Saturday, December 28, 2019

Criminal Justice System - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 9 Words: 2758 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Law Essay Type Analytical essay Tags: Criminal Justice Essay Justice Essay Did you like this example? Title How can a Restorative Justice approach work in our current Criminal Justice System? Restorative Justice Introduction Before the Restorative Justice Act was enacted by the Maltese Parliament in 2010 and subsequently coming into force in 2012 with the publication of Legal Notice 43, criminal justice was first and foremost a punishing system as a means of vengeance on behalf of society. Yet, in reality Restorative Justice is not a recent belief that has developed during these last few years. It has been with us for ages and although we do not normally recognize this, it was and still is a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"way of lifeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ and used by the general public as a substitute to the punitive system with the aim of punishing offenders. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“In some parts of the world, modern government structures have taken away from communities the power to resolve disputes and wrongdoing. Yet, in many places, traditional structures are still workin g effectively. In the tribal arrangements of some areas, for example, major crimes are settled by community elders and family problems are effectively resolved by family elders, male and female.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (Howard Zehr with Ali Gohar 2003). Nevertheless, even though restorative justice is not a recent innovation it still is rather new, given that, universally, criminal justice was initially a punitive approach in providing justice. As a matter of fact, restorative justice came about as a result to the failure of the punitive approach in reducing recidivism. In the study à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Devils and Angelsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ it is stated that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“the punitive system failed due to the traditional penal sanctions that included the collapse of the welfare ideal and of the rehabilitative idealà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (Fionda, J. 2005). In actual fact, the punitive system was only intended as a deterrent and also as retributive for rejecting the offender from society. In addition , it ignored the rights of the victim from having a say. The role of the victim was only to be called as a witness for the prosecution and then forgotten. Thus the purpose as a witness was just for the Court to establish if the accused is at fault or otherwise. On the other hand, restorative justice is different from the punitive approach. The aim is not only to rehabilitate the offender but more importantly to include the victim as part of the restorative model. Ethics in Victim-Offender Mediation Ethics in mediation process is the crucial aspect to achieve an unbiased solution that would result in a win-win situation for both parties in conflict. The whole mediation process is based on ethics between both the mediator and the parties and the parties themselves. Apart from the parole system, the most important aspect in the Restorative Justice Act of Malta is the victim-offender mediation. There are many critics that have doubts as to whether mediation between an offender and the victim can achieve the desirable result and what type of agreement can be reached. Some of these critical issues include à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Is mediation possible with persons suffering from a personality disorder? Can you mediate with psychopaths? Are there limitations when crime is too severe, and should we protect the victims against secondary victimization? (Delvigne, A. 2005). Restorative Justice in Malta Victim-offender mediation encourages reconciliation and resolution. Yet, not all victims or offenders are eligible to attend victim-offender mediation. First of all, the offender must admit that he had committed the offence in question and must also be willing to enter into mediation. The offender must voluntarily agree to take part in the victim-offender mediation. The victim, just like the offender, must also voluntarily agree to take part and be willing to enter into such mediation. Whether victim-offender mediation takes place or not will be specifically determin ed by the nature of the offence, including the level of harm caused by the aggressor or the violence involved in its commission according to the legal regulations. Not all victims and offenders are eligible to victim-offender mediation and account will be taken of the victimsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ motivations in meeting up with the offender and vice-versa. The personal characteristics of both the offender and the victim will be considered as well as the impact of the offence as seen by both the offender and the victim. The possibility of psychological repercussions on the victim is also taken into account as well as the offenderà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s remorse for his/her actions. What is interesting is that victim-offender mediation takes place without