Osteoporosis essay Essay Example

Osteoporosis essay Essay Osteoporosis â€Å"Thirty-five year old Donna Duckworth is learning how to care for her newborn of five weeks, when she bends over the baby’s crib and feels something give in her back. The next day and the following week, the pain becomes unbearable in her back. She is breast-feeding and does not want to take any medication so she lives with the intense and continuing pain. Within a few weeks, she can no longer stand it so she goes to see her physician who orders blood work, does a complete physical and as a result, sends her to see an orthopedist who x-rays and does a bone density study. The diagnosis comes back as osteoporosis and it is found she has fractured three of her lumbar and four of her cervical vertebra.† Osteoporosis is a disease that affects the inside of your bones. Osteoporosis can affect anyone at any time in his or her life, but mostly in his or her later years. After reading, one can know what the signs and symptoms of osteoporosis are, what the probable diagnosis is, if it is treatable, what the prognosis is, what a health care practioner would do, who can be effected, what can be done to prevent it, and what new treatments are available. (NOF, 2010) â€Å"A person that has osteoporosis has bones that have lost substances as well as calcium, and other minerals† (UCSF Medical Center, 2010). Osteoporosis has signs and symptoms that one can look for within them. Osteoporosis is not gender selective. There are no symptoms of osteoporosis in its early stages, but there are symptoms that occur late in the disease. Some of the symptoms that occur late in the disease are bone pain or tenderness, fractures, loss of height, lower back pain due to fractures, neck pain due to fractures and curvature of the spine (The New York Times, 2010). Even though any bone break could be a sign of osteoporosis, one is most likely to have a compress fracture in their spinal vertebra. â€Å"These bone fractures are a result of weakened bone cracking from the normal pressure of a person standing upright† (UCSF Medical Center, 2010). The spinal vertebra breaks often result in the curvature of the spine at the shoulders (UCSF Medical Center, 201 0). â€Å"The curvature of the spine is sometimes called a ‘widow’s hump’† (UCSF Medical Center, 2010). (NOF, 2010) We will write a custom essay sample on Osteoporosis essay specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Osteoporosis essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Osteoporosis essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer â€Å"Pregnant adult women need an extra 400 milligrams of calcium daily† (Willis, 2010). â€Å"Thats about 50 percent more than recommended for women 25 and older† (Willis, 2010). â€Å"If there is not enough calcium in the mothers diet, the fetus may draw calcium from the mothers bones† (Willis, 2010). â€Å"Calcium deficiency in pregnancy may result in osteopenia (decreased bone density) in the mother† (Willis, 2010). Ms. Duckworth was in the standing position at the time that she felt something give in her back. Considering Ms. Duckworth gave birth within a year and her age, the likelihood of her having osteoporosis probable due to the improper amount of calcium intake. Diagnosis is crucial in osteoporosis. One of the best ways to determine if one has osteoporosis is by doing a bone density test. There are different types of techniques that can be performed in order to diagnose osteoporosis. Some of the different techniques are dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), ultrasound, quantitative computerized tomography (QCT), and lateral radiographs (UCSF Medical Center, 2010). DXA is a can of the spine with a low-dose X-ray (UCSF Medical Center, 2010). (NOF, 2010) Ms. Duckworth should have a DXA of the spine and hip areas as well as the blood and urine tests. If necessary, a QCT should be ran based on the results of the DXA. These tests will determine the severity of Ms. Duckworth’s bone density issue. It will tell if she has osteopena due to pregnancy or a more severe case, osteoporosis. â€Å"Almost 80% of bone density is determined by heredity and 20% by lifestyle† (WebMD, 2010). â€Å"Bone mineral density tests (BMD) shows how dense bones are and whether you have osteoporosis† (WebMD, 2010). â€Å"This information helps determine which