Interpretivists Approach to Suicide

Suicide is a phenomenon understudied in early 1960’s. One of the reasons was due to Durkheim’s ‘‘Le Suicide’’ (1897) had been widely ruled in sociology. Durkheim used a scientific approach to study the causalities of suicide. It was believed that there was little more to study on suicide. However, interpretivists such as Douglas criticised Durkheim’s study as not being reliable due to the fact he used quantitative data. Douglas believed that he failed to take into account society is constructed through people's interactions and all statistics are social construct.Interpretivists seek to find the reasons of suicide by find how society is socially constructed through the social interactions between people in society. Recently, there has been a new interpretive approach which has formed new explanation significantly diverse explanations to Durkheim's positivistic approach. Although interpretivists approaches have produced a more valid meani ng to suicide as some may say, it is still flawed. Douglas classification of suicide was trough social meaning through revenge,self-destruct,sympathetic,guilt etc.He believed that suicide was a way of responding by try to solve a problem. He looked at categorizing suicides according to their social meanings because the causes and responses to suicide vary from society to society. Douglas criticised Durkheim’s study of suicide rates based on it’s methodological grounds. He argued that suicide statistics hardly lacked any form of validity mainly because it could be misinterpreted by the coroner’s verdict.For example, Durkheim suggested that suicide rates were low in Catholic countries due to high social integration. Douglass criticised this he would say that as for Catholics suicide is a mortal sin families would put pressure on coroners to reach an alternative verdict and the suicide figures were low due to inaccuracies. Douglas sees suicide statistics as the res ult of negotiations between the different parties involved which can lead to distorted statistics.He thus says that Durkheim’s study of suicide isn’t useful in society because the statistics were based on coroner’s interpretations (therefore suicides are socially constructed) and so his study wasn’t reliable. He suggests it is more important to look at the meaning of suicide. He also suggested that we need to study them with qualitative methods and use case studies. However he denies that suicide could be explained by external factors. In this case, Douglas theory was considered invalid as he failed to show any kind of evidence to back his research.Atkinson (1978) believed that coroners had a common sense theory of suicide. They categorise suicide based on information from this theory; they consider four types of evidence relevant for reaching a verdict and if the evidence matches the incident then it is considered suicide. Their verdicts are based on sui cide notes, location and circumstances, life history and finally the mode of death. Atkinson also criticises Durkheim’s method of studying suicide, he identified that different cultures imply different interpretations for suicide.For example, he studied four English and Danish coroners and gave them the same case studies . He found that the Danish coroners are much more likely to come to a verdict on suicide based on probability of balance, whereas the English coroners looked for evidence to reach to a conclusion if a suicide was intent. Furthermore, Jean Baechler argued that Durkheim’s study of suicide isn’t useful because suicide can’t be explained wholly in terms of external factors. Not everyone whose business fails, or whose spouse dies, or who is a protestant in an urban area, kill themselves.Thus, to Baechler, suicide must always be at least partially explained through ‘personal factors’ that are particular to an individual and this is n’t possible with the use of official statistics – he thought that it would be more useful to study individual suicide cases and to categorise them – therefore suggesting that Durkheim’s study of suicide isn’t particularly useful in society because it was impossible to find the true meaning behind the suicides using only statistics.On the other hand, however, Steve Taylor criticises both Douglas and Baechler for failing to recognise the value of Durkheim’s work. He criticises Douglas for contradicting himself. At some points Douglas implies that suicide statistics can never be reliable since its always a matter of judgement whether a death is a suicide, but at other times he suggests that causes of suicide can be found; it’s difficult to see how this can be true if its impossible to be certain whether an act is a suicide.Commenting on Baechler, Taylor points out those individual cases often fit a number of categories, depending on the interpretation the researcher makes of the victim’s motives, and there is no reason to believe that these interpretations are any more reliable than suicide statistics. From this he suggested that suicides could be classified into four types such as thantation, submissive, sacrifice and appeal. Taylor approach is useful as it combined both qualitative and quantitative methods making his study both reliable and valid.However, Taylor has received a lot of criticism over the fact he used a lot of secondary data and is unaware of the inaccuracies it contained. It has also been shown that in reality you cannot simply classify suicide into four types. In conclusion, there are many criticisms against Durkheim’s study on suicide which suggest that it is not suitable to study the causalities of suicide and maybe the interpretivists. We should instead examine the interpretive theories of suicide.However, Hindess argues that such writers, whilst criticising the social constructi on of suicide statistics, simply ask us to believe that their interpretations of the â€Å"reality† of suicide are more valid than Durkheim's. He also states that interpretivists have no evidence to support their approach on suicide and simply want us to believe in their interpretations which are no more useful then Durkheim’s study on suicide. Nevertheless, Durkheim’s study was published in the 19th century so maybe it isn’t useful in modern industrial society as the results may not generalise to contemporary society.