the presence of any legal counsel. There are three instances where mediation should be terminated. It should come to an end when an agreement is reached; when an agreement cannot be reached; or when either of the parties does not wish t o carry on with the mediation. The agreement reached can include compensation for damages, non-pecuniary compensation, community service or even rehabilitation programs and formal apologies. The essential aspect remains that the victim and the offender should reach a consensus following a negotiation process of a reparation agreement. An effective Restorative Justice approach Restorative justice, unlike the punitive system, advocates forgiveness, healing, reintegration, reconciliation and is specifically aimed at offenders and victims. It also offers support to offenders along with a final resolution to victims and also strengthening the relationships in communities. Several countries have reported that during these last years there was an increase in the number of victims of crime who have gave their consent in meeting in-person with the offender who had caused them harm. (OVC, 2000). The main reason for crime victims to meet their offenders is essentially to let them know how the crime has affected their live; to ask the question à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"whyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ they were victimized and other distressing questions which every victim has a right for an answer. Furthermore, these meetings will cause influence so that offenders will be held accountable for the crime they have caused. A study carried out by Dussich and Schellenberg (2010) revealed that organisations in various countries, directly involved in the criminal justice system including the police, law courts, and probation officers have all praised and supported the use of victim-offender mediation as a realistic alternative to the traditional retribution that every State on behalf of society demand against offenders. In view of this growing need, the time has come for the Maltese legislature and judiciary to acknowledge and promote the significance of victim-offender mediation by primarily giving it the value and priority it deserves towards victims and subsequently to look at the need s of the offenders. Victim-offender mediation should not be classified or linked as part of the civil, commercial, or family mediation. These categories of mediation are totally distinct from each other and should be regarded and dealt with as such. In Malta, mediation in family dispute situations such as marriage separation or child custody affairs is mandatory and in time it has become accepted as a viable alternative to court litigation. Nevertheless, mediation in civil, commercial, and social disputes including victim-offender mediation is currently applied only in theory and non-existent in reality. The distinction between the various civil forms of mediation against that of VOM is that in civil related issues the participants are referred to as disputants and the objective for mediation is that of reaching a mutual resolution by compromise that will assist both parties equally. Therefore both disputants are considered as evenly balanced and are expected to contribute on the same level to resolve their conflict. In essence, the aim of these settlements focuses on the conflict with little weight given on the participants emotional aspects or how the resolution is going to affect their lives. On the contrary, in mediation, the participants should not be considered as disputants. The power of imbalance between the victim and offender already exists and the offender is already regarded as guilty for having committed a criminal offence. On the other hand, the other party is considered and labelled as the victim of the crime. This means that mediation will not focus on the guilt or the level of compromise to be reached. Victims of crime should not concentrate on negotiating the type of restitution to be granted, but VOM is primarily to be regarded as a dialogue between the victim and the offender, where the interests and needs of the victim should be given precedence, followed by the needs of the offender and the type of restitution or financial compensat ion to be reached as part of the agreement. Nevertheless it should be maintained that the agreement is only to be regarded as a secondary issue whilst the objective of initiating a VOM meeting should remain as a restorative justice dialogue between the victim and the offender. Empathy towards the offender is also vital as the dialogue should be guided in order to prevent future criminal conduct by the offender. According to Unmbreit (2001), VOM à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“provides interested victims the opportunity to meet with the juvenile or adult offender, in a safe and structured setting, with the goal of holding the offender directly accountable for their behaviour while providing important assistance and compensation to the victim.