prevention or treatment steps are needed† (WebMD, 2010). There are different laboratory tests that can be ran by doctors that helps in diagnosing osteoporosis. These tests are run with samples of blood and urine from the patient. Some of the tests are blood calcium levels, 24-hour urine calcium measurement, thyroid function tests, parathyroid hormone levels, testosterone levels in men, 25-hydroxyvitamin D test to determine whether the body had enough vitamin D, and biochemical marker tests, such as NTX and CTX (NOF, 2010). Osteoporosis is a treatable disease, but not a curable one. There are different types of treatment for osteoporosis. Some of the medications that can be taken for treatment of osteoporosis are estrogen, bisphosphonates, calcitionin, raloxifene, parathyroid hormone, and testosterone replacement (UCSF Medical Center, 2010). Some of the more common names for bisphosphonates are Fosamax, Actonel, Boniva, and Reclast (Mayo Clinic, 2009). These treatments are taken orally once a week or once a month. In addition to the medications, there is also the treatment of exercise and diet. With a diet high in calcium, stopping unhealthy habits, like smoking and drinking, and regular exercise can reduce the likelihood of bone fractures in people with osteoporosis (The New York Times, 2010). In Ms. Duckworth’s incident, it would be recommended that she increase the amount of calcium in her diet and exercise, and depending on the severity of the osteoporosis, medication. Prognosis for osteoporosis is that the disease is treatable, but not curable. There is not one simple treatment for this disease. If one has the markers for osteoporosis, then the amount of risks should be kept to a minimal. Prevention is the best way to lower the odds of obtaining osteoporosis. One should make sure that the amount of calcium needed is in their diet. They should also develop an exercise program that avoids the risk of falling or could be considered high-impact, as that those could cause fractures. Ms. Duckworth future could turn to one as beneficial as it was before the spinal fracture. With proper diet with high calcium intake, an exercise program to reduce the likelihood of fractures, medication, and check-ups Ms. Duckworth could be back to her normal activities. As a healthcare practioner, Ms. Duckworth would be advised to increase the amount of calcium in her diet and add an exercise regiment. Based on Ms. Duckworth’s blood and urine analysis, it would also include medication if necessary. Ms. Duckworth would also be scheduled for routine check-ups to see the progression or recession of the osteoporosis. Family history would also need to be looked at for Ms. Duckworth. As previously stated, 80% of persons with osteoporosis obtained the disease through hereditary genetics, 20% obtain it through life choices and medical conditions. If Ms. Duckworth were suffering from osteoporosis from hereditary, treatment with medication would be probable, instead of just diet and exercise. Osteoporosis most commonly is diagnosed in women and men over the age of 50. Osteoporosis is considered a health threat for 44 million U.S. women and men aged 50 and older (NOF, 2010). The following chart gives an indication of the prevalence of osteoporosis in women and men in the U.S. through the year 2020 (NOF, 2010). Prevalence of Osteoporosis and Low Bone Mass in People Aged 50 and Over 200220102020 Osteoporosis and Low Bone Mass in Women and Men43,600,00052,400,00061,400,000 Osteoporosis in Women and Men10,100,00012,000,00013,900,000 Low Bone Mass in Women and Men33,600,00040,400,00047,500,000 Women With Osteoporosis or Low Bone Mass29,600,00035,100,00040,900,000 Women With Osteoporosis7,800,0009,100,00010,500,000 Women With Low Bone Mass21,800,00026,000,00030,400,000 Men With Osteoporosis and Low Bone Mass14,100,00017,300,00020,500,000 Men With Osteoporosis2,300,0002,800,0003,300,000 Men With Low Bone Mass11,800,00014,400,00017,100,000 (NOF, 2010) Even though there are several different ways to prevent progression of osteoporosis, they are not a guarantee that it will stop the progression. With the medication as treatment for the osteoporosis, there are still occasions that bone fractures can occur. â€Å"The Food and Drug Administration issued a warning linking long-term use of popular osteoporosis drugs to an unusual fracture of the