The brightest star in the Hyades really isnt in the Hyades. Its called Aldebaran and its name was, like so many other star names, based in mythology. It happens to lie on the line of sight between us and the Hyades. Its an orange-hued giant that lies only 65 light-years away. Aldebaran is an old star that will eventually exhaust all its fuels and could eventually explode as a supernova before collapsing to form a neutron star or a black hole. Unlike Betelgeuse (the supergiant star in Orions shoulder, which could explode anytime as a supernova), Aldebaran will likely be around for millions of years. Both the Hyades and Pleiades are open clusters. There are many of these groupings of stars in the Milky Way and other galaxies. They are associations of stars born in the same clouds of gas and dust but are not tightly bound together by gravity as stars in globular clusters do. The Milky Way contains at least a thousand of these collections of stars and astronomers study them to understand how stars of similar ages evolve over time. From the time they form together in their birth clouds to the time they die, cluster members show us how stars of roughly the same age, but different masses, can change over time. Those changes are what lead to the astonishing diversity of stars in the universe.   The highest-mass stars in the Hyades will use up their nuclear fuel very fast and die after a few hundreds of millions of years. Those same stars use up tremendous amounts of the original cloud as they form, which reduces the supply of star-making material available to their sibling stars. So, like the Hyades, many open star clusters contain members that are the same age, but some look older than others.

Public Meeting Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Public Meeting Assignment - Essay Example Those in attendance would be the Township council members who would pave way for the meeting, and also members of the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association. Members of public would be encouraged to join in the meeting to help come up with suggestions and issues that surround the town and what could be done to make it better. The cleanup would act as a way for all community members to be involved in collecting litter that has riddled the watershed streams and assist in keeping the water sources clean (EWT 1). In a bid to increase and also improve community relations, this exercise might set the bar for all members to come together to keep their community clean for future generations that were to come. Public discussion may have been done through the council’s website (EWT 1), which encourages feedback through the different channels that are available. These means of communication is seen as an improvement from the past which might have included a lot of public discussion or debate. Technological advances have assisted some of the states and their councils in carrying out their duties and tasks to the public. The public is more involved in the running and deliberation of issues that affect their daily lives. This is unlike in the past where a council that consists of members who might be after their own interests decides what happens, when it happens, and how it happens in the community. People have become more aware of their rights as a result of this, and people can form groups that aid in protecting their rights and freedoms. Politics in this local level of government may work toward protecting the rights of their citizens through the policies they put in place. (EWT 1). However, not much is done since the public may not always be involved in the growth and development process of the community. The technological phase that has gripped the whole world is getting into the political arena. This works toward creating a front in which young people are involved in the running of their community business. Social media and other forms of media are used to reach the public to alert them of the various activities that may be undertaken, which may require their involvement. This involvement forces the political field to listen to some of the proposals and issues that are raised by the public, and act on these issues. This entire front works to show of the democratic advancement the nation has taken in addressing some of the problems faced. Naturally in the past, it would be next to impossible to engage one on one w ith a political figure who was still in office. The measures in place work to promote a relationship between the political head and the people being governed. Issues can be heard and hearings created to cater to the situations that arise. A measure of devotion is also created once political figures see the response of the public (EWT 1). This acts as a show of trust the public may have placed on their leaders, and failure to respond on their part may mean that they are failing in their duties and responsibilities. In conclusion, the

Organization Structure and Its External Environmental Research Paper

Organization Structure and Its External Environmental - Research Paper Example These domains are very large but the company has focused on the ones that have more influence on its performance in the market. Samsung company faces stiff competition from other companies especially LG with similar products, markets, and geographic locations. The company is aware of its competitors, their organizational size, marketing strategies, developments, and their competitive advantages. This has given management an upper hand in watching their operation internationally. The company is aware of its customers who are the most critical element of external environment. In order to keep its customers satisfied, it is important to know the preferential changes of customers, which are the likes, and dislikes which changes rapidly. The company produces goods that suit its customers bearing in mind that people live in tight social system that establish and encourage trends. It is always on the anticipating changes in customer product requirement, emerging technologies that can change how the good is used. In addition, it is aware of demographical changes, which include economical, social, and cultural shifts such as population age and economic class (Oldham, 1980). Samsung depends on availability of some external resources for its productivity and operation. It has skilled workers who include graduate from the field of technology, training schools, and labor market. The availability of these labors changes dramatically over period in that once the need for certain skill drops, even the supply drops which can affect the company, therefore, Samsung is aware of this and aims to compete for skilled labor in the market to avoid collapse. Samsung uses certain raw materials to manufacture its products, which it aims to keep in adequate supply to its main plant because a drift in supply of raw material may halts or slow its operation. Samsung has strong financial base that supports its operation in other countries in that it has credit lines that enables it to fund new ventures. Technologically, it has technological tools that are used in production of its products (Jacobsen, 2011). It uses new and up to date technology to fit the changing need of its customers. The company is responsible in its external market in which it operates in that it abide by the legal system , new laws and regulations that are in place in its area of operation. Environmental uncertainty is inevitable for any company since it is a measure of how many factors change during the time of planning. High level of uncertainty means that management has an intricate environment to deal with since it their decision-making capacity in absence of clear information. Leaders of Samsung Company have a framework of environmental uncertainty in that they have determined the stability and complexity of the environment in which they operate in. environmental complexity of Samsung company is determined by number of domains that influence its operation by focusing on how to beat its competit ors. Environmental stability of Samsung is determined by the frequency in which the domain aspects change and if the changes in the environment are predictable. Some domains in the Samsung environment are considered predictable thus making its external environment stable. Therefore, the company looks to create suitable