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  The Way Forward As I have already explained, the purpose of victim-offender mediation is to offer a conflict resolution procedure in restoring the emotional and physical harm caused by the crime. Although in our legislation victim-offender mediation is listed as Part VI of the Legal Act under the heading of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Establishment of the Victim Support Unità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢, it is not clear whether Restorative Justice in specifically intended towards society, the victim, or the offender. Our legislative representatives appear to be more inclined towards taking the direction of society-centred approach. Of course, one of the aims for restorative justice is intended to eliminate or at least control recidivism, however in order to arrive at this phase, the main priority should be focused towards a victim-centred approach. This is supported by research that suggests that mediation should be person-centred rather than position-centred communication. (Motchnig R., 2014). The safety and wellbeing of the victim is to be placed high in the dialogue agenda. It is the appointed mediatorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s role who is responsible for the security, protection and welfare of the victim. The victim should feel out of harms way during the entire process and therefore the location for the meeting with the offender should be conducted in a place where the victim deems secure. Individual pre-mediation meetings are of vital importance, so that the mediator would be able to carry out a screening process on both the victim and the offender with the objective to evaluate whether they are suitable of representing themselves and competent to communicate their needs. Furthermore the mediator would also be in a reasonable position to explain to each party in a private manner the rules and guidelines to be followed. The mediator should first approach the offender to verify that s/he is giving his or her consent to meet with the victim. It would be a case re-victimisation, if the mediator first discusses this issue with the victim and after agreeing to meet the offender, finds out that the offender has turned down the request for VOM. Active listening, empowerment and empathy should be an on-going process throug hout the mediation sessions in order to encourage the victims to express their needs, to participate effectively, and to assist the offender to listen to what the victim has to say. Author Kenneth A. Wells (2008) quotes that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“A good listener tries to understand what the other person is saying. In the end he may disagree sharply, but because he disagrees, he wants to know exactly what it is he is disagreeing with.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Apart from the location site, the waiting area and the seating setting is also part of the logistics that the mediator needs to prepare ahead of the meeting. The victim should be advised to be seated close to the exit door and preferably the offender and victim are to be seated at the opposite ends of the table with the mediator seated to the side of each party. Whatever the seating arrangement is, the outcome should be that the victim feels safe and secure. The victim should also be given the opportunity to choose whether he/she wants to sp eak first or to let the offender initiate the dialogue by going through the sequence of events that led to the crime. Some victims tend to wait before they speak up with the aim to overcome any power of imbalance that might exist. According to Ken Braun (n.d.) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“No conversation is too difficult to have but sometimes people need help having that conversation.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  I believe that the duration of the entire mediation should last not more than three sessions. If after these sessions, the mediator feels that there are no developments or that a resolution is still far from being reached, than it would be futile to continue pursuing for an agreement and it would be better to stop mediation. As for restitution, it is essential that the agreement plan must be negotiated between the victim and the offender. It could be monetary or non-pecuniary compensation and some victims might be satisfied that the offender follow a rehabilitation programme or perform community w ork. For others a simple letter of apology would be all that they require or ask for. No matter what the mode of restitution is, the bottom line is that such an agreement should be legally binding either by the court of law or signed by the parties themselves and approved by the victim-offender mediation committee. In order to achieve this, parliament is to rectify and amend the Restorative Justice act so that justice with victims would be prevailed. As the law stands today, an agreement reached by the parties is not binding and this could be one of the reasons why VOM is not acknowledged or recognised by victims or professionals working in the field of the criminal justice system. Another approach for restorative justice to be effective is for the mediator to keep in contact with both the victim and the offender after the end of mediation, at least for a period of time. A short term follow-up is sometimes all that is required for victims to feel secure and to continue leading a normal life. The victim-offender mediation committee should include as part of its responsibility the role of an advisory board where mediators can have a point of