thigh bone† (Wilson, 2010). With the profound results of the bisphosphonates slowing the loss of bone mass, they have been proven to have nagging safety concerns that are jaw osteonecrosis, arrhythmias, and esophageal cancer (Wilson, 2010). Drug makers are working to find new ways of treating osteoporosis. â€Å"The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new injectable osteoporosis treatment for post menopausal women† (FDA, 2010). â€Å"Prolia is a treatment for postmenopausal women with osteoporosis who are at high risk for fractures† (FDA, 2010). Osteoporosis is an unforgiving disease. It cannot be cured, but can be slowed in its progression. Prevention is the way to proactive. One should be sure to consume calcium in their diet that is adequate for their needs and to be in an exercise regiment that will aid in reducing fractures. One should also be careful in putting himself or herself at risk by smoking, drinking, being off balanced, or doing rigorous exercising that could possibly cause fractures. If one does these things and has regular check-ups, then they should be able to reduce the likelihood of severe osteoporosis. Total Words: 1,422 Works Cited U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). (2010, June 1). FDA Approves New Injectable Osteoporosis Treatment for Postmenopausal Women. Retrieved from FDA.gov: Mayo Clinic. (2009, August 27). Osteoporosis Treatment Puts Brakes on Bone Loss. Retrieved from MayoClinic.com: National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF). (2010). Diagnosing Osteoporosis. Retrieved from nof.org: National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF). (2010). Prevalence Report. Retrieved from nof.org : http://www.nof.org/print/219 The New York Times. (2010). Osteoporosis Overview. Retreived from nytimes.com: UCSF Medical Center. (2010, October 29). Osteoporosis Diagnosis. Retrieved from ucsfhealth.org: UCSF Medical Center. (2010, October 29). Osteoporosis Signs and Symptoms. Retreived from ucsfhealth.org: UCSF Medical Center. (2010, October 29). Osteoporosis Treatment. Retreived from ucsfhealth.org: WebMD. (2010). Osteoporosis Guide Diagnosis Tests. Retreived from webmd.com: Willis, Judith Levine. (2010). All about Eating for Two. Retreived from childbirthsolutions.com: Wilson, Duff. (2010, October 13). Prescriptions. Retreived from nytimes.com:

Why the United States Did Not Ratify the Treaty of Versaille essays

Why the United States Did Not Ratify the Treaty of Versaille essays In November of 1918, Germany agreed to the proposed armistice, ending World War I. They believed that the peace would be generous, and based on Wilsons Fourteen Points. They were in for a devastating surprise. What both Germany and President Wilson didnt expect were prominent world leaders acting on feelings of greed, as opposed to what would be beneficial for the Worlds people. The Worlds leaders were not thrilled with Wilson either, calling him a self-righteous leader who only claimed to worry about all mankind. It was said by Premier Georges Clemenceau of France Wilson bores me with his Fourteen Points! Why, God Almighty has only ten! Needless to say, things did not go well from the start. As much as Wilson wanted to ratify the Treaty of Versailles and Join in preventing future world conflicts, the opposition was far too great. The Treaty of Versailles was drafted in Paris, France by those who had come to be known as the big four, or the leaders of the four allied powers during WWI: Prime Minister David Lloyd George of Great Britain, Premier Vittorio Orlando of Italy, the affore mentioned Premier Clemenceau of France, and, of course, President Wilson. All three European leaders seemed bent on getting as much land and wealth as possible out of the war, and punishing the enemy as much as possible. All three countries suffered huge loss, financial and otherwise, as the war was fought in their backyards, and they werent about to forget. They saw Wilsons view of making sure everyone gets out with a smile on their face as an ignorant opinion of someone who hadnt looked the enemy in the eye, but they werent worried about the treaty, because they knew if Wilson did not sign it, war was bound to happen again, and all too soon. Wilson knew too, and he appealed directly to the people of America. The people of America had very different views ...