Adam Walsh Act Essay

The case of six-year old Adam Walsh is perhaps one that will never leave the minds of anyone initially horrified by its details. In 1981 young Adam was kidnapped from a local mall and regardless of tireless efforts by his parents John and Reve Walsh, volunteers, and law enforcement; Adam fell victim to murder. Two weeks after the boy went missing, his decapitated head was located, but his body was never found. This prompted his father John Walsh to start a campaign and legislature policy submission toward more stringent accountability for child crime offenders. â€Å"The murder transformed John Walsh’s life, turning him from a middle-class hotel marketing executive into one of country’s best known advocates for missing children† (Thomas, 2008). In this paper, the initial legislative policy signed into law by President George W. Bush and the current policy addition initiative sought by Mr. Walsh is examined. The Scope of the Initiative With the signing of the initial policy by President Bush in 2006, the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act became law. Aforementioned, the policy directive was to enact tougher laws on child predators however; the policy contains two additional provisions that would violate states’ rights and state policy’s currently in place for adoptive, foster, and relative caregivers. The two provisions contained in the Adam Walsh law are to follow. 1. Modified existing requirements for conducting criminal background checks 2. Created a new requirement to conduct child abuse registry checks of prospective foster and adoptive parents. (Miller, 2007) The policy provisions left the states the discretion of choosing placement however, if those in the household filing for adoption or fostering of the child did not pass the background checks, the federal funding would not be approved. Those in opposition of the provision above were such because the wording of the provision seemingly protected the federal government instead of the child. The popular point of the second provision remains unopposed. â€Å"In addition, they cannot draw down funds for a child placed in a foster or adoptive home where the child abuse and neglect registry check is not  conducted within that State, or requested of another State as required under the new law† (Miller, 2007) One would think the second of the two provisions to the 2006 law would be automatically assumed however, this particular law would come to face even more provisional changes its future. Issues Presented for Provisionary Inclusion Sex Offender Registration Act (SORNA) The Adam Wals h act has several other provisions including Title I, the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act or (â€Å"SORNA†). Under this portion SORNA â€Å"established a new federal sex offender registration framework and SORNA made two major changes to federal sex offender registration policy† (Morse, 2009). This portion of the act is currently in question for the following reasons: 1. Subsection (1) provides registration requires persons convicted of a sex crime under either federal or state law to register. 2. Section 16913provides that a sex offender must register and keep the registration current in each jurisdiction where he or she resides, is an employee, or is a student. (Morse, 2009). Two provisions of the act violate principles of federalism: 1. A provision providing for the civil commitment of sexually violent predators, and a provision creating a new federal â€Å"failure to register† crime for federal sex offenders. 