The Concept of Bureaucracy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Concept of Bureaucracy - Essay Example These symptoms characterize the conduct disorder. Cartier’s mother sent him to a treatment home for the troubled children when he was seven years old (Stillman 62). At sixteen years, Cartier’s father took care of him after receiving care in several state-supported treatment institutions. Cartier joined a dangerous gang after dropping out of school where he recorded numerous criminal charges throughout Massachusetts. His relationships with women matched his violent and deviant conduct he displayed to the society. Before Cartier dated Lardner, he had a relationship with Ryan Rose, which turned violent when it began (Stillman 65). Cartier turned mentally and physically abusive and violent to Ryan and regularly threatened her safety on many instances. After terminating their relationship, Ryan sought a restraint order against Cartier who was on probation at the time (Stillman 67). Cartier’s probation officer directed a warrant for his immediate apprehension. Cartier would serve a prison sentence of a year and three months soon after his arrest but served only six months. Cartier continued pestering Ryan while in the penitentiary and continued transgressing the restraining order. On his release, the Essex County administrators further apprehended him for a previous transgression of his probation, but they gave him a shortened sentence. The relationship between Cartier and Lardner matched that of him with Ryan. Kristin sought for protection from the police force and the criminal justice entity (Stillman 64). Kristin’s safety was under constant jeopardy brought about by poor bureaucratic decisions from multiple agencies. Such bureaucracies failed through utilizing their own standardized practice procedures. The case study for how Kristin died reveals several core decisions that bureaucracies such as public administrators and street-level bureaucrats made and that contributed to Kristin’s

An Overview Of The Digital Divide

An Overview Of The Digital Divide This essay defines and addresses the significance of the digital divide providing evidence to support its existence in the United States. It analyzes findings from various research reports and case studies identifying factors that cause the divide. The digital divide is a technology gap between the haves and the have-nots. As a result of these gaps, 21st century learners will fall further behind and will not be able to reap the full benefits of our fast-growing technology driven society. The digital divide is the technology gap between people with access to digital and information technology and those with limited or no access (NTIS, 1998). The digital divide is often referred to as the technology gap between the haves and the have-nots. There are many factors that inhibit student access to computers and the internet. There is a digital divide among computer and internet access by race, income, education and location, as well as physical disabilities (Fourie Bothma, 2006). Research shows that Caucasian Americans access to digital and information technology at 46.1% nearly doubles that of African Americans at 23.5% and Hispanic Americans at 23.6%. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders exceed all racial/ethnic groups at 56.8% (Athena Alliance, 2001). Minority groups are at a disadvantage when it comes to having access to computers and the internet but it is not because they are minorities. Their limited access is because they are at a socio-economic disadvantage due to lower education levels and poorer incomes (Solomon, 2002). The technology gap by race seems to be closing significantly. This is due to the availability of computers and internet access at schools, libraries and community centers. Yet, there is still a technology gap in low-income and rural communities. Socio-economic factors play a major role in the technology gap between students. Poverty remains a major factor that limits students access to technology. Only 35% of households in lower socio-economic groups have internet access while 59% of middle income groups, 73% of upper middle income groups, and 83% of those in top income groups have access to the internet (Gartner Group, 2000). Now more than ever, unequal adoption of technology excludes many from reaping the fruits of the economy. Sectors of the population are excluded from the power and the economical benefits offered (Fourie Bothma, 2006). Divisions among the population are not just due to income but also location. There is a digital divide by geographical location. For students in high-poverty and rural areas, libraries can be the only way to get online (Barack, 2005). A digital divide separates rural America from the rest of the nation when it comes to broadband internet use and access. Only 24% of adults in rural America have high-speed internet access, compared to 38% of urban Americans and 40% of suburban Americans who have access (Perkins, 2006). Efforts are being made by the government and the private sector to increase connectivity in rural America. People with disabilities face a significant digital divide as well. Despite regular increases, both metro and non-metro people with disabilities have lower rates of internet use than their geographic counterparts with no disability (Dobransky, 2006). Surveys consistently report that people with disabilities have only half the rate of internet access of people without a disability (RTC, 2006). Obstacles that Americans with disabilities face include how costly adapted hardware and software can be, limited locations for internet access, workplace internet access maybe unavailable because of unemployment, and internet content may be frustrating because sites are not accessible to people using assistive technology (NTIS, 2000). Educators at all levels must keep up with the digital world inhabited by a new type of learner whose worldview is often developed through surfing the web, instant-messaging, and online activities like video games or social networking sites like Facebook and Myspace (Menard, 