Contract Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

Contract Law - Essay Example These elements are consideration, subject matter, and time of performance. While making an offer, an offeree may reply to offer made positively with some additions or modifications. Such additions or modifications affect the formation, time, and place of contract under both English and UAE laws. In respect to English and UAE laws, the following is a discussion on effects of additions or modifications made by offeree in response to an offer. Theories for Validity of Contracts Apart from the essential elements and terms of a contract determining validity of a contract, four other theories attempt to explain when, where, and how validity is attainable. The first theory proposes that a contract becomes valid when and where the negotiations begin that is, when and/or where declarations are made. For instance, in the case of Applegate v Moss [1971] 1 QB 406 the court held that the contract was valid when the negotiations started between the two parties. From the UAE Civil Code, a contract becomes valid upon receipt and realization of the offeree’s acceptance . The other theory explaining validity of a contract majors on when and where the offer and acceptance is received. Receiving of the offer and acceptance determines that both parties are comfortable with terms and conditions of the contract. Moreover, whenever a contract arises then it becomes valid. Lastly, the other theory that confirms validity of a contract is when and where the offeree becomes aware of existence of the offer. ... Additions and Modifications by Offeree Any change made by an offeree in the context of responding to an offer amounts to additions and modifications of a contract. Modifications and/or additions may be material or immaterial but they all affect formation, time, and place of the contract in all laws but in this case, special interest is on English and UAE laws. In a contract, an offer refers to a manifestation of an intention by once of the contracting parties, which leads to a binding agreement in the event that it is accepted. In the case of Moran v University College Salford (No. 2) [1994] ELR 1872 where the court held that, the University had made an offer, which was accepted by the plaintiff. Another case was OT Africa Line Ltd v Vickers Plc [1996] 1 All ER 325 3where there was a mistake in making of the offer. For instance, in the case of Barry and Davies [1962]1 2000[HC]4 the court held that there was a collateral contract between auctioneer and highest bidder since upon the of fer made by the auctioneer, the highest bidder accepted the bid. Nonetheless, many offerees in some cases accept offer upon making some modifications or adding other aspects of the contract. From the UAE laws, an offer makes a contract to be valid through three basic ways. First, when an acceptance follows the offer made5. The other way is when an offer of specific goods and services has along with it indication of remission of consideration as required in order to validate contract6. Lastly, the last offer is valid especially when there is a repetition of the offer prior to acceptance of previously made offer7. Additions and/or modifications may be valid or invalid depending on various factors. It is important to note that

Copyright Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Copyright - Research Paper Example This is usually for a short period, with the aim of allowing the inventor to get reimbursement for their unique work. Inventors are individual like an author of a book, music artist, software designer, video producer, among others. Moreover, copyright is a technique of intelligent assets used to any expressed illustration of imaginative work. It is frequently shared between numerous authors, who individually hold a set of authorizations to license or practice the work. This individual is known as rights holders. These authorizations often comprise of distribution, control over derivative work, public performance, ethical sanctions such as attribution and lastly reproduction. Copyright violation or infringement has had a substantial effect on the global economy. This is the illegal use of works that are governed by a copyright statute, violating certain exclusive privileges given to the rights holder. Furthermore, for work to be considered as infringing copyright, its usage must have befallen in a state that has local copyright rules or obeys a joint tragedy or recognized global agreements. Inappropriate usage of materials outside the law is not considered as copyright infringement rather it is considered as unauthorized edition (Cockburn, 2005). The violation of copyrights frequently happens with music, film and software. Nevertheless, copyright infringement on books and other writing are normal, particularly for scholastic reasons. However, statistics concerning the impacts of copyright infringement are hard to find out. Millions of jobs and billions of dollars are lost each and every year to copyright violation. Research has tried to find out whether businesses affected by the infringement of copyrights are prone to financial loss by forecasting what quota of pirated share would have been acquired legally if it were not easily available.