reference to consult and discuss difficulties that they may encounter with their supervisors. This requires competent and qualified appointed committee members who are knowledgeable in legal aspects, mediation, and psychological assistance. Conclusion Personally, I feel that the past and present appointed VOM committee have so far failed in their mission to incorporate the Restorative Justice act as an integral part of our criminal justice system. In order to resolve this limitation, the committee is required to seriously promote VOM. After all, article 27(1)(g) of Chapter 516 of the Laws of Malta clearly states that one of the functions of the victim support unit is the promotion of victim-offender mediation as a means of reparation for both the victim and the offender at any stage of the criminal justice process. This can be achieved by coordinating and setting-up conferences and seminars to all stakeholders within the criminal justice system, and also to promote this practice throughout the media for the information of the general public. In conclusion, if victim-offender mediation is not given the opportunity by the Magistrates and Judges in referring eligible cases to the committee for evaluation, it will remain difficult to analyse the benefits that this system claims to provide and most of all whether it would be constructive in enhancing our criminal justice system. If on the other hand the situation remains status-quo with the same approach as currently exists, than VOM will most definitely remain missing and non-existent in our legal system. References Braun, K. (n.d.). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Victim Offender Reconciliation Programà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . Community Mediation Services of Polk County. Oregon: Dallas. Delvigne, A. (2005), 7th International Conference on Conferencing, Circle s and Other Restorative Practices: Manchester, England. Dussich, J. P., Schellenberg, J. (2010). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The Promise of Restorative Justice: New Approaches for Criminal Justice and Beyondà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . pp. 121-123. Lynne Rienner Publishers. Fionda, J. (2005). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Devils and Angelsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . Hart Publishing, p. 175. Howard, Z., Gohar, A. (2003). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The Little Book of Restorative Justiceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . Good Books Publication, USA. Motschnig, R., Nykl, L. (2014). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Person-Centred Communication: Theory, Skills and Practiceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . pp. 55-56. Berkshire: England. Open University Press. Office of Victims of Crime (2000). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Guidelines for Victim-Sensitive / Victim-Offender Mediation: Restorative Justice through Dialogueà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . Retrieved from https://www.ncjrs.gov/ovc_archives/reports/96517-gdlines_victims-sens/guide7.html. Restorative Justice Act (2010). Chapter 516 of the Laws of Malta. Umbreit, M. (2001). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The handbook of victim offender mediationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Criminal Justice System" essay for you Create order

Friday, December 20, 2019

I Got Pregnant as a Sophmore Essay - 1401 Words

Scenario: I had become a pregnant sophomore and was wondering what to do. I was so confused about my pregnancy now that Jack had said that he had nothing to do with it and he did not want to se me ever again. How stupid was I, to go with everything he had to say, otherwise I would not be in this dilemma. Not even my parents knew about this. I kept on asking myself if I had to assure them. I thought maybe the best thing was to kill myself before anyone found out about this, but it would not solve anything only depression piled in the walls of my brain that I was not able to concentrate or think of what I was doing. Only God knew what I was going through. It was only a week after I realized I was pregnant. I once had an idea of†¦show more content†¦My school work was drastically falling and made no sense at all I was just confused. I know my parents would notice the change in me but I always had a way to escape their senate. Two weeks later I had to do something that I know I will be judged for in heaven. I took abortion pills and got rid of m y innocent but unplanned for fetus. I really thought it was worth it, I wanted my life back, and unfortunately I was not able to save or rather keep my child?s. It was worth it and my parents or friends never found out but I still have issues with the Lord but I hope he forgives me and I have faith (as my other name says) that he will definitely give me a less painful and memorable side of the valley to the hill. The United States has the highest rates of teen pregnancy and births in the western industrialized world. Teen pregnancy costs the United States at least $9 billion annually. Thirty-one percent of young women become pregnant at least once before they reach the age of 20 -- about 750,000 a year. Eight in ten of these pregnancies are unintended and 81 percent are to