Does Technology Make a difference Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Does Technology Make a difference - Essay Example Currently, communication has become a massive industry owing to technological advancements. Technological advancements have increased the communication speed immensely. Additionally, it has enabled diversification of the communication sector. Therefore, the communication sector has countless facets. Communication serves a catalyst of other industries. The advancements in communication have necessitated changes in business practises. Acquisition of technology comes at a cost. It is vital to appraise the benefits that will come up from the acquisition of technology in an entity against the resource out flows. In some situations, it will demand setting-up of infrastructure. This comes at a significant cost. Additionally, organizations will require to retraining employees due to advancements in technology. The advancement in technology may also render sections of employees redundant. This would have cost implications on the entity as it pays benefits to the retrenched workers and hires a dditional personnel suited for the new technology. Alternatively, entities may opt to retrain the employees to avoid disruption in the entity (Shoniregun, 2005). Technology has countless benefits. As such, organizations can access many databases that contain vital information. Managers can utilize such information to enable decision-making in entities. Therefore, technology facilitates informed decision making in organizations. This has reduced losses incurred by countless entities. Technology has consequently transformed management radically. Thus, flow of information in organizations has become critical. Technology has enabled faster distribution of information to the workforce. This has enabled increased production in most sectors. Technology has not only increased production through swift flow of information by eliminating inefficiencies. Technology has changed industrial production massively. Introduction of