Professional Development in Nursing | Reflection

Professional Development in Nursing | Reflection In order to enhance knowledge, skills, values and attitudes needed for a safe and effective nursing practice, this reflective piece aims to demonstrate the author’s commitment to the need for professional development contribution and personal supervision activities. Through leadership, peer support, supervision and teaching this account will further enhance the professional development and safe practice to others. To achieve these aims, backed with supportive evidence, the author shall use a case study to enable him make discussions and debates. To maintain confidentiality, names of people and places mentioned in this account has been anonymised in accordance to NMC code of professional conduct (NMC, 2010). During the mid-point of his final placement, Bruce was instructed by his mentor to assume the primary nurse role for 73 year old Alice who was detained in an inpatient psychiatric unit under section 3 of the Mental Health Act. Alice was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease dementia with a history of falls, self-neglect and aggressive behaviours toward staff and fellow patients. Following Alice’s CPA review, additional medication was prescribed to her after a mutual agreement between Alice, her family and the MDT as rapid deterioration in her mental state was a concern. CPA (2008) recommends that patients, family and carers should be involved in decision making in regard to their care plans. To promote medication adherence, NICE (2009) declares that, patients should be involved in decisions about prescribed medication to enable them to make informed choices. Bruce was not aware of Alice’s new prescribed medication because he had 2 days off from work. Upon return to work, Bruce volunteered to be the nurse in charge of the shift to enable him gain more confidence and build his leadership skills. Whilst Bruce was being supervised during the morning medication rounds as guided by (NMC, 2010). Alice noticed that there was a new medication so she asked Bruce purpose of the additional medication. Bruce could not confidently explain the purpose of the medication so he asked Dora his mentor who stood by to explain to Alice. Alice became extremely angry and agitated, hostile and physically aggressive towards Bruce accusing him of wanting to kill her however, staff intervened and managed to de-escalate the situation. NICE (2005) recommends that at the first signs of agitation or violent behaviour, staff should first try to calm the patient down using de-escalation methods. Taking the above scenario into consideration one can say that Bruce acted proactively by volunteering to co-ordinate the shift. However, Bruce should have been more concerned to find out the outcome of Alice’s CPA meeting as her acting primary nurse. NMC (2008) asserts that the care of people should be your first concern, treating them as individuals and respecting their dignity. Since Bruce volunteered to coordinate the shift, he could have delegated some of the task i.e. medication rounds to other qualified nurses to enable him to catch-up with what happened at the ward during his absence. Delegation of task enables the team leader to be able to devote more time to those tasks that cannot be delegated. With more time available, the leader can invest time and energy into developing practice, improving standards and influencing decisions that affect their service (Garland and Sullivan, 2010). It was a bad practice for Bruce to administer medication without knowing it purpose as a nurse. NMC (2010) affirms that, nurses must know the medicine’s therapeutic use, its normal dosage, side effects, precautions and contra-indications before administering it. Bruce should have checked the use of the newly prescribed medication in the British National Formulary (BNF) before administering it to Alice (NMC, 2010). Bruce could have also asked Dora about the purpose of the newly prescribed medication when he realised he was not familiar with it even before dispensing it into the pot for Alice. However, one can say that Bruce acted professionally by acknowledging his limitations and therefore asked Dora to explain the use of the newly prescribed medication to Alice. NICE (2009) recommends that as a good practice, nurses should provide patients with verbal and written information regarding their prescribed medication to promote medication concordance. Bruce in a meeting with Dora identified the need for developing his medication administration and management skills and agreed on an action plan under his mentor’s supervision. Care Quality Commission (2013) affirms that supervision provides opportunity for staff to review their performance, set objectives in line with the organisation objective and service needs, and identifies training and continuing developing needs. Bruce further identified the need for research on medication administration, management and medication training all these shall be accomplished under the supervision of Dora. Bruce also has requested to be more involved in medication administration and did a research and found out that, patients must always understand the reason for taking a particular drug. NICE (2009) recommends that, at intervals agreed with the patients, staff should review patients’ knowledge, understanding and concerns about medicines, and patients view of their need for medicine b ecause these may change over time. Bruce had the opportunity to learn how to write CPA reports, tribunal reports and continued to build his confidence in writing plans of care and risk profiles by assuming the primary nurse role for Alice. Bruce also seized the opportunity by being the primary nurse to Alice to gain a better understanding of the MDT working. DOH (2004) ten essential shared capabilities recommends that professionals, patients, family and carers should work in partnership to provide quality care. By volunteering to coordinate the shift gave Bruce the insight of the responsibilities and what to expect from a qualified nurse. Coordinating the shift enabled Bruce to research more about his leadership styles, improved on his communication and delegation skills and his management. Bruce also had the opportunity as the shift coordinator, to do an incident report about Alice’s physical aggression towards him under Dora’s supervision. It can be argued that Alice was not supposed to behave that way however, she could forget about her CPA meeting and the newly prescribed medication because of the symptoms of her illness. Wrycraft (2009) declares that, typical symptoms of dementia are loss of memory, confusion and a change in personality, mood and behaviour. NHS (2012) confirms that, common symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease include memory loss, especially problems with memory for recent events, such as forgetting messages, remembering routes or names, and asking questions repetitively. Based on the above account, a nurse should always reflect and evaluate his or her practice then plan future practice areas for development.