unmarried teens. The teen birth rate has declined slowly but steadily from 1991 to 2005 with a decline of 35 percent for those aged 15 to 19. These recent declines reverse the 23-percent rise in the teenage birth rate from 1986 to 1991. The largest decline since 1991Show MoreRelatedPersonal Narrative Essay - Original Writing951 Words   |  4 Pageswas moving from Herriman to Draper. The move was accompanied with much sadness and frustration, but I have come to realize that the positive effects far outweigh the negative ones. The biggest result of the move ended up being the ward family we moved into. Other things I was ab le to do after the move were making friends and discovering many things that I could be passionate about. I am LDS and I have been my entire life. Where we lived out in Herriman my family was right on the ward boundary line

Thursday, December 12, 2019

History Of Baseball Essay Thesis Example For Students

History Of Baseball Essay Thesis Its played everywhere from front yards, to alleys, to parks, and even prison yards. Boys play it to old men and from amateur man to professional man. Its played with a ball that is nine inches in circumstance, weighs five ounces, made out of a cork round with wool yarn, then it has two cow hide straps on it. Then it is stitch 216 times by hand. It is hit with a bat that is made out of turned ash and is less then 42 inches and is 2 inches in diameter. It is called The American Game. There are tons of different versions of baseball. Some people think that baseball has been played ever since when the cowboys were around. It is often said that the cowboys would go out in front of the saloon and play some sort of game of baseball. It was 1839, Cooperstown, New York. Abner Doubleday was said to have made a new game up that was called baseball. But when this was supposedly said he wasnt even nere cooperstown he was at the school of West Point. Abner Doubleday was actually was a

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Baroque Music free essay sample

Opera was the new musical form of the Baroque period and it was very expressive of the baroque cultural values. By then end of the operatic form was stylized into a recipe, including improbable plots, small motivations for the characters, and magical transformations, which were signs of operas baroque nature. Oppress united drama, dance, elaborate stage mechanisms, and scenery with music. Johann Sebastian Bach was one artist whose greatest legacy was religious music. HIS works re distinguished by their inventiveness and complete mastery of major and minor tonality. George Frederic Handel was renowned for his Italian-style operas. He had a brilliant way in which music allows the singers to show their virtuosity. Yes, Opera as the new musical form of the Baroque period; It originated from Italy In the late sixteenth century by a group of Florentine musicians and poets who had ties with the aristocrats. However, let us not forget that If It was not for the four trends that gave the music of this time period Its distinctive qualities. We will write a custom essay sample on Baroque Music or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page En In which was the creation of the major and minor tonality which was prefigured by Joaquin des Perez.That was the rise of modern music. The second was the mixing of the genres, which was well known in the literature and the arts made its way into baroque music. In addition, the third thing was the expressiveness in the music in the late sass; it became more magnified and was used in emotions in the text of the music that may not have been heard. And lastly was the age of virtuosos, master musicians, especially singers, who Would perform with great technical skill and vivid personal style, and of a growing variety of musical instruments. That brings us back to Opera; this musical form brings all the mentioned trends together, became the ultimate symbol of the age. Claudio Monteverdi was the first great composer of opera; he composed Refer (1607) about a legendary ancient Greek poet-musician named Orpheus. It incorporated drama, dance elaborate stage mechanisms and painted scenery with music (410). Monteverdi was known for expanding the dramatic appeal by taking each of the five acts and ending them with a powerful chorus.He took the use of aural symbols and music phrases to intensify events. Jean-Baptists Lully was the founder of French opera but he was actually Italian. He would later become a French citizen and serve as Louses court composer. French opera under Lullys direction would become more dignified and full of choruses and would add ballet and French text. Arouse Music Sebastian Bach was one artist whose greatest legacy was religious music. His works tonality. George Frederic Handel was renowned for his Italian-style operas.He had a Nas the new musical form of the Baroque period; it originated from Italy in the late sixteenth century by a group of Florentine musicians and poets who had ties with the aristocrats. However, let us not forget that if it was not for the four trends that gave the music of this time period its distinctive qualities. One in which was the creation Mould perform with great technical skill and vivid personal style, and of a growing rarity of musical instruments. That brings us back to Opera; this musical form