2008). To level the playing field for these 21st century learners or digital natives, we must bridge the technology gap that exists among these students by racial/ethnic, socio-economic, educational and geographical factors, as well as limited accessibility due to physical disabilities. According to Menard (2008), todays young people were born into the Internet era and face a life saturated by digital media. Their interaction with technology will deeply affect the way these learners interact with their environment. To be successful in todays technology driven society, students must have equal access to computers and information technology. References Barack, L. (2005). Gauging the digital divide. School Library Journal, 51(8), 21. Retrieved August 12, 2009, from Research Library. (Document ID: 882387801). Dobranksky, K. Hargittai, E. (2006). The disability divide in Internet access and use. Information, Communication Society, 9, 3, 313-334. Fourie, I. Bothma, T. (2006). Addressing the digital divide in teaching information retrieval: A theoretical view on taking students from ICT access to knowledge sharing. The Electronic Library, 24(4), 469-489. Retrieved August 12, 2009, from Research Library. (Document ID: 1142659581). Gartner Group (2000). The digital divide and American society. Available: http://www.3gartner.com Menard, J. (2008). Higher ed responds to the digital generation. The New England Journal of Higher Education, 23(1), 13. Retrieved August 12, 2009, from ProQuest Education Journals. (Document ID: 1529959711). NTIA (1998). Falling through the net: Defining the digital divide. NTIA No. PB99156614 Available: http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ NTIA (2000). Falling through the net: Toward digital inclusion. A report on Americans access to technology tools. NTIA No. PB99144487. Available: http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ NTIA (2000). Falling through the net: A survey of the have nots in rural and urban America. Available: http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/net2/falling.html Perkins, B. (2006). Location spawned digital divide can cost you. Realty Times. Available: http://realtytimes.com RTC (2006). Disability and the Digital Divide: Comparing Surveys with Disability Data. Available: http://rtc.ruralinstitute.umt.edu Solomon, G. (2002). Digital equity. Its not just about access anymore. Technology Learning, 22(9), 18-26. Retrieved August 12, 2009, from ProQuest Computing. (Document ID: 115857641).

Censorship of Music Essay -- social issues

Censorship of Music In today's society, all types of music artists are expressing their views, opinions and feelings in their songs about what they see and what they know. This is on of the great things about this country, the freedom to express yourself. It is not fair, nor is it constitutional that music should be censored in anyway. It is not only rap music trying to be censored it is in all types of music. They are taking away their rights and it isn't fair. As reported in the New York Times. "Wall-Mart CD standards are Changing Pop Music", Wal-Mart and other large department stores sell CD's by your favorite artists which are not what your favorite artists originally created. Some retailers refuse to carry CDs with "Parental Advisory Stickers", a few also go as far as to make it known to labels and artists that if the CD comes to their shelves with a "dirty" word, a "controversial" cover, or an "explicit" lyric it will not be allowed on the shelves. Some of the artists include Nirvana, Beck, John Mellencamp and the list goes on. (Internet ultratnet) The most recent case involving Wal-Mart and censorship, was the new Sheryl Crow album. A song on the album which lashes the company for selling guns that end up in the wrong hands as caused the company to ban the album in stores. (Schruers 64) Delores Tucker, William Bennett, Senator Joseph Lieberman, and Senator Sam Nunn held a press conference in Washington D.C. The message: censor obscene music and censor "pro-drug lyrics". These censors announced their plan to pressure major record companies to discontinue production of what they called "obscene" music and music which contains " blatantly pro-drug lyrics. All of the CDs targeted as "obscene" already carry RIAA Parental Advisory Labels. Parents are already provided with the information they need if they choose to monitor their children's musical selections. Discontinuing production of this music takes the freedom of expression away form everyone- musicians and fans of every age. (Internet ultranet) The increas ing controversy surrounding rap music, with its rough-edged lyrics about sex and violence, has prompted two very different responses from black oriented radio stations in New York and Los Angeles. Two stations WBLS New York and KACE in Los Angeles, have announced they wont play the roughest and most offensive songs. A third station WPWR opted... ... of their age. I always tell them that if you want to keep listening to the music that you enjoy, starting today you have to learn to fight back. If you don't fight for your own freedom, no one is going to give it to you". (Internet xnet). Morello believes and I agree, speech and expression are being shackled in the U.S., and she puts much of the blame on the current political climate. " Cenosorship is coming down now harder then it has before. " she says. " Look at the Congress we have, trying to take funds away from the National Endowment for the arts, trying to kill public television. They must be living in the Dark Ages." (Internet xnet). After reaserching music censorship and supporting anti-censorship organizations, I realize that there is much wrok to be done to get free speech. There will always be someone or some group to stand aganist what you believe. I think the only way to really gain full freedom of speech is to fight and not give up. I think that the more people realize that rights are being violated, the more people will support the anit-censorship groups. I believe that people who do support these groups should really get involved. It is the only way we can win.