Outline and assess the role of the police in the social construction of crime (50 marks) Essay

Social construction refers to the way in which crime and deviance in society might be created and shaped by society and social institutions. This can occur in a number of different ways. For example, they can influence public perception and definitions of what establishes crime and deviance, deviants or non-deviants. They can also influence the amount of crime in society by amplifying it therefore clamping down on it. They can add pressure for changes in legislation which can then alter definitions of crime and can criminalise activities previously regarded as legal. They can also influence the extent, trends and patterns of recorded crime in how they operate. Interactionism is an action approach which views society in a micro perspective. It argues that the definitions of deviance and normality are social constructions and are relative, meaning it will depend on a range of factors such as the time, place and social context in which the act takes place whether the behaviour is defined as a crime or deviant. Marxism is an example of the conflicting view as they argue that the law and social rules reflect the interests of the rich and powerful groups in society who have managed to impose their ideas and way of thinking on the wider population through coercion and ideological control. Therefore they are able to get their assumptions of crime to stick as opposed to the opinions of an ordinary person on the street. Functionalism however argues the consensus view that law and norms about acceptable behaviour in any society are simply a reflection of the wider collective conscience and these laws and social rules are created and enforced to the benefit of everyone. Therefore deviance is behaviour that breaks these agreements on what is acceptable. Functionalists view this defining process as straightforward and objective. The police are an institution that is assigned the duty to enforce the law and take action to those breaking these rules, in order to achieve order and safety in society. They are therefore considered as having a key role in the social construction of crime. The main way the police display this is through the use of discretion in the enforcement of the law. This refers to when police officers have to apply their own judgement to decide which laws are suited for the given circumstance. The choices individual police officers make would be greatly influenced by their own concerns and interests. Colman and German found evidence in their study which showed that there were individual racist police offers who apply the law more harshly to certain ethnic minorities. Reiner also suggested an explanation on the basis of police discretion which refers to culture. It is noted that the police force are overwhelmingly white males. Officers work long hours in each other’s company, being largely isolated from the public. This therefore results in the development of a very specific occupational culture. This is referred to as ‘canteen culture’. Skolnick suggested three of its components. The first being suspiciousness. This talks about the fact that officers, whilst carrying out their training, are taught to discriminate between ‘decent people’ and ‘potential troublemakers’. According to Reiner, they categorise and stereotype certain people as ‘police property’. For example, they regard young males, particularly youths from ethnic minorities as potential troublemakers. A second component is internal solidarity and social isolation. This causes police officers to rely on one another in terms of support when physically threatened and when denying accusations made by the public. Lastly, conservatism refers to those who join the police in the first place are rarely politically radical. However while the job of policing emphasises a non-political attitude, police officers must uphold the law; it also upholds the traditional values and nature of the state. There is a strong sense of conservative values evident in the police. A final component of masculinity was suggested by Graef. He noted how most police officers are male and drawn from the working class. Their culture therefore ultimately reflects traditional working class values of heavy drinking, physical prowess and heterosexuality. Racial stereotyping is also heavily emphasised and linked with assuming the role of the police officer. Cicourel attempted to discover what deviance is by examining the way in which some acts and individuals become defined or labelled as deviant. Cicourel therefore looked how a young person is defined as delinquent. The first stage is a police officer deciding to stop and interrogate the individual based on meaning held by the policy about what is ‘suspicious’ or ‘unusual’. These can be related to particular geographical areas for example. If the individual portray themselves as the ‘typical delinquent’ in ways they speak and in their demeanour, they are more likely to be arrested. The second stage applies if the young person has been arrested, resulting in being referred to a juvenile (probation) officer. The suspect’s background is then looked at. Coming from a ‘broken home’ and showing bad attitude towards authority are factors that would increase the likeliness of them being charged with an offence. Cicourel identifies how social classes can alter