Causes and consequences of childhood poverty

Causes and consequences of childhood poverty Anyone doing background research into the causes of child poverty will soon learn that parental income is only one of a large network of interrelated factors. To name a few; political, communal, environmental, and societal influences all play a role. As an example consider that; with the ever progressive move from a widespread agricultural, to a more localised industrial society, the number of jobs in many areas has decreased severely. And so the average number of non-educated workmen (or women) has subsequently decreased also. More and more Britains are joining the ranks of the poor each day (roughly 2,000). And with parents out of work and not earning, children will suffer as a result. Every day 1 in every 4 children is born into poverty. (Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 1995) This can lead to a number of consequences in children, which follows with them throughout adolescence and into adulthood. For example, children who grow up in families with a low income are more likely to experience mental health problems, and more likely to develop unhealthily. Greg Duncan found associations between poverty and poor health, cognitive development, behaviour, emotional well being and academic achievement. He also found that pregnant mothers who have insufficient resources such as food and warmth are 1.7 times more likely to give birth to a low weight baby, that child is then 2 times more likely to drop out of school, and 3.1 times more likely have an out of wed-lock birth (Duncan 1997). Although short term poverty can be overcome and the effects are reversible, long term poverty can be destructive on a childs life. Duncan found that children who had experienced 4-5 years of their early years of life in poverty, achieved a full 9 year decline on intelligence test scores compared to children from healthy backgrounds (Duncan 1997). The standards of living associated with children from poor families can have a negative effect on their health. For example, they are more vulnerable to asthma due to poor ventilation, as well as pneumonia due to poor insulation. Interestingly, they are also more vulnerable to developing obesity since a high carbohydrate, processed diet is the cheaper option. Those children are often excluded from participating in social activities, through both financial disadvantages as well as feeling the pressure of social stigma which can develop from having to dress inappropriately, or through receiving charity food, books, furniture and other necessities. It leads to a loss of self esteem, can be de-motivating, leads to less elevation after the simplest of pleasures, and poor ability to cope with stressful situations. Not only are they more likely to develop psychological problems as a result, these effects last longer than in those who are well off. And this leads to a vicious cycle of depression, leading to increased likelihood of a stressful event, leading to further depression. In Novaks (1995) view, this can lead to long term, irreversible changes in personality, such as; self defeatist attitudes, hopelessness, helplessness, low motivation, low drive, bitterness, aggressiveness and anti social personality disorder. Children with the latter are seen to be impulsive, have high sensation seeking, but without sense of morals or justice. It is often associated with young offenders, school drop outs, and those serving long term sentences. For these reasons, it is necessary for social workers; to get into family homes, assess their state of living, their needs, risk factors, problems, difficulties and anything else that is helpful for them to make an accurate evaluation, and to give them a better understanding. Late interventions can be damaging, for the longer things are kept untreated the harder they are to change. It is important that children are given opportunities in life to maximise their potential and make a contribution to society. Without the proper gui dance and support, they are likely to sink further and further. So it is clear that help is required. There has long been argument that to tackle poverty, social work (SW) would do best to position itself in and against the state. Workers are known to follow law, policy, the rules and regulations of agencies etc, whilst at the same time assuming a flexible role in relation to the safeguarding and supporting of individuals and families. (Bailey and Brake, 1975; Corrigan and Leonard, 1978; Bolger et al., 1981; Becker and MacPherson, 1988; Adams et al., 1998) Childhood poverty holds great relevance for social workers for it defines their very existence. If the role of social workers is to promote well being in the community, and to help young individuals achieve their potential and to function in society, then those in poverty will be the people who need help most. The Poverty and Social Exclusion Survey (PSE Survey, Joseph Rowntree Foundation 1999), which collected a number of individuals portraying an average society, found that 28% of the population were in poverty. Each of them were presented with 52 cards, each revealing an object or activity, such as central heating, a computer, going to the cinema. They were instructed to form two piles; one for items they believed were vital for living, the other for those which were not. For all those items where the majority voted them to be vital, researchers concluded that every person should have at least these in their lives. Social workers may use this as a base line when assessing families, and when children lack any (or all) of these so called necessities (i.e. are in poverty) then help should be provided; for without it, children will likely grow up depressed, suicidal or conversely, aggressive and violent. Children are vulnerable to feelings of hopelessness due to this lack of necessities.A build up of long term worries accompanying a loss of control combined with a sense of dependence, is likely to lead to distress. Chronic anxiety and even depression is not uncommon, which can be exacerbated by an oppressive society. Children from poorer backgrounds are well recognised as they are the ones who do not go on school trips, may dress differently to the rest, not have the correct equipment in lessons, have a more definable smell (not a pleasant one) etc. For those who spend time with such children it is likely they will be excluded from social groups as a result; for they become associated with the outsider and so they themselves are now too an outsider. Society recognises and treats differently any person (adults too) who stands out for whatever reason good or bad. Of course they are no different from the next person; however it is because others see them as different that they are made to feel paranoid. Paranoid that wherever they are people are staring at them, talking about them, thinking all sorts of thoughts. It is enough to cause any child, adult, man or woman huge distress and can affect their ability to be trusting around complete strangers. Constantly obsessing over ones situation will inevitably drain a child of their strength and make them feel weak, which subsequently will increase the level of stress felt. Here can be seen a vicious cycle, one which is hard to recover from without the appropriate help. Furthermore, it is often the case that parents are made to feel just as bad, if not worse. The negativity that radiates off of a child is bound to have implications, especially when he/she cannot have things that all their friends can. Parents have failed as providers and this can lead to a loss of motivation and of despair. So, childhood poverty causes a knock on effect for the rest of the family, and therefore makes it more probable they will seek social services aid. For example, schoolyard bullying can decrease a childs self esteem and affect their ability to form secure, long term relationships. This can lead to turmoil between parents and children, for parents will feel they have lost family connections. As a result, they become depressed and will seek guidance in parenting techniques. Another example would be a child whose parent cannot afford to buy them nice things such as clothes, toys or school equipment. Daily exposure to those who do have such possessions is likely to cause the child jealousy and envy; both at those children who take luxuries for granted, and also at their parents for not being able to provide. Because of the psychological issues that this can lead to, it is likely the child grows up with a desire to steal, spawned from a lifetime of unfulfilment. If they however, grow up with certain morals and choose not to steal, it is still possible that they resort to drugs/and or alcohol as a means of coping. Coping with the consuming hatred and loathe of society that has become them. Families in poverty are less able to provide for themselves, and so there is large chance that children will have to be taken away into care. Thus, a great deal of social workers time is spent within and around those in poverty (Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 1995; Becker 1997; Smale et. al. 2000; Social Exclusion Unit, 2004). Childhood poverty can lead to severe ramifications, both physical and mental, some of which people recover from in time while others can be long lasting. It is considered the universal belief poverty is as much a cause as well as an effect of mental health problems (Langner Michael, 1963). Evidence for this comes from impoverished families from lower class areas. Not only are these areas receiving low government funding they also have little support from neighbouring councils; research shows that these areas have the largest number of children with mental health problems (Department of Health, 1999b). It is clear that the linearity between poverty and wellbeing is long winded. Two possible theories however have met support, both social causation (breeder) (SC) and social selection (drift) (SS). SS describes how the accumulation of adolescents suffering mental issues, who live in poor areas, is the result of a continuous drifting towards the lower spectrum of education and while losing contact with social networks. In contrast, SC describes how a neglected socio-economic climate can have negative consequences on childhood well being to start with. From this it is to be concluded that: poor children have lifelong experience living in high risk areas, risk defined as: high chance of unemployment, growing up to rely on benefits, of teenage pregnancies, families separated, crime, street violence, rape, vandalism, malnutrition, obesity etc. Those at high risk are more likely to experience mental problems because their minds are already overburdened with every day worry. Furthermore, those at high risk are less likely to be treated for their illness because the local medical facilities are of low quality, have fewer staff and are constantly over worked. Child poverty therefore starts within neglected communities and leads to a number of psychological issues. A further difficulty is that the increase in mentally disturbed individuals can further exacerbate the ability to cope in others. That is, exposure to stressors causes stress, therefore numbers are constantly rising. There is large evidence for a correlation between low income and lack of support, and increased probability of contracting mood disorder. According to SC, the most contributory factor is the mental strain which results from all those issues associated with poverty so far mentioned, for example misfortune or wretchedness, death or separation within the family. While SS explains those born with a predisposition towards developing mood disorders will drift to such low stances, and be unable to crawl back upwards (Jarvis, 1971). Researchers found that when children were taken from their homes and placed into the care of middle class families then the number of those children who subsequently developed mood, or any other form of mental disorder subsequently reduced. This proves that economic status (ES) is an important factor, however it is likely to be the case ES leads to numerous other contributing factors rather than being sole contributor (Bruce Hoff, 1994). Factors include; access to a good education, support from extended family members, healthy living and nourishment, praise and encouragement from parents, etc. I spoke of psychological issues that rise from deprivation. It is a sad fact that children in poverty are often the topic of conversation among others. They are ridiculed, gossiped about, and excluded from social gatherings and out of school activities. It is as if the impoverished are viewed as if they have the plague. Common descriptions, taken from national surveys include words such as lazy, worthless, inferior, and undeserving. This misconception of the poor being the cause for their own predicament, not only removes any possible blame from neglected political responsibilities (which contribute largely), but also creates what psychologists termed a self fulfilling prophecy. This theory is based on the belief that beliefs shape and influence actions. By this one means; those who are seen as inferior are likely to be treated as inferior. So much so that they actually become inferior because of the lack of social support available. Children are particularly vulnerable to the influe nce of their social networks, because they are still developing and creating identities for themselves. The idea of a looking glass self is of relevance here also (Cooley 1902), which theorises that childrens self concepts are based on what others portray. There is high chance that their actual and their perceived self identity become misconstrued, if and when evidence from external sources supports the latter. They familiarise with the concept that they are weak individuals, and the negative emotions that accompany this such as self doubt, or guilt. It is important to recognise the relevance here for social workers, because this part of society categorised as lower class citizens will benefit the most from services such as child support, child therapy, connexions, EMA, every child matters and so on. And so in response to all this, SW agencies have implemented numerous partnership schemes; the women, infant and children (WIC) nutrition programme for example, which is designed to get pregnant women and children under 5 eating more healthily, Head Start