Don Quixote de La Mancha

In Miguel de Cervantes' classic novel Don Quixote de la Mancha, a necessary counterpart to Don Quixote's character is found in Sancho Panza. Sancho is Don Quixote's so-called squire and companion through his adventures. The vital contrast between these two characters contributes to the literary success of Cervantes' novel. It is only through the eyes of Sancho that we witness Don Quixote's madness and only through the latter's madness that we evidence Sancho's sanity. Without the presence of these complementary characters, the story of Don Quixote would not exist as it does.Cervantes' masterpiece is known for the eccentric character of Don Quixote and his insane adventures and travels through Spain. The first part of the novel was published in 1605 and the second in 1615. The novel became widely popular and is today considered one of the greatest literary achievements of all time. In Cervantes' novel, Don Quixote becomes entranced with the romances of chivalry by reading books. He se ts out on his own quest for the woman of his affection: Dulcinea. With the help of Sancho Panza, his sidekick, he has many imaginary adventures in which he draws others into his fantasies.Sancho attempts to reveal Quixote's eccentricity and Quixote, in turn reveals Sancho's inability to imagine. A prime example of this contrast in perception is evident from the moment Sancho and Don Quixote meet. Sancho is but a peasant when Don Quixote enlists his help. â€Å"[Don Quixote] used so many arguments, an made so many promises, that the poor fellow resolved to sally out with him and serve him in the capacity of a squire† (Cervantes, 32). Don Quixote convinces Sancho of his nobility and Sancho, initially realizing the insanity of Quixote's claims, lays doubt to his proclamations.Sancho is â€Å"shallow-brained† but still must be persuaded by Don Quixote before leaving with him (32). In Sebastian Juan Arbo's biographical study of Cervantes, he provides insight into this contr ast: â€Å"Each defends the other, but Sancho defends the reality of life, and Don Quixote the reality for his dreams without which he cannot live† (250). The sharp distinction becomes clear in adventures that the two partake in. In one episode, Don Quixote decides to free galley-slaves who are being held against their will. Sancho dictates very clearly to Quixote that they are erving a punishment mandated by the king himself, but Quixote will hear nothing of it. He decides he will oppose â€Å"force† and â€Å"defeat violence† as though he is running a campaign of self-promotion. Ignoring Sancho's warnings is something Don Quixote consistently fulfills. Aubrey F. G. Bell in her biography Cervantes, tells us likewise, Sancho is, despite his â€Å"skeptical credulity and his hesitation in action, his character is as consistent as that of his master† (199). In the end, Sancho must watch the slaves escape to present themselves to the Lady Dulcinea per Don Qu ixote's request.In this particular case, Quixote's fantasy wins out over reality, but such is not always the case. The adventure of the windmills is the most prominently featured example of Don Quixote's episodic adventures. In this particular event, Don Quixote claims that windmills are giants that are on the plains. A very honest Sancho tells his master that they are not giants but windmills. After Quixote is knocked down by a windmill sail, Sancho says: â€Å"did not I warn you to have care of what you did, for that they were nothing but windmills? (Cervantes, 36) Quixote, now seeing the truth, claims that an evil sage has turned the giants into windmills to deprive the knight of