the way the juvenile probation officer would consider their choice of action. When a middle class juvenile is arrested they are less likely to be charged with an offence due to their background not fitting the typical criteria of a delinquent. Moreover, middle class parents are better able to negotiate successfully on their child’s behalf. Due to this, middle class juvenile is often defines as ‘ill’ or accidently straying from the path of righteousness, allowing them the chance to reform. Middle class juvenile are more likely to be released with just a warning. Cicourel concluded that justice is negotiable and his theories reveal the power and control both the police and the juvenile probation officer have over a young individual’s life. This therefore implies that it is these two agents who contribute towards the social construction of crime as they are given the authority to select certain individuals and undergo the process of labelling them as deviant. Taylor, Walton and Young however criticise Cicourel’s conclusion as he fails to explain how subjective meanings held by the police and juvenile probation officers of the ‘typical delinquent’ originate in the first place. Marxists agree with considering the police as a key agent in social construction of crime and deviance but they believe it reflects the ideology of ruling class. Gordon argues that crime is rational and individuals must fend for themselves in order to survive. This is particularly true of the American poor as America has minimal welfare services compared to many other advanced societies. Gordon stated that most crimes in the USA share the similarity of representing rational responses to the competitiveness and inequality of life in capitalist societies. Gordon argues the law enforcers in the USA support the capitalist system in three ways. Firstly they select members of the subject class and punish them as individuals – they are viewed as ‘social failures’ and responsible for their criminal activities. By placing this focus on an individual, it draws away from capitalism which is primarily responsible for their criminal deviance. Secondly the imprisonment of members of the subject class is a way of eliminating those who may have shown opposition to the capitalist society – reducing the opposition of the system. Finally by imprisoning the criminals who are ‘enemies of the state’, they are sweeping away an embarrassing extreme outcome of capitalist society. If something was done to help these people, if their difficult situations were made public then it would throw doubt on the capitalist society – as it produced them initially. This reflects the idea that enforcers of the law serves to maintain ruling-class power and ideology. Therefore suggesting that the police and courts exert their power and control to further strengthen the ruling class and continue to force submission of the subject class. The laws and the ideas of crime and punishment are argued to have been constructed based on the ruling class’ preferences. It is also argued that the police are not a significant factor of the social construction of crime and the informal agent of social control which is media has a greater influence. The media shape wider social definitions of what is criminal and deviant. They can also configure the public’s perceptions and fears in terms of what they choose to report and how they choose to represent this. This therefore implies that what is considered as deviant is linked to the influence that the media has on the public, causing them to react in a certain way. The police can therefore be argued as just victims of the media as it pressures them to act against these negative social groups which have been categorised as public enemies, and if they don’t choose to take action, the reputation of the police could be threatened. ‘Moral panics’ is a concept used to describe the media’s reactions to particular social groups or acts that threaten societal values. Their reaction is often out of proportion to the real threat and puts pressure on authorities to control the problem. Marxists believe that moral panics serve an ideological purpose. Stuart Hall studied the media coverage of black muggers in the 1970s and concluded that it served the purpose of dividing the working class, diverting attention away from the mismanagement of capitalism by the ruling class and justified severely restrictive laws and policing that could be used against other problem groups. Stuart Hall’s theory however is criticised for being too deterministic and ignoring the centre of activity. Functionalists would argue the influence of the role of police in the social construction of crime is wrongly exaggerated. They would describe the police as having a close relationship with the local area being policed. Therefore the role of the police force is being to represent the shared interests of the majority of law abiding people to defend them against the minority of offenders. They would disagree that the enforcements made by the police are revolved around the interests of the ruling class as they argue that police officers are drawn up from the community therefore ultimately reflecting its characteristics. They also believe that individual offenders are caught as a result of complaints made by the community not due to the individual police officer’s view and attitudes affecting the decision.