2. Section 4248 authorizes the federal government to initiate civil commitment proceedings against three categories of individuals: (a) Persons in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons (â€Å"BOP†), the federal agency responsible for the custody and care of federal offenders (b) Persons committed to the custody of the United States Attorney General based on incompetence to stand trial Persons against whom all criminal charges have been dismissed solely due to their mental condition (Morse, 2009). Thus, Morse cites the following as challenges to the Adam Walsh act and questions the validity of the act for these reasons: Both provisions target people based on their former federal convictions and impose additional restrictions on them despite the fact that they have completed their federal sentences. Neither provision contains a jurisdictional hook. In sum, both the civil commitment provision and the failure to register provision implicate the question of whether legal federal custody over a person may, without more, serve as the basis of future federal jurisdiction over that person (Morse, 2009). Citing the implications above Congress is considering an impending change to the provisions in the Walsh act that would remove all question of misinterpretation of wording These impending changes would ensure that no violations of civil rights, state rights or federalism are contained therein. Also, â€Å"One scholar has argued the wording of  § 2250(a) (2) (B) is not sufficiently tailored to support SORNA’s constitutionality under the Commerce Clause† (Morse, 2009). According to the Legal Dictionary, the Commerce Clause is defined as â€Å"The provision of the U. S. Constitution that gives Congress exclusive power over trade activities among the states and with foreign countries and Indian tribe†. The aforementioned obviously pertains to the location of the registered offender, and that he or she must register regardless of where they are, if they are a student, on a tribal reservation, or in a foreign country. This as mentioned in the cited Morse document, coincides with what Morse goes on to say in regard to the regulation of criminal activity. Morse states â€Å"Because the regulating criminal activity is primarily the responsibility of the states, many scholars perceive the rapid expansion of the federal criminal law as clashing with federalism values† (Morse, 2009). To date the original funding of all aspects of the Adam Walsh Act is still in place and is to be revisited and potentially revised in 2014. Those who declare portions of the act unconstitutional, such as in Morse’s report cited, now have the opportunity to voice concerns and suggestions. Conclusion The Adam Walsh Act while regulatory and legislative, still requires changes before all parties affected stand united in approval. Whereas Congress could use its spending power to encourage state compliance, not all states would view this as constitutional. There is much to do concerning this act, but the outcome is unpredictable. Current filings to repeal or revise the entire Adam Walsh Act exist such as by Citizens for Change in America, represented by Michael R. Handler. The repeal document cites the AWA as being draconian and going against Due Process and the Bail Reform Act of 1984. Only time will prove the Adam Walsh Act is successful as currently written, but undoubtedly there are changes to come with such opposition and reasoning. Works Cited Miller, J. L. (2007, April). Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006: Issues for Child Welfare Agencies. ChildFocus. Morse, R. (2009, December 1). Federalism Challenges to the Adam Walsh Act. Boston University Law Review, Vol. 89, p. 1753. Thomas, P. (2008, December 17). No ‘Closure’ for Walshes in Son’s Murder Case. Retrieved from ABC Good Morning America: http://abcnews. go. com/GMA/story? id=6478540;page=1