his glory. Though Sancho warns Don Quixote from the beginning, it is almost inevitable that he is caught up in the imagination of his master (Mack, 1526). Another example of reason triumphing over fantasy is when Don Quixote wishes to battle the lions. When they by chance come across the carriage transp orting the lions, Don Quixote wishes to battle them for nothing more than the sake of proving himself.Sancho begs with his master to allow the lions to remain in the cages, but Don Quixote is persistent, claiming he has strength over the beasts (266). Quixote will defeat anything that threatens his love Dulcinea, even at the cost of his own life. Sancho, on the other hand, fully understands the danger of the situation and when the doors to the cages are opened, he flees. This is the way the two characters work together. In Edward Honig's essay, On the Interludes of Cervantes, the counterparts come alive in contrast to the other. Don Quixote and Sancho Panza are dramatic: their voices engage each other and depend on each other; they come alive through the irritation of their complementariness, by the mere fact that they are thrown together and must reckon with each other† (154). This is true even to the point that they are nothing without each other. When Don Quixote is on his deathbed, Sancho begs him not to die, but to continue in the adventure and quest that they had joined one another in. Sancho is afraid of what might happen if his master is gone.By the end of Cervantes' novel, the lives of the two characters have become so intertwined it is painful to separate. W. H. Auden is a critic of Cervantes and best expresses the importance of this pairing. Take away Don Quixote, and Sancho Panza is so nearly pure flesh, immediacy of feeling, so nearly without will [†¦ ] Take away Sancho Panza, on the other hand, and Don Quixote is so nearly pure spirit [†¦ ] who rejects matter and feeling and is nothing but an egotistic will (80, 81).In the end, Don Quixote dies a sane man, and Sancho is left with the memories of adventure and nothing more. The character of Sanson, who was also involved in Don Quixote's endeavors, is the first person to legitimately recognize Sancho's stance when he claims â€Å"honest Sancho is very much in the right† (Cerv antes, 443). Quixote, too is satisfied with his ending, proclaiming â€Å"I was mad, I am now sane† on his death bed (443). Quixote ends his life as a sane man, but if he had lived it sane, there would be no story to tell.Don Quixote and Sancho Panza are essential components to the attractive Cervantes novel. Without the two supplementing one another there would be and could be no story. The two characters are forever embedded in one another through literary history. Quixote and Sancho's characteristics never fail to impress, amuse and enlighten. These characters are the devices of Cervantes' literary technique, and the life force of Don Quixote de la Mancha. Works Cited Arbo, Sebastian Juan. Cervantes: The Man and His Time. New York: The Vanguard Press, 1955. Auden, W. H. The Ironic Hero: Some Reflections on Don Quixote. † Ed. Lowry Nelson, Jr. Cervantes. Englewood Cliffs, N. J. : Prentice-Hall, Inc. , 1969. Bell, Aubrey F. G. Cervantes. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1947. Honig, Edwin. â€Å"On the Interludes of Cervantes. † Ed. Lowry Nelson, Jr. Cervantes. Englewood Cliffs, N. J. : Prentice-Hall, Inc. , 1969. Mack, Maynard, ed. The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces. New York: W. W. Norton, 1997. Saavedra, Miguel de Cervantes. Don Quixote de la Mancha. Trans. Charles Jarvis. New York: Washington Square Press, Inc. , 1957.