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Summary of Ten Stories Essay Example

Summary of Ten Stories Essay My Lucy friend who smells like corn is a story of a girl named Lucy. The narrator who was the friend of Lucy smells Lucy like a corn. She smells like corn because she is always in the street during daytime. The narrator described the life of Lucy and her family. Lucy’s family has a simple life – sometimes rich but most of the time, they are poor but they are happy. Lucy has a big family; she has her parents and many siblings. There was a time when the arms of Lucy had scars and her nail fell off but she remained strong and she did not cry. The narrator saw her face and the narrator knew that Lucy was brave enough to conquer her problems and pains. Seeing the life of Lucy and her family, the narrator also wanted to be like Lucy – having simple life, simple dreams even if they have problems and pains, having so many siblings but they were happy, and most of all, to be smelled like corn. Eleven Eleven is about the story of a girl who wanted to feel a new life because she turned eleven. She wanted change on the way he is treated – her actions, her situations, and her environment but she felt that she was just the same as she was younger. The narrator also described her actions and situations while she was younger, which she do not want to be treated that way again for she knew that was already old. She does not want to sit on the lap of her mother and she does not want to cry for it was the actions of younger children and she was not part of them anymore. We will write a custom essay sample on Summary of Ten Stories specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Summary of Ten Stories specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Summary of Ten Stories specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer When she went to school, she thought that people would get in touch with her to greet her happy birthday but it was the opposite. Her teacher saw an ugly jacket in the room, she asked her class who owns the jacket but almost everyone denied. One girl said that it was the narrator’s jacket but the narrator denied it because it was too ugly and it smells bad but the teacher also thinks that it was her so she gave it to her but still, the narrator denied. The narrator felt awkward and wanted to become a child again for she wanted to cry and ran through her mother but she cannot. Salvador Late or Early It was a story of a boy named Salvador who has no friends or acquaintances. His life has full of misery, pain, and struggle. He used to take good care of his younger sisters and brothers for he wanted them to look good even if it was the opposite of his appearance. He helped his mother as best as he cold even if most of the time, his help was not enough and sometimes brought terrible things to them. Salvador does not want his family especially his brothers and sisters to be treated like him. His pain, struggles, and problems could not be seen through his eyes but it was seen through his body that contains wounds and scars of pains and sorrows. Mexican Movies The story is about a little child who used to observe everything around. She was happy when her father asked her to go to the lobby of the movie house because her father does not want her to see the sexual scenes. The narrator does not really understand those things but she knew what is happening that she needs to go to the lobby. Rather than going to the lobby, she chooses to go to the women’s bathroom to observe it – do some tic-tac-toe using a lipstick or she also went to the candy counter to buy some food for herself. Her family loves to watch movies especially Mexican movies and though it was not that beautiful. They just stayed on their seats and soon get sleep. After the movie, their parents will carry her and her sister and bring them home. Even if it was a long night for them, when they get to bed, they feel happy. Barbie-Q The story is about the two characters where the narrator is the first and her friend was the second. The narrator described the dress of her doll and the doll of her friend. The narrator illustrated carefully and thoroughly all the necessary characteristics of her doll and her friend’s doll but as she looks at it, she realized that the eyes of her friend’s doll are eyes of a boy. Because of this, she made the doll a boy, which was Ken. The narrator also reminisce their experience last Christmas as they received new Barbie clothes and the narrator was looking forward for next Christmas. The narrator then started to illustrate their experiences while walking at the Maxwell street; but still she was still thinking about the clothes of her doll – where and how to buy due to shortage of budget. The narrator ended the story in a generalization of buying toys and its physical characteristics as damaged but she imposed that even if such cases like this are done, there is still a fire sale at the Maxwell street. Mericans Mericans is about the story of an awful grandmother who used to pray always at the church. The narrator observed the awful grandmother as a righteous woman that made him also righteous. When the narrator went inside the church and look at the saints, he also somehow feels like a saint. The narrator narrates his observations inside and outside