Vampirism in the Fall of the House of Usher

Bethany Risinger English 2341. 02 Dr. Watson September 20, 2011 Vampirism in â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher† The theme of vampirism occurs several times throughout â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher† written by Edgar Allen Poe. He shows this theme through many actions of the characters and his use of diction. The three main paths of discovering the vampire theme is to closely examine three important instruments within the story. The three instruments used include Roderick Usher, Madeline Usher, and the House that the two live in.Roderick Usher is used by Poe to demonstrate the vampire theme in two ways. In the launch of the short story, Roderick is described with both physical and mental strangeness. His physical being is characterized as â€Å"terribly altered† (152), having a Hebrew nose, and with a ghoulish color of skin. These descriptions do not give an array of a normal human being. Edgar Allen Poe even writes that the narrator â€Å"couldn’ t connect it’s arabesque expression with any idea of simple humanity† (152). There is obviously something wrong with Roderick physically to where he did not look like a human.These physical alterations are symbolisms for a vampire figure. Hebrew noses are known to be rather large and pointed downward, giving us the imagery of Dracula, a widely known vampire, who is described as ghoulish looking and with a long, pointed nose. This facial feature, along with the pale albino-like skin color can give us the mental image of a vampire. Although Roderick’s physical features are important examples of the vampire theme, his mental unstableness is of more importance to this theme.His thoughts and views of things that happen make the idea of vampirism more evident. Roderick mentions that there is an extreme sense of terror and superstition apparent in the house, in the events that were happening, and in ones soon to happen. He is filled with hysteria along with nervous agit ation and a mental disorder. When Roderick mentions that â€Å"sooner or later (he will) abandon life and reason all together† (153), he suggests that his life will soon come to an end.His life coming to an end could mean that he will die, but looking through the vampire lens, it could mean that he would soon become immortal (abandoning reason). Madeline Usher, Roderick’s sister, is a very important example of the vampire theme in this story as well. Although she is seldom seen, only 3 times, she is a very important part of the plot and of the vampire theme in â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher. † Throughout the story she is secretly referred to as the terror described by Roderick and the narrator.When the narrator watches Madeline disappear in her retreat, he is filled with a state of mental numbness, hinting that she was a terrorizing scene. Ironically, the period of the most vampiristic quality is when Madeline dies. When she dies, the two men, Roderick and the narrator, put her in a coffin and then in a locked away donjon (dungeon). The importance of this part, is that the two guys not only put her in the coffin, but they screw the lid on and lock the large door to the tomb as if to keep her from escaping.If she were dead, she wouldn’t try to escape, so why bolt everything up? Only if they were burying the undead (hint) would they feel the need to secure everything to where she could not get out. Another way that Madeline is an example of vampirism is when she comes back alive, which we later find out she was never dead, she escapes the coffin and tomb and comes forth to the two men and she â€Å"bore him (Roderick) to the floor a corpse, and a victim to the terrors he had anticipated† (161).In the vampiristic view of this particular scene, it could be suggested that the terrors Roderick spoke of were of Madeline being a vampire and of her hunt to make himself a vampire as well. This might be the reason that Roderick in vites his friend, the narrator, to come visit. Roderick probably thought that they two could defeat Madeline and overcome the terror that would ultimately consume Roderick. One last validation that makes â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher† have a vampiristic theme is the fact that the house itself has a vampire feel to it as well.The structure is defined as gothic, large, and lofty. When images of a vampire-inhabited house, one thinks of a large, dark, spooky place. Not only does the house have an appearance of a vampire, it has the power to suck the life out of people as well (metaphorically speaking). At the very beginning when the author is first describing the house, he already has a sense of uneasiness about himself. He states that there is a â€Å"utter depression of the soul† (149) and does not feel at ease anymore.After entering the house and staying with Roderick for a few days, it becomes apparent that the narrator is getting more and more apprehension to t he house and its inhabitants. Staying in the house with Roderick affected his mental awareness to a lot of things. He begins to hear the same noises that Roderick has head and becomes very engulfed with terror, just as his friend Roderick is. The house is a symbol for vampirism because it sucks the normality of the narrator’s thoughts and feelings out and inserted those of Roderick’s.The vampiristic theme in â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher† is a very easy one to pick out, one just has to read the story in a different way than before. To a person reading it plainly, they might not catch the little things that could hint to vampirism. For example, the blood-red moon described at the end could just be the color or the moon on a random night, but for a person reading the story in a vampiristic viewpoint, they can see that blood-red includes the word â€Å"blood† which is the main focuses in vampirism. Vampires suck blood.