provides low cost day care to children from families earning less than the 60% threshold of the average family, and many areas now even have schemes to provide low cost/free health insurance for children of all ages. It is up to the SW to assess families/individuals and to determine their eligibility for government aid. For those who are suffering from mental health as a result of poverty, SWs are able to put them in touch with professionals who can help and advise. For those who have very few or none of the necessities from the PSE Survey SWs can organise for clubs where the children can go meet peers and to join in social activities. For parents who have racked up a series of debt SWs are able to help them devise a set of preliminary steps in a certain time period resulting in a more secure financial situation (See Task Centred Practice). Clients often give off negative reviews of SW because it has failed to be of any use with real concerns; state of housing, living, etc. But task centred practice can actually be therapeutic, because it is the client who becomes the changing agent, deciding which problems they want to tackle and in what order. By using this, service providers are employing a learning experience. One which relies on both self growth and skills development, whilst addressing the more important issues. But what issues should the SW investigate first? It would be a logical idea to get right back to the start and look at what caused the families decline into poverty. Here lies a problem however, for there are different theories on what the main area of focus should be; some theories blame the individual while others focus on the failings of society. Because of this conflict in ideas it can prove difficult for SWs to accurately make assessments, or come to an agreement with each other when conducting a review. Below are a number of theories on the causes of poverty, to give an idea of these so mentioned conflicts. Firstly, explanations can be fit into three main areas; functionalist, individualistic, and Structural (Marxist). So to start, functionalists focus on the idea that any form of poverty, be it adult, child or both, proves necessary, for without it society would not govern properly. Naturally such a statement has spawned a great deal of controversy; however the theory is conceivable because it is based on logistics. Society is viewed on a grander scale than simply the here and now. And so by applying somewhat of a utilitarianistic approach, rather than considering individuals, it looks at the whole picture. Philosophers such as Herbert Gans (1971) have made contributions to this, suggesting that poverty benefits the non poor and also the rich and powerful, who therefore have a vested interest in maintaining poverty. He further suggested 5 reasons why he believed poverty is acceptable. There will always be a need for individuals to fit the jobs seen as dirty, demeaning, and without prospects. Those in poverty would rather do these than starve. Those born into poverty will grow up to replace their parents and so the cycle continues. Industries require minimum wage (or lower) work staff in order to maintain profit margins. Those in poverty are generally of low/no qualification status and so are not liable to receive higher pay. Those born into poverty generally receive poorer education than most and so are just as unlikely to receive desirable qualifications as did their parents. Without poverty, there would be a loss of jobs for those individuals who strive to combat poverty, such as social workers. A large proportion of social work revolves around work with children, so if all child poverty was resolved then many social workers would find it is they who are in need of support. Furthermore, it would also reduce the profits of wholesalers who rely on the desperation of those in poverty. Children often find there is little in the form of food at home, and so any money they have goes towards buying whatever is cheapest from stores. Poverty provides a measure of comparison for those of low opinion of their situation, and works to reassure them that there will always be people worse off than they themselves. This is true for all age groups. The media uses those in poverty as scapegoats whenever anything goes wrong in society, such as incidents of crime, rape or violence. With no one to speak out for them, the blame resides. Children are seen as vandals, and so by putting the blame on them the media is protecting societies own mistakes. Gans makes it clear that he does support poverty; he states that Phenomena like poverty can be eliminated only when they become dysfunctional for the affluent or powerful, or when the powerless can obtain enough power to change society. From looking at this, one may conclude that the reason for child poverty is because people are allowing it to happen in the first place. An increasing number of adult workers are being rid of the opportunity to earn a stable income, and so their families will suffer as a consequence. Although this not explain what the actual cause is, it does give us an understanding of why child poverty has become such a widespread issue, and why not more has been done to prevent it. Individualists are of the opinion that people are responsible for their circumstances, and have devised several theories of their own. Firstly is the idea of culture, which draws from the research of Oscar Lewis (1966) on Puerto Rican and Mexican families. He acknowledged that children are brought up to appreciate certain values, which they identify with themselves and in time teach their own offspring thus continuing the cycle. And so for those families in poverty, who have low self esteem, motivation, a sense of helplessness etc, they will pass on their negative attitudes through each generation. They will also pass on (through learning and modelling) their negative behaviours, such as drinking, violence, staying at home and not finding work, adultery, divorce, etc. And so this creates a culture of poverty, the fundamental cause being family (specifically parental) influences on their children. Lewis has been challenged because he does not offer a suggestion as to what causes poverty to begin with. Furthermore, it was suggested that children in poverty are no different in terms of beliefs, values, or personalities than those from middle or upper class families. The differences there are, are between income, opportunities for skills, learning and development. And so the alternative suggestion is that the so called culture of poverty is a result of responses of living that parents bring to their children. Secondly is the idea of a cycle of deprivation, which is based on the works of Sir Keith Joseph (1970). He suggested that the causes of poverty stem beyond social status, and move into the domain of family problems. By this Sir Keith was referring to, for example cognitive skills, social skills, personality, health and development, etc. Now consider human relationships, what attracts people? More often than not we search for those who hold similarities to ourselves. Therefore, children in poverty, with their existing family problems, will grow up to form relationships with those who similarly have grown up in poverty and have their own family problems. The resulting offspring from such couples will inevitably follow the same patterns of development and hold similar preferences once they reach adulthood themselves. And so the cycle is endless. Child poverty results from both parents growing up in a relatively similar way. Sir Keith has been challenged just like Lewis, for not explaining how poverty actually starts, but also because it was suggested that not all children end up like their parents, and a number of them can in fact escape the cycle. Opportunities may arise for children that did not arise for their parents, they may form relationships with different kinds of people, or they may show a compassion for achieving that, although did not come from either parent, was just good fortune. And finally is the concept of underclass, which Jones and Novak(1999) describe as a brutal victim-blaming theory. They went on to write how poverty is caused by peoples behaviours and not their circumstances. For example there are many who go through periods of unemployment, are made redundant from current jobs, or who lose money due to household repairs, hospital bills, child support, etc. But of those people, not all of them sink into deprivation, the majority pick themselves up and go on to find something else, or look for support from friends and family until something comes along. Novak and Jones saw the problem to be those who come to rely on income support as a way of living. They were even more so concerned with the children who grow up in impoverished families, learning destructive values and beliefs and growing up to become delinquents. For these, poverty will continue across generations to come. Arguments against the underclass concept revolve around the fact that it negates consideration of structural factors as a cause of poverty, and the lack of evidence to support any of the suggestions made. Despite the criticisms to Individualistic theories, they still hold a high power in modern society. Politicians like Tony Blair for example have stated: This cycle of deprivation is bad for everyone. But it is particularly unfair for children who miss out on opportunities because they inherit the disadvantage faced by their parents, so their life chances are determined by where they come from rather than who they are. The final theory looks at structural explanations for child poverty, primarily directed at the economic standards for any area, child development services on offer, and various other components which form the foundations for living. Supporters of this view takes a Marxist approach; that a class system is necessary, for those at the higher end rely on those at the lower end to provide them with work staff, who they exploit and employ on menial wages. And so there will always be poverty, well at least until capitalism is defeated. Or when society moves towards equality of all its members irrespective of their situation and/or upbringing. Such a concept seems unlikely, as it lacks a sense of fairness to those who see themselves as more deserving. Although it is a misconception that those people in poverty have brought it upon themselves, there is a grain of truth in the matter. The actuality is that those well off have earned it, through hard work and good business sense, while many of those in poverty never managed to do well in school, missed out on opportunities, and failed to achieve. Child poverty results from a continuation of generations of un-achievers, and so there will always be able bodies to recruit into the unprofessional workforce. Marxists go on further to suggest that SW is another of lifes necessities, because social workers ensure that poverty is kept stable. They argue that SW does not aim to cure poverty, nor does it aim to remove people from their impoverished lives. Rather, SW looks to protect the well being of individuals and keeps them from distressing and becoming incapable of work. To do this, workers take service users focus away from blaming the system, and persuade them to look at faults of their own, their shortcomings and their failures. By doing this, SW manages to halt any challenge to the system that individuals may pose such as groups forming who speak out against the oppressors. In conclusion, there are numerous causes for child poverty, but at its roots the government has stated that worklessness is their primary concern, which interacts alongside with family dysfunction, neglect and insecure attachments, low quality day-care and schooling, and state of neighbourhood. With fewer work opportunities more people are having to settle for meagre salaries until something better comes along (which it wont). There is also an increase in the number of single parents, due to increases in death rates and divorce among the poor. With only one source of income, and a loss of support when it comes to raising children, single parents are forced to depend on income support. As a result, they will never manage to find their way out of poverty. References Bailey and Brake, Corrigan and Leonard, Bolger, Becker and MacPherson, Adams, The British Journal of Social Work; Poverty and Social Justice, Oxford Journals, 1975, 1978, 1981, 1988, 1998. Blair, T. Breaking the Cycle: Taking stock of progress and priorities for the future; A Report by the Social Exclusion Unit. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister; London. ODPM publications, 2004. Bruce, M. L. Hoff, R. A. Social and physical health risk factors for first-onset major depressive disorder in a community sample. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 29, 165-171, 1994 Cooley, C. Human Nature and the Social Order, New York: Charles Scribners Sons, revised edn, 1922 Denham, A. Garnett, M. From the cycle of enrichment to the cycle of deprivation: Sir Keith Joseph, problem families and the transmission of disadvantage. Policy Press; Benefits, Volume 10,Number 3, pp. 193-198(6), 1 October 2002 Department of Health Saving Lives: Our Healthier Nation. London: Stationery Office, 1999b Duncan, G. J. Brooks-Gunn, J. Consequences of Growing Up Poor. New York: Russell Sage, 1997 Gans, H. The Uses of Poverty: The Poor Pay All, Social Policy: pp20-24, July/ August 1971 Jarvis, E. (1971) Insanity and Idiosy in Massachusetts: Report of the Commission of Lunacy, 1855. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1971 Jones, C and Novak, T. Poverty, welfare and the disciplinary state. London: Routledge, 1999 Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Inquiry into income and wealth. Volumes 1 and 2. York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 1995 Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Becker, Smale, Social Exclusion Unit, Sociology and Social Work; Poverty and Social Work Service Users, Learning Matters, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2004. Langner, T. S. Michael, S. T. Life Stress and Mental Health. London: Collier-Macmillan, 1963 Lewis, O. The Children of Sanchez. New York: Random House, 1967. Novak, T. Critical Social Policy; Rethinking Poverty. Vol 15, Sage Journals, 1995 The PSE survey, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, http://www.bris.ac.uk/poverty/pse/