the church that made him realized the purpose of the people in the church. Aside from the church itself, the narrator observed the saint of the church, which is La Virgen de Guadalupe that gives miracle to people. The narrator’s brother also observed the whole place as he also imagined himself as a flying feather dancer who danced for the birthday of the Virgen. As the narrator goes on with his observations, he saw the awful grandmother praying hard for the people she loved. The day ended with these scenes and opened for nightlife to make people alive as they celebrate the birthday of their patron saint. Tepeyac Tepeyac is a story of a man named Abuelito. The narrator narrates her observations and encounter with Abuelito. In the first part of the story, the narrator described the physical characteristics of the place but she just illustrated the people of Tepeyac, which she focused then. While walking and observing people, the narrator saw Abuelito smoking in a dark place with only one dark light bulb lighting on his face. The narrator went to Abuelito’s side and observed him first but then she started holding his hand. Feeling the emotions of Abuelito as he remained silent. Like having an intimate relationship, the narrator and Abuelito walked around the basilica. After a long walk, they found out that they were near the house of the narrator. The narrator’s house is in La Fortuna with a number 12 but it was already sold. Before they can go to the main door, they have walk to the square steps of the grass. They both started to count but while counting, they were also thinking of their experiences and shared it to one another. The story ends with the thought of the narrator to Abuelito’s situation that seemed to be forgotten by their community without any name. One Holy Night One holy night is the story of a girl who is ignored by the people around her. She always felt that people see her as nothing but a vendor even if she has something to give. She was very much in love with a boy named Chaq Uxmal Paloquin. This boy made her life colorful but there was a time when this boy vanished from her eyes. The narrator waited for so long until she found someone named Boy Baby, her heart says that he was her Chaq but it was very different, he was just an ignorable person for it has his own world and speaks a different language people could not understand. However, even if it was the case of Boy Baby, the narrator still wanted to be with him and loved him dearly. One night, Boy Baby asked the narrator to accompany him in his place. Boy Baby showed his weapons to the narrator and asked her to stay quiet about what she saw. After that, they make love. The narrator was very happy with her experience. She thought of the women who do not want to talk about their experiences for it was sacred. When she got home, her older sister asked her pushcart – the cart that she is using when selling cucumber. She does not know what to do so she made a story. Her sister believed her but eventually, the true story emerged because one of their neighbors saw the narrator and Boy Baby going to Esparza and Sons every night, it was Boy Baby’s place. Abuelita, the narrator’s sister asked her the truth and she said everything except of one thing. One day, when she found out that she was pregnant, her sister cried a lot and blamed all men. Because of this, they started to find the Boy Baby. After a long time, they found out that Boy Baby was not Chaq that the narrator was referring to. He was already thirty-seven years old and a poor man with no Mayan blood unlike Chaq. The narrator was very disappointed but she still pursues her pregnancy. In the end, she still wanted to have five kinds – 2 boys, 2 girls, and one baby. My Tocaya This is about a young girl who narrates her tocaya, Patricia Benavidez because it was gone for three days. Everyone thought that she was dead that the narrator described Patricia as a girl who came back from the dead. Patricia Benavidez was said as the â€Å"son† of the father and son’s Taco place no.2 for she inherited this restaurant. However, despite of all the good things that happened to Patricia the narrator still used exaggerated words to described her. The narrator also described the feelings of the people especially Patricia’s family and their school. She also attached an article from the newspaper about Patricia according to the news Patricia is 13 and been missing since November 11, 5 feet tall, weighting around 115 lbs, etc. The narrator was angry with Patricia but she was also jealous with her. She knew that Patricia was not good inside and out, for she knew some secrets of Patricia. Patricia also liked the boy that the narrator also liked that is why her anger became double. When Patricia was found, she as not happy even if almost everyone are crying for Patricia and she also wanted Patricia not to be found anymore. Woman Hollering Creek This story is about the life of a couple named Juan Pedro Martinez Sanches and Cleofilas Enriqueta De Leon Hernandez. In the first part of the story, the narrator described the preparation of the wedding; it was elaborated thoroughly from the flowers, food, up to the dresses. They depend on the outfit of the characters in the telenovelas, Cleofilas relate her life to this fictional novel that make her weaker and pitiful. Juan Pedro is a very busy person, so he wanted to get married as soon as possible because she cannot leave his job for a long time. After they get married, they had children and had their own home but like other couples, they had problems. That sometimes made them weak and broken. Cleofilas usually goes to social gatherings and she used to encounter women who are much stronger than she is and all she can do is act like an innocent woman.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Learning Moral Values in College Movies