Body Image Of The World

Media affects body image Body image is an idiosyncratic picture of one 's own physical appearance established both by self-observation and by observing the reactions of others. Whether it may be a magazine cover, commercial or the internet, the media 's false portrayal of perfection greatly impacts children and young adults. The media glorifies models and celebrities as figures of a higher standard, as icons of beauty and youth. Media features female models with tall, slender body types and male†¦ Body Image When I hear the word body image I began to shrink inside. I have never really been comfortable in my own skin. As a child I was my own worst critic; I hated the color of my skin, my weight, to my hair. As a child my relatives would always say I was dark. So, I hated my skin color. I always wanted to be lighter because it seemed that light-skinned girls my age that were light skinned were able to get whatever they wanted. From the time I was a little girl I told myself I would get†¦ conditioned to believe that our bodies are flawed. Projected by the media consumed, fashion modeled during Fashion Week, or critics online, the message is clear: we commit the crime of imperfection simply by existing. Society shames us for this, for not fitting into the unrealistic mold cast upon us. One of the primary sources of this is body shaming, which is simply defined as â€Å"shaming someone for their particular body type†. Living in the 21st Century, anyone can be subjected to body shaming. However, the†¦ a clear definition of abs. Long hair with curls that look like a picture perfect image on a magazine. That’s what an â€Å"ideal† body type is. Flawlessly beautiful. As a 5’0 muscular girl, body image has always something that been a traumatic issue for myself. Always feeling ashamed for the body that I have. Body image has been a road block of trying to fix myself, or to free the bottled up insecurities to accept the body, I have. Sometimes it can be the simplest of questions that can be the hardest to†¦ The impact of brands on body image Discuss the ways in which the idea of ‘Body Image’ is created through advertising and brand promotion. How is this reinforced by celebrity promotion? What potential damage can be done by certain Body Image prototypes? Are there examples of positive body image in advertising and branding? The area of research will be focussing on is an issue which has plagued the fashion conscious world for decades. The issue of body image, especially on women, and the impact advertising†¦ Sheppard Ads today draw us into the television with enticing, edgy images depicting women and men in sexualizing roles. However, women are repeatedly used as sexual appeals to promote the good of a product, but is the aim really to promote the product or the idea of gender roles in society? Society promotes that women should be the one to stay home and take care of their husbands to please them, so they create a visual image for men as to how they should treat their woman and how their woman should†¦ Body Image The perfect body is something that every person wants but very few posses. Many people will do just about anything to either fit in with their community or cover up their insecurities. Women are clearly more obsess with obtaining the perfect body more than men. From an adolescent’s viewpoint, a particular body image can be particularly dangerous because it can lead to a physiological obsession, eating disorders, and physical health consequences (Berger, 2014). Adolescents can become†¦ Fake Perfection Like snowflakes there is no one person who looks the same in the world. Even identical twins have a small difference that you would be able to tell them apart. What makes every person individually unique is our physical traitsÍ ¾ however, things like the internet, the social media, and television says otherwise. According to the media, every man must be handsome and muscular, and every woman must be fit and beautiful. An easy access to such technologies make it easier for people†¦ Perfect Body With an alarming 50 percent of 3-to-6 year old girls worrying about their weight, it makes you wonder, what are we doing wrong? (Hanes). If I were to ask you, what do you consider the perfect body, how would you respond? Most girls would reply: thin body, skinny waist, and big breasts. In today’s society, the media controls all aspects of our lives. From popular Smartphone applications such as Instagram, Twitter, and Tumblr to advertisements and movies, the media has managed to distort†¦ Mistura Olawore Shailen Mishra Final Draft 13 April 2015 Body Image and the Demand for Beauty in our Society In almost every advertisement today regarding a female, her image is tweaked, airbrushed, and cropped. Minimizing her waist, enlarging her features, raising her eyebrows, pronouncing her cheekbones, and airbrushing her skin are one of the many examples of how a woman’s image can be altered. The images of these perfect looking women are being placed in many advertisements. Young girls see†¦