Evolution :: essays research papers

Evolution is a force than nothing can escape. Communities evolve constantly and although there is no standard of where a society should be at any given moment, communities evolve individually. Then in reaction to a developing community, people grow and change. Then in reaction to people evolving the tools that people use develop. This constant evolving usually happens so gradually and slowly that it is hard to detect. As we look back we can see the evolution is a major component of our lives. By focusing mainly on what a person needs to be an active member of society in the New England area we can see exactly how evolution takes its toll on us. Comfort, necessity and luxury are a constantly changing aspect of our society.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As we look deeper into the constant changing of what a person needs to be an active member of a community we notice the continuos alteration of what exactly defines a comfort a necessity and a luxury. Comfort by definition is a condition of pleasu rable ease or well being. By that definition there are endless numbers of object that could serve as a comfort. Take public transportation for example. The thought of having the train that takes us into the city is a commonly know option. Not always have people been able to choose public transportation as a method of getting to and from. Dating as far back as 1889 when the first method of public transportation was developed in Massachusetts. Before this the thought of having a bus or train run to the main areas of a community was absolutely unheard of. But in today’s society there are many people who depend of the train or bus to get to work or to school or wherever it is they are going. When exactly did public transportation change from a luxury to a comfortable part of society? We can not exactly put a date on it but as you look back in time with me we can see how slowly and unnoticeably a societies way of life can change. In conclusion a comfort to us now was at one point and time a luxury to the communities who discovered the amazing attributions that have so nicely shaped our society today.Secondly we can take this observation a little closer to today. If we look at the definition of necessity we find that it means pressing or urgent need.

