Taking Care Of Our Children Essays - Human Behavior, Dave Pelzer

Taking Care Of Our Children We who have been entrusted with the education and care of children are obligated to go ?above and beyond? when it comes to looking out for their welfare. Educators and administrators have no recourse but to look beyond the surface, investigate if necessary, and protect the children to whom we have made ourselves responsible. Dave Pelzer, who is currently an advocate for abused children, has written a compelling three book series detailing his own life as an abused child and the aftereffects of his abuse. His case was the third worst case of child abuse on record in the state of California. (Pelzer, 1995, 168) Pelzer's mother was an alcoholic who was both physically and emotionally abusive to him. What made this a terrible situation more unique was that the mother did not abuse her other four children. Only Dave was the target of her hatred. Pelzer's father, also an alcoholic, who ignored his wife's abusive tendencies, even though he secretly indicated to his son that he did not condone it, compounded the abusive behavior. The father's silence served to validate the mother's actions. Pelzer's teachers and administrators also maintained silence, thus compounding his feeling of isolation. These events occurred during the 1960's and early 1970's, so the behavior of both Pelzer's father and his educators was not unusual. Physical discipline was more accepted during that time than it is now. Pelzer was rescued from his mother's cruelty in 1973 by a school nurse and counselor, after dealing with her extreme abuse for almost ten years. His teachers and administrators had for years seen him attend school in rags, unwashed, often with bruises and abrasions, but as stated earlier, these were different times. When the school nurse determined she could no longer stand by and accept this abusive behavior, she saw to it that county services was contacted. Pelzer goes on to relate how his emotional damage contributed to his moving often between foster homes. He never felt adequate, and these feelings of inadequacy compounded Pelzer's problems and anxieties that children in foster homes normally feel. Pelzer speaks of his first marriage ending in failure, due mostly to his lack of ability to trust and effectively communicate with his wife. His adult life has been built around raising his son in as healthy and environment as possible. He speaks repeatedly of wanting to ensure the cy cle of abuse does not continue through him. His second marriage has been a close-knit partnership, with trust and open lines of communication. The purpose in recounting so much information in Pelzer's books is to remind us that we, as educators, must take our responsibilities as caretakers of children with the highest degree of importance. Even though child abuse is abhorrent, it can be stopped and, as in the case of Dave Pelzer, through discipline and hard work, the cycle of abuse can be broken. Although these abusive types of parents are thankfully in the minority, they do exist. It is therefore imperative that we maintain awareness of any unusual circumstances we may notice concerning our children. Reclusive behavior, unexplained bruises or other marks, unattended physical hygiene, or violent outbursts should be cause for concern. (Gestwicki, 435) This is not to say that we should become paranoid and report every child with a bruise as a victim of abuse. We should, however, be aware of unusual mannerisms or circumstances and act when we feel we have a right to be concerned. Documenting any suspicions and findings is esse ntial. This can uncover any trends or patterns that may exist. Keep in mind that children will often cover up for and attempt to protect abusive parents. This is also a huge load for a child to bear; the responsibility of ?taking care of? a parent who is abusive is an excessive burden. (Somers, 62) Valerie Bivens, a social worker in California, stresses that most of us are unaware of the extent of child abuse. Often instances of abuse go unreported, and the child may turn their anger against themselves or others, continuing the cycle of abuse. (Pelzer, 1995, 171) Over three million cases of child abuse were reported in 1996, and nearly one third of that number