Traumatic Brain Injury (Tbi)

ABSTRACT Many disabilities can affect people of all ages. Some can be genetic, some can happen to you through accidents, but at the same time, all of them require an understanding of the basic reason behind the problem in order to help those affected by it. As a student I want to share my experiences by doing an experiment, on having Traumatic brain injury (TBI), due to a loss of balance during walking. The experiment will discuss the impact of my simulated disability in my home, school, work and other areas of society or community participation, the development of therapeutic relationships, and the impact on meaningful occupations. Loss of memory and poor concentration reduce the ability to live a normal life. Cognitive deficits after a traumatic brain injury can result in significant functional limitations in all areas of daily living. An individual's ability to simplify learning may be limited, thus making it harder to live independently in the community. There are many different cognitive and physiological disabilities that can affect an individual life and their performance. One of the disabilities that I want to talk about is Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). The Lenrow, M. D. , David, Joanne Finegan, and Stewart L Cohen. 2001) Website explains, â€Å"Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a complex injury with a broad spectrum of symptoms and disabilities. The impact on a person and his or her family can be devastating†. Head injuries are a serious problem. Whenever you are dealing with the brain, you want to take everything about the injury very seriously. Since our brain identifies who we are, the consequen ces of a brain injury can affect all aspects of our lives, or even including our personality. An injury in these areas limits the use of a specific part of your body, but your personality and mental abilities remain unaffected. Injuring the brain has different effects on people because it depends on the brain part that was injured. This determines the form of recovery treatment that is necessary for the brain to return to its normal operating condition. A traumatic brain injury is a disability that comes from an injury to the brain. This includes the brain stem that will result in impaired cognitive, physical, or emotional functioning. If there is mild loss of consciousness or disorientation that lasts less than 30 minutes, the injury to the brain s considered mild. Memory or consciousness loss for more than 30 minutes makes a similar injury severe. The same word is used to define an injury where there has been skull penetration and memory loss of 24 hours. Individuals can be left in long-term unresponsive states, and even a small change in brain function can affect a person and their family, job, and social and community interactions. In this case, I want to discus the impact from falling on the floor and hitting my head, which was due to loosing balance while walking. Let me take you back to the day my life changed by a small accident. As I was getting up in the morning, I was tiered and could not open my eyes. As I was getting up from bed I didn’t pay any attention to where I was going and tripped on an object on the floor. As I feel, I bang my head against a wooden filing cabinet and my husband found me on the floor five minutes later on the floor. I was confused, lightheaded, dizzy, with blurred vision, ringing in my ears, and bad taste in my mouth. I did not know where I was, and what was going on. My husband help me get up and help me to made my way through the living room, which was hard because it is so narrow that there is very little space between the couch on one side of the room and the chair on the other. I bumped into the chair, and it was no big deal. I sat in the chair in the kitchen, and I looked confused. Nothing made any sense, my head was pounding and I did not understand what was going on. I was able to recognize the people around me but I forgot how to use certain objects such as a spoon, fork, cup, and knife in order to feed my self. My husband was trying to help me but the look on his face was as if he was frustrated, he wasn’t use to this type of behavior because all his life he was use to me being able to do things for my self and the constant assistance was something new to him. As I was getting ready for school I couldn’t remember how to start the car, everything seemed fragmented and I had to ask a friend or family member to help take me to school. At that time the constant absence of information was starting to become annoying, things that I have been doing all of my life just came to a blank. When getting into school I had difficulty finding my class but was able to ask someone there. During study, it was difficult to focus on different tasks such as reading, listening to lecture or writing something down. According to WebAIM (1999), â€Å"Some individuals have difficulties understanding text. These difficulties may be mild or severe, ranging from minor challenges to a complete inability to read any text. It would be unreasonable to expect web developers to accommodate the entire range of reading abilities†. When going to work I had trouble working certain items such as programs on the computer or changing calls on the phone. As I was aiding the doctor I forgot what routines I had to do in order to prepare the patient and equipment. The Trilogy Integrate Resources Inc (2011) website point out that, â€Å"Individuals with a Traumatic Brain Injury most typically experience problems in basic cognitive skills: sustaining attention, concentrating on tasks at hand, and remembering newly learned material. They may think slowly, speak slowly, and solve problems slowly. They may become confused easily when normal routines are changed or when the stimulation level from the environment exceeds their threshold†. Working environment can be effected in many levels, which can create unpleasant situations and uncomfortable dilemma for me. As a result, after injury, I with TBI may be unable to function well in their social roles because of difficulty in planning ahead, in keeping track of time, in coordinating complex events, in making decisions based on broad input, in adapting to changes in life, and in otherwise being the executive in one's own life. After all, even though I was pretend to have disability of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) for three hours it is very hard to deal with this kind of disabilities. Having people around you to care for you and help it is very challenging, and at the same time heart braking because if there is no one out there to help you, you are gone for good.