The term public opinion

The term public opinion, as observed by many, is very much popular during the election period and or during those times wherein critical decisions are made or critical issues are dealt with in a manner that not everybody in the society agrees with. It is defined by any lexicon, as the aggregate of individual views, beliefs, and attitudes toward a certain issue.Public opinion can actually serve as a tool for people, especially those who are part of the governing body, in deciding on which would be the best option and or courses of action to undertake. To illustrate, during the election season, public opinion serves as a medium for people to decide on whom to vote.This is so because with the aid of public opinion, individuals gain access to various types of information pertaining to every electoral candidate (i.e. educational background, professional training, projects, etc.), thus enabling them to assess who will be the right candidate to for a particular key position. Public opinion may also serve as an acceptability measure for proposed laws and public policies.Public opinion has four distinct characteristics to wit: direction, stability, intensity, and saliency.   Direction, as a characteristic of public opinion, allows individuals to predict the most likely results of a certain issue, concern, and the like.To illustrate, during elections, an individual may be able to predict the probable outcome for presidential elections simply by relying on statistical data, i.e. 40 percent in favor of Mr. X and 60 percent in favor of Mr. Y. Thus it can be said that direction would refer to the proportion of the population that holds a particular view.Stability on the other hand, refers to the trends exhibited by the series of data on directions. Taking the elections as an example, knowledge on stability allows us to have a gut-feel or enables us to predict the most likely results of the said activity by means of reading the trends signified by the series of fluctuations of poll results.As for intensity, intensity would refer to the depth of feeling towards a certain issue and or concern. To illustrate, in the case of approving a house bill to become a law, the strong support to make the said house bill into a law exhibits how depth the feeling is towards that house bill or it can also be assumed that since there is a very strong support towards the passing of the bill, then the said house bill must be very important to each individual of the society and or the groups that will benefit most from its provisions.Lastly, saliency, this characteristic of public opinion allows us to assess how likely the people will act on the basis of their opinions.There are three agents of political socialization that influences the political views and attitudes held by every individual. This includes the family, schools, and the mass media.

Should You Retake the SAT or ACT 3-Step Process

Should You Retake the SAT or ACT 3-Step Process SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips At long last, you get your SAT or ACT scores back, and now you have to make an important decision- do you retake the test and aim for a higher score? What are your chances of improving your score? The answer can get complicated, depending on how many times you've taken it before and what your score target is. Read on to develop the best testing plan for yourself.The decision on whether you should retake the ACT or SAT depends on two main questions: What is your target score? How likely are you to improve your score on the next test? We'll tackle each question one at a time. What's Your SAT/ACT Target Score? Long before you take the SAT or ACT, you should have an exact target score in mind. This score is based entirely on the colleges that you are planning to apply to. It's not the score that other people say you should get. It's not the score that sounds right. This score is mathematically determined by researching the colleges you want to apply to. If you don't calculate this score, you'll be led astray from the study plan that's best for you. You might think a great score is out of reach, or you might be complacent about a lower than average score. Click the following links to download a free guide to calculating your target score. Exclusive Free Bonus: Downloada free step-by-step guide on finding your personal SAT score target or ACT score target. Once you go through these steps, you'll know exactly what score you need to aim for. Don't delay - this is one of the most important steps of SAT/ACT prep. Once you have your target score, compare your score with this target score. How likely are you to improve your score to this level? Here's a set of very general guidelines from my personal experience with thousands of students (we'll be using the 1600 scale of the new SAT): SAT Score ACT Score What do I need to do to get this improvement? Difficulty +0-50 +0-1 Some prep before the test. You might achieve this score improvement just by retaking the test if you did especially poorly last time. Not too hard, especially if you've taken the test just once +50-160 +1-4 Serious prep on a dedicated schedule. You'll need a smart system to figure out where your weaknesses lie and how to improve them. You won't be able to achieve this just through sheer effort. Possible with hard work and smart studying +160-260 +4-7 Very serious prep. You have some major gaps to fill before you start mastering the test. You will benefit from a personal tutor who can spot your weaknesses and teach you strategies. Possible with serious dedication, time, and a great study plan +260-400 +7-10 Dedicated prep for an extended period of time. You will most likely need an excellent 1-on-1 tutor who can teach you the fundamentals and make sure you stay committed. Difficult, but possible for the very motivated. 400+ 10+ Nearly re-education. You have major content gaps from school and need to be taught fundamental content. You'll need hundreds of hours of work. Very difficult. Re-evaluate your target colleges if possible. (if you're using the 2400 scale of the Old SAT, then just multiply each of the range values by 1.5) These are general guidelines and depend heavily on your exact situation. As we'll soon explain, the more you've prepped and the more tests you've taken up to this point, the harder it is to improve your score from here on. If you've taken the test 5 times and prepped hard, improving your test score on the 6th test by 100 points will be difficult. You'll need a completely different approach from you've already tried to make any improvements from this point forward. If you've taken the test several times by this point, you might be worried that colleges will look down on your many test entries. This is a common myth that we're going to bust right now. Myth: Colleges Care How Many Times You've Taken the SAT/ACT. Not true! You might have heard the idea that when colleges see your SAT/ACT scores, they take into account how many tests you've taken. If you've taken 10 tests, they'll wonder what's wrong with you, especially if you don't improve from test to test. The reason this myth exists is that this used to be true. Back in the old days (before 2009), if you took the SAT and applied to college, the College Board always required you to send ALL your scores to every college. If you took the test too many times and didn't improve, the school might potentially look down on this. This system has totally changed.The SAT now uses a system called Score Choice. For the majority of schools, you can choose which test dates you want to report to the school. They'll either take your highest test score in a single setting, or your highest section score from all the tests you send (creating your Superscore). See for yourself: the College Board has a list of over 1,500 colleges and their Score Choice participation. The majority of schools participate in Score Choice, where you can choose which test scores you send. Those that don't are marked by "All Scores" - they require you to send all your scores from the College Board. Notable "All Scores" institutions are the CUNY system and University of California. But even for these "All Scores" institutions, they won't care all that much about your other test scores. All they want to see is your highest test score, because that's all that actually matters to them. Take it straight from the University of California itself, which requires All Scores sent: "For the SAT Reasoning Test, we will focus on the highest total score from a single test date." What about the ACT? The ACT has never required you to submit all your test scores. In fact, you must pay a separate fee for each test score you send to every college, which can end up costing quite a lot. Because the schools will never see any ACT score you don't send them, you're free to send them just your highest score. There are a few schools that require all ACT scores sent, but they're in the far minority. So how many times can you take the SAT or ACT? As many times as you want.What actually matters at the end of the day is your highest score. But for the sake of your wallet, if you stop improving, question why you aren't improving, and find a new prep program that can work better for you. Want to learn more about the SAT but tired of reading blog articles? Then you'll love our free, SAT prep livestreams. Designed and led by PrepScholar SAT experts, these live video events are a great resource for students and parents looking to learn more about the SAT and SAT prep. Click on the button below to register for one of our livestreams today! What Are Your Chances of Improving Your SAT/ACT Score? This is the million dollar question. By now, you should have your SAT target score or ACT target score firmly in mind, and you know you want to improve to that point. Whether you can reachit depends on a few main factors. #1: Did you underperform on the official test, and you know you could have done better? A fluke test happens to the best of us. You might not have been feeling well that day. You might have gotten distracted during a reading passage that was especially difficult. You might have had a family situation that stressed you out the morning of the test. If your official test score is 100 SAT points or 2 ACT points lower than your consistent practice test score, RETAKEthe test. There's a lot of variation from test to test, and chances are very good that if you take the test again, you'll get a better score the second time. I've seen students swing as much as 500 points upward between two tests a month apart, simply because they had a terrible day the first time and knocked the second test out of the park. 2) How many times have you taken the SAT or ACT before? Here are some simple guidelines. Only taken the test once: DEFINITELYtake it again. Both the College Board and the ACTpublish results that show that most students (over 50%) who take the test a second time improve their score. Furthermore, the lower your starting score is, the more likely your second test is to improve. You should try to prep as well as you can, but even if you just take the test, odds are that you'll improve your score. Taken the test twice: Lean towards taking it again. If you prep, you'll have a much better chance at improving your score. Furthermore, because most schools take a Superscore, the chances that you'll improve your Superscore are very good. Taken the test 3 or more times:That depends onthis next question: 3) How much have you already studied, and how did you prep? The less you've prepped before, the more likely you can improve your score. If the only thing to prep before the test was look at the cover of an SAT/ACT book through the storefront window, you can make huge improvements with the right SAT/ACT prep method. If you've spent 400 hours studying, devoured all the SAT/ACT books, and hired a personal tutor for 100 hours, it's a lot harder to improve your score. You'll need to change your study method to have a shot at boosting your score again. If you've prepped a lot already and are unsure of what to study to improve your score, one thing is clear - you need a new approach. If you try what you've been doing with just a little more effort, you'll be disappointed with your results. I've seen hundreds of students come to me frustrated that their score isn't improving, when of course they've been doing the same incorrect things over and over again. Quick Plug: We have the industry's leading online prep program for both SAT prep and ACT prep. The real difference with our program is that we customize your studying to your strengths and weaknesses. Couple that with the country's top instructors and content, and you have what's been called a "life-saver" and "a godsend" by our happy families. Check it out now. What's Next? Now that you know your chances of improving your score, you should have an idea of whether you want to retake the SAT or ACT. In my experience, very few students are lost causes - nearly everyone at this stage can continue to improve their score, with the right prep method. Read this next: Figure out when you should take the SAT or ACT, and what the best test dates are. Check out our leading SAT and ACT prep programs:

Free Essays on Diverse Workplace

Its 11:30 in the late morning, it’s almost lunchtime. Usually at this time I call up my co-workers and find out who wants to do lunch. Four guys and myself meet up at a local burger place and shot the breeze, while filling our stomachs with greasy burgers and fries. We all have the same types of jobs and make about the same amount of money. But that’s where the similarities end. The faces in this group couldn’t be more different. One member of this lunch party was born in Mexico, another a black man from Texas, one co-worker’s parents were born in China, one white male of Mormon faith and myself. I never gave it much thought before, but at this one table was an example of the â€Å"melting pot† that symbolizes America. In this paper I will discuss how having such a diverse work force can be valuable and discuss obstacles that can occur because of diversity. When I first think of the advantages of having a diverse workplace, the first thing that comes to mind is conversations that take place during my workday. One of the best things about my job is that I can carry a conversation with someone while working on the systems that I am responsible for. The topics of conversation range from sports to religion, from politics to beer, and from music to the weather. If all my co-workers were Republicans who drink beer while rooting for the Dallas Cowboys and listening to Pearl Jam on warm sunny Sunday afternoons instead of going to church, the talk would get boring after a while. By having people from different cultures and backgrounds surrounding me at work, I am able to spend part of my day learning from this people. The lessons can be on little things such as the way someone’s mother made tortillas and tamales or more serious topics such how one’s parents fled communist rule to come to our country. All this would be impossible i f I worked with people who looked just like me. Being a field service engineer who maintains and repai... Free Essays on Diverse Workplace Free Essays on Diverse Workplace Its 11:30 in the late morning, it’s almost lunchtime. Usually at this time I call up my co-workers and find out who wants to do lunch. Four guys and myself meet up at a local burger place and shot the breeze, while filling our stomachs with greasy burgers and fries. We all have the same types of jobs and make about the same amount of money. But that’s where the similarities end. The faces in this group couldn’t be more different. One member of this lunch party was born in Mexico, another a black man from Texas, one co-worker’s parents were born in China, one white male of Mormon faith and myself. I never gave it much thought before, but at this one table was an example of the â€Å"melting pot† that symbolizes America. In this paper I will discuss how having such a diverse work force can be valuable and discuss obstacles that can occur because of diversity. When I first think of the advantages of having a diverse workplace, the first thing that comes to mind is conversations that take place during my workday. One of the best things about my job is that I can carry a conversation with someone while working on the systems that I am responsible for. The topics of conversation range from sports to religion, from politics to beer, and from music to the weather. If all my co-workers were Republicans who drink beer while rooting for the Dallas Cowboys and listening to Pearl Jam on warm sunny Sunday afternoons instead of going to church, the talk would get boring after a while. By having people from different cultures and backgrounds surrounding me at work, I am able to spend part of my day learning from this people. The lessons can be on little things such as the way someone’s mother made tortillas and tamales or more serious topics such how one’s parents fled communist rule to come to our country. All this would be impossible i f I worked with people who looked just like me. Being a field service engineer who maintains and repai...