Learning Moral Values in College Movies Read how college movies can teach moral values. Organized youth groups, sports clubs, church organizations promote traditional moral values through peer interaction and learning the social consequences of a particular behavior. Similarly, moral values are promoted through mass media communication such as television, videos, songs, and movies by offering different models of behavior and their corresponding rewards or punishment. Movies are not simply entertainment as they expose people to social norms and life experiences. They are normally presented with themes and characters displaying value-laden principles and taking moral decisions that are influential in shaping or modifying a person’s value system. Movies displaying immorality such as crimes, violence against women, homosexuality, and others are likely to influence their audience moral values negatively.  Movies are important elements in youth’s socialization and reinforcement of values learned from home and school. For example, study shows that cowboy heroes in movies unintentionally convey socially significant information that influences values, attitudes, and beliefs of young people. Life Lessons in College Movies There are a number of movies set in college with moral value.  In 1994 for example, the movie With Honors is about an arrogant Harvard student (played by American-Canadian actor Brendan Frazer) who loses the only copy of his thesis  which he later found in the hands of a homeless but street-smart older man. The conflict began when the homeless man used the thesis as leverage for some favors. The egotistical and antagonistic Harvard senior student tried but failed to outsmart the situational intelligence and shrewd resourcefulness of the street smart and finally agrees to negotiate. The movie according to some reviews is a thoughtful representation of life with a moral value that people should do what makes them happy. The Harvard student negotiating for his thesis is at first snobbish and insufferable but mature and becomes sympathetic to the pain and suffering of the homeless man. Find more interesting information: How Human Dignity Is Valued in Academic Sphere Can We Actually Rewrite a Film? Most good college movies explore social and moral issues and teach important life lessons. One of them is the 1998 dark comedy film Dead Man on Campus, the story of college studious student (Josh) who is led astray by his roommate’s (Cooper) carefree lifestyle. Initially, the movie explores the economic reality of getting a college education and consequences of neglecting your studies. For instance, Josh gets into college on a scholarship that requires him to get a passing grade each semester. Cooper’s college education, on the other hand, is funded by his father despite consistent failing grade. Lost in Cooper’s partying world, the normally studious Josh failed to pass all his mid-term exams and facing a loss of scholarship. Similarly, Cooper’s father finally discovers his son’s lack of concern in passing the course and threatens to stop the funding if Cooper fails again. Facing a similar dilemma, they found a solution in an unusual academic rule where roommate of a student who commits suicide gets a perfect grade but it didn’t work. The problem was resolved when the school gives Josh (who commit a fake suicide attempt over the bridge) a second chance while Cooper, (a hero to his father as he allegedly convinced Josh to abandon his plan) maintained the funding. However, they learned the lessons well as both became more serious in their studies.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Research Design And Analysis Week 5 Assignment 2

Research Design And Analysis Week 5 2 - Assignment Example Qualitative studies also focus on development of meaning on a subject matter as opposed to the scope of quantitative research that focuses on identifying and testing existence of causal relationships. The scope of the article however identifies focus on understanding the role of critical praxis in teamwork. Qualitative research is also subjective, depends on people’s opinion and this identifies with the authors’ approach that express their informed opinion on the subject. Use of words, subjectivity, and focus on development of meaning therefore identifies the article as a qualitative article (Seibold & Kang 2008; Gerrish & Lacey, 2013). The author does not offer a theoretical framework for the study that is exploratory. No discussion therefore exists on a theory or previous application of a theory. The authors also failed to develop research questions for their study. In addition, the authors do not state their study’s dependent and independent variables. The exploratory scope of the study also fails to offer a basis for assuming variables and their relationship (Seibold,