First impressions Essay

In my opinion it is your first impression of something that ultimately gives you the perfect vantage point in which to accurately assume the true nature of something. Your notion of this something is then unaffected or swayed by any outside sources or by second guessing yourself. Upon first experiencing this first time offered course, I immediately felt right at home concerning the direction in which the course was headed and also with the enthusiasm and involvement of the professor. The first class began as any other, anxiously awaiting an unknown professor and the educational information he bears. With a proverbial collective sigh of relief, the class was greeted with a pleasant professor offering a most interesting lesson plan on the writing in the discipline of psychology. After welcomed introductions class was underway and a new appreciation for my major was attained. Our first homework assignment required us to read and analyze an article entitled â€Å"Making Science Understandable to a Broad Audience† by Richard Reis. The article portrays the notion that we as those in search of educational advancement must accommodate the manner in which we write for individuals many whom are otherwise unaware. This piece I believe sets the tone for this course in its entirety and my perceptions as to what is seeks to achieve, in that to truly know and understand an idea or concept one must have the ability to correctly perceive and present information of the utmost importance to the vast majority. Throughout my college career I have strived to put forth my best effort and achieve a great standing in all my courses. I plan on not doing any different here, so upon perusing the course syllabus I noticed many assignments wherein groups were involved. In my past experience, sadly I have had many instances in which fellow group members became ‘clingers’ to my dedicated work whilst I labored on it. Assignments listed as anything prefaced by the dreaded utterance â€Å"Group,† made me question my position here. Despite my reservations I believe that those fellow students in my class are just as dedicated as I and wish to succeed just as much. Without further explanation of the group work involved, much of it looks fairly familiar to projects that I have done in past classes both in college and high school concerning poster presentations and literature reviews. My worries, other than those aforementioned, lie in the â€Å"Individual Components† of the course description and what they might entail. At least for me, when work pertaining to that of doling out constructive criticism is required I simply feel inadequate in telling others how to go about their work. Other than that one hiccup, the rest of the work to be done individually seems common or at least manageable. In the past I have kept a record or journal of daily events of significance, in that I can see doing well in keeping a research journal. Being accustomed to modern times and technology use should help serve me in using the â€Å"Learning E-Portfolios,† and submitting assignments online. My major is in psychology and therefore have read extensively on the subject as well as taken previous writing courses, all of which will hopefully aid me in doing well this semester. I feel as though this course will play towards my strengths and will be successful overall. Although, I do not expect to go without surprises, I trust this course to challenge my writing ability as well as my grasp on psychology ASSIGNMENT REFLECTION FORM 1. How would you describe your experience in working on this assignment (Was it difficult to begin? Did the ideas come easily or with difficulty? What obstacles did you face in the process of writing? How long did it take you?)? A: As with any paper, I found it slightly difficult to begin because I enjoy taking the time to organize my thoughts into a cohesive and coherent piece. In the writing process I found it difficult to completely fulfill the requirements in that the book contained in the courses required reading section had been backordered and in an attempt to continue, I had purchased a copy on Amazon.com and am sadly still awaiting its arrival. From beginning to end this essay took me around two hours to complete in its entirety. 2. What do you see as the strengths of this paper? A: I believe the strengths of this paper to be my honesty involving the course. It may or may not help with improvements and or changes in future assignments and course direction. 3. What do you see as areas for improvement in the paper? A: Not to sound clichà © but I believe that all papers still require improvement. No matter how many edits or drafts it takes there will always be one idea or point that may have been over expressed or a central one that had been simply left out completely. I may need to improve upon my ordering or overall flow of my paper to achieve a better read. 4. What did you learn (about yourself, the subject, writing, or reading) from doing this assignment? A: While writing this piece I learned that I truly enjoy expressing myself through writing. Although I consider myself to have a limited vocabulary I find nothing more exciting than to surprise someone with my work.