The Child Left Behind Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Child Left Behind - Essay Example The increased emphasis that the NCLB Act places on the subjects of math and reading undermines the importance of all other subjects that are either equally or more important for the inculcation of the required academic and professional skills in the children. The goals that schools in conventional practice set for the students are not limited to the inculcation of general reading and math skills but also extend to the development of appropriate critical thinking skills, emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, self-discipline and the health and safety habits in the students. When there are sanctions to threaten the schools just in case they do not meet their expectations with respect to one particular goal, the schools are bound to have their attention diverted from the rest of the goals that are equally or more important than that one goal. Having been educated in the NCLB culture, my knowledge of or skill in arts, science, music, social studies and exercises is close to negligi ble. This is so because my teachers could not afford to spend time on such subjects because they feared they would have to face the most unfavorable consequences if they did. The problem of goal distortion has been recognized at various levels. Even the former education assistant secretaries Diane Ravitch and Chester Finn have realized the negative impact of overemphasis on one area upon the others. They said, â€Å"[If NCLB continues,] rich kids will study philosophy and art, music and history, while their poor peers fill in bubbles on test sheets. The lucky few will spawn the next generation of tycoons, political leaders, inventors, authors, artists and entrepreneurs. The less lucky masses will see narrower opportunities† (Ravitch and Finn cited in Rothstein). NCLB assesses the students’ learning from the annual test which can in many ways be quite misleading. On certain days in the year, a child’s performance may be outclass while on others, his/her performan ce may be below average. It is not just the studies that are there in a child’s life after all. The child may be upset because of some familial reason. The child may not be feeling well on the exam day. There can be hundreds of reasons for the declined performance on certain days. Taking this into consideration, there is dire need for multiple retesting in order to have an accurate assessment of the child’s learning. In addition to that, the number of subgroups in a school also has an impact upon the child’s academic performance. The margin of error for the academic achievement of a subgroup is enhanced because of the smaller size of the subgroups in a school in comparison to a full-grade cohort. Accountability becomes increasingly inaccurate as the subgroups in a school integrate in increased numbers. Students cannot be sure that all students are proficient at the challenging level as is expected of them even if the math and the reading are paid excessive atten tion towards. The variability in human nature and skills prevents such proficiency irrespective of the disparities originating in the socioeconomic statuses of the students. The normal intelligence quotient (IQ) of the humans that accounts for about 66.66 per cent of the total human population starts from 85 and ends at 115 (Rothstein). What the

The West Side Story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The West Side Story - Essay Example But for everything to be alright, there was a very high price to pay, and that is Tony’s death. The West Side Story was a musical that borrowed the concept of Romeo and Juliet. It had the same plot line. There were lovers who wanted to be together despite their differences. They succeeded only to fail in living together since they died together. Of course the stories wouldn’t be that much similar or else it won’t be successful anymore. The West Side Story was a story of two rival gangs, same as Romeo and Juliet’s two rival families. It was set in Manhattan, New York. During the time the story was finalized, gang violence was rampant. It was very timely and it intrigued the public because it had a relevant social issue. The West Side Story was not just a tragedy because of the dark mood and depressing final act that it had. It was also a story about how triumph can have a very high price. In this case, it was death. With Tony’s death, the rival gangs joined together realizing what hate and anger can do to them. When Maria declared that â€Å"all of (them) killed him, not with bullets or guns, but with hate. (And now she) can kill too because now (she) has hate,† it made them realize the alarming situation of how every one of them can die because of their hatred towards each other. And this hatred is not even something that has enough bearing. They were just fighting because they had different racial backgrounds. They have different beliefs and perspectives. The hatred was passed on from one generation to another. When Anita tried to send Tony a message, she was almost raped by the Tony’s group. She was treated with disrespect and because of this, she sent out a distorted message. Instead of warning them that Chino is looking to kill Tony with a gun, she blurted out that Maria was killed by Chino in a fit of jealousy and rage. And this caused Tony to seek out Chino and his death. Anita was touched by hatred because of what was done to her. Something that could have been prevented if only she was treated with respect. But as Tony felt that it will be alright in the end, it did become alright. When the members of both gangs joined together to carry Tony’s body, it symbolizes intersecting of racial differences to repent and have peace with each other. This plot line is still powerful even up to these times. This is a story about racial differences. It tells us what biases and prejudice can do to us. It is still a significant social issue until today. It is still a challenge for some people to accept another race as part of a group or a team. Gangs are street groups. They are created to protect their territories, places where they grew up, places where they are comfortable with. Of course, as any other person, if your personal space is threatened, you fight for you. This is the same for gangs. They fight for their space. They believe that only one group can stay in one place. But because p eople cannot compromise and because hatred is set so deep in their hearts, people die. The characters in the story signify the different personas that are involved in street gangs. There are the leaders, their successors, the followers and their women. The women are not muses of the gangs. They are not direct members of the gang. They are only associated with the gang members by blood or by relationship. They may be a sister, cousin or girlfriend. But even if they are not members of the gang, they still get involved in whatever conflicts there are between the gangs. Since they are associated with the members by blood or relationship, it is believed that their loyalty will be with their own. As Chino said to Maria when her brother was killed by Tony, she should â€Å"stick with (her) own kind.† That was the thought process of someone whose racial belief is