Change Stages and Strategies in Popular Culture Essay

Change Stages and Strategies in Popular Culture - Essay Example In the case of the jilted lover, he/she must give up his/her identity as one half of a romantic relationship, and must resume his/her identity as an individual. Sheryl Crow's song "My Favorite Mistake" presents the case of a woman who knows that her relationship with her lover is at an ending point. She tells her lover, "I woke up and called this morning. The tone of your voice was a warning that you don't care for me anymore" (Crow). She goes on to say how all of this man's friends know about his "secret lover," and they pity her for holding on the way she is (Crow). She even admits that she knows she is wrong for staying in a relationship with a man who doesn't love her. She calls him her "favorite mistake," but she concludes that she will continue to stay with him because "maybe nothin' lasts forever, even when you stay together. I don't need forever after. It's your laughter won't let me go, so I'm holding on this way" (Crow). The woman in this song is stubbornly holding on to a relationship that she knows is bad for her, and possibly even bad for her lover; however, she is not willing to accept the end of their relationship. She knows that she should let go, and she should go on with her life and let her lover go on with his so that he won't have to try to pretend he adores her, but she is hesitant to make that first step.

Answer and summarize Management HR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Answer and summarize Management HR - Essay Example This alignment is to align HR function with business strategy, understand the various aspects of the business and familiarizing with the challenges encountered by leaders so that the various issues can be tackled from both employees and the leader’s perspective. A strategic partner determines the business strategy and oversees the implementation of such strategies. It is imperative to involve key executive leaders and to develop a good team rapport while coming up with HR policy guidelines and strategies, which are very crucial in guiding the organization. In business, the customer is usually the primary concern. To satisfy the customer, the HR head should ensure that the employees are made to feel at home. When employees are happy, customers are also happy. While there may be a success in some organizations with regard to human resource management, in others it remains very elusive. HR is more about understanding the needs of the business and acting with these needs at heart. There should always be contact with the rest of the company to ensure ease of doing business. From a team standpoint, specialization coupled with hard work, enthusiasm, consistency and diligence are of core importance. Strategic partnership with an inclination towards the people element put people first, with the key being retention and development. Long-term forecast is usually desirable, and the agility of the company can make it reap handsome returns faster. Synchronized teamwork is necessary especially in light of changing functions that may occasioned by downsizing. The employees are greatly helped by assisting them in ranking growing responsibilities. An open door policy style of management is attractive. The manager leaves the door â€Å"open† to foster transparency and frankness with employees of the company. In order to encourage performance, the company motivates employees by paying or rewarding

Equal employment opportunity laws affecting Essay

Equal employment opportunity laws affecting - Essay Example ights of the workers in any firm in order to ensure that there is a conducive working environment and for that, every person is entitled to equal employment (Lorna, 1968). Many people are denied the chance of getting a job due to various issues like race, gender, religion, age difference, women pregnancies, and also the national origin. As a result, the civil rights acts comes in to help workers from being discriminated. So the employers in this case are supposed to treat all the job applicants and also the working employees the same and not discriminate them with regard to their differences like, race, religion e.t.c. (Kateri, 2007). All employees are entitled to their right pay. For example in US, the fair labor standards act established a minimum wage for the worker. For instance, in July 2010, the minimum wage for all the employees as well as the job seekers was $6.55. All the employers in this case abided to this new law hence you find that all male and female employees are given the right pay due for their input. (Kateri, 2007). This is another law which applies to all people with disabilities in America. You find that many people are discriminated due to their disabilities irrespective of their many credentials in many fields. ADA ensures that any employer or any potential employer cannot discriminate any citizen from getting a job, promotion any good pay on the basis of their disabilities. So, this ensures that all job seekers and the employees have equal employment opportunities. (Kateri, 2007). This law Act ensures that in any employment opportunity, a job seeker cannot be denied a chance due to age differences. This Act tries to prohibit the potential employers from discriminating the job applicants on the basis of their age differences. Pregnancy discrimination Act also prohibits any potential employer from discriminating pregnant women from getting jobs. It ensures that everybody has the right to any job (Lorna, 1968). Equal employment opportunity