The U.S. Penal System Essays - Penology, Criminal Law, Criminology

The U.S. Penal System Essays - Penology, Criminal Law, Criminology The U.S. Penal System Prison inmates, are some of the most "maladjusted" people in society. Most of the inmates have had too little discipline or too much, come from broken homes, and have no self-esteem. They are very insecure and are "at war with themselves as well as with society" (Szumski 20). Most inmates did not learn moral values or learn to follow everyday norms. Also, when most lawbreakers are labeled criminals they enter the phase of secondary deviance. They will admit they are criminals or believe it when they enter the phase of secondary deviance (Doob 171). Next, some believe that if we want to rehabilitate criminals we must do more than just send them to prison. For inezce, we could give them a chance to acquire job skills; which will improve the chances that inmates will become productive citizens upon release. The programs must aim to change those who want to change. Those who are taught to produce useful goods and to be productive are "likely to develop the self-esteem essential to a normal, integrated personality" (Szumski 21). This kind of program would provide skills and habits and "replace the sense of hopelessness" that many inmates have (Szumski 21). Moreover, another technique used to rehabilitate criminals is counseling. There is two types of counseling in general, individual and group counseling. Individual counseling is much more costly than group counseling. The aim of group counseling is to develop positive peer pressure that will influence its members. One idea in many sociology text is that group problem-solving has definite advantages over individual problem-solving. The idea is that a wider variety of solutions can be derived by drawing from the experience of several people with different backgrounds. Also one individuals problem might have already been solved by another group member and can be suggested. Often if a peer proposes a solution it carries more weight than if the counselor were to suggest it (Bennett 20-24). Further, in sociology, one of the major theories of delinquency is differential association (Cressey 1955). This means some people learned their ways from "undesirable" people who they were forced to be in association with and that this association "warps" their thinking and social attitudes. "Group counseling, group interaction, and other kinds of group activities can provide a corrective, positive experience that might help to offset the earlier delinquent association" (Bennett 25). However, it is said that group counseling can do little to destroy the power of labeling (Bennett 26). The differential-association theory emphasizes that a person is more likely to become a criminal if the people who have the greatest influence upon them are criminals (Doob 169). Most of today's correctional institutions lack the ability and programs to rehabilitate the criminals of America. One can predict that a prisoner held for two, four, eight or ten years, then released, still with no educationling, there is disadvantages. For inezce, members of the group might not be as open or show emotion because they want to appear "tough." Also the members might not express their opinions openly because the others might see it as "snitching." For the group to work it takes a dedicated counselor (Bennett 22-23). Another type of correctional center used for rehabilitation is halfway houses. Halfway houses are usually located in residential communities and are aimed to keep offenders in the community. The name comes from the fact that they are "halfway between the community and the prison" (Fox 60). The "rationale" behind halfway houses is that criminal activity originates in the community, so the community has a responsibility to try to correct it. Also, sending a person who has deviant behavior and who has been associated with criminal influences, to prison would just make the problem worse (Fox 61). "The best place for treatment is in the community; this prevents the breaking of all constructive social ties" (Fox 61). Programs in halfway houses usually involve work release or study release and group sessions for therapy and counseling. Most programs vary greatly depending on the administrator. Generally, the purpose is to "reintegrate" members back into the community. There are three systems generally used in programs and in the process: "change by compliance, client-centered change, and change by credibility in that it

Cross Cultural Management - International Teams Essay

Cross Cultural Management - International Teams - Essay Example They include Individualism; this dimension show the extent to which the people value self determination in the organization, different from their behaviors becomes examined by the collective will of the group in the organization. Power distance; in this dimension lies the question of involvement in the decision making. In the lower power distance cultures, employees always seek involvement and tend to have a desire for a participative management type. The employees will tend to work in a certain way, because they comprehend the fact that they get asked to do so by the organization managers. Uncertainty avoidance; this dimensions deals with the employees tolerance of the ambiguity in their environment. In the cultures that have high uncertainty avoidance, the employees will look for the clearly defined, stipulated rules and regulations that govern their individual behaviors. Masculinity or femininity; in the highly male cultures, the dominant values relate to the assertiveness and the material acquisition. In the highly feminists cultures, the values focus on the relationship among different people, the need to help others and the quality of life. Intercultural communication in an organization creates teamwork. It enables the employees understand each other’s cultural differences, and to be able to communicate efficiently without creating or raising misunderstandings. In a successful intercultural communication, employees are able to comprehend the cultures of different people on their behaviors and the communication tendencies. This creates teamwork as the employees respect each other’s unique talents, cultural background and capabilities. When employees are aware of other people’s cultural influences, stereotyping gets eliminated which is always a danger to teamwork and effective communication. Understanding different cultures is a key to organizations success. One cannot understand other people’s culture without forming close relat ionships with these people. Intercultural friendships can develop among employees. However, how those friendships get formed and how they become viewed in an organization differs from one culture to the other culture. Some people need their space in all areas, and they see those who encroach in their space as threats. Personal space is an example some people require less or greater distances between them. A Japanese individual who does not need much space will stand next to an American; this will make the American uncomfortable. According to Hall, all cultures can be situated in relation to one another according to the styles in which they communicate. He proposed differences in high- and low-context cultural dimension that depends on how identity rests in the total communication framework. He claimed that different cultural frameworks for organizing and defining space, which becomes internalized everybody at an unconscious level, creates serious failures of communication and unders tanding in different cultural settings. According to hall; Intimate space; is the closest space surrounding an individual and it is only acceptable to very close friends and dear intimates. Consultative and social space; is the space that people feel comfortable conducting their social routines with friends and strangers. Public space; this is the space area where people will perceive interactions as impersonal and relatively anonymous. Ethical practices are other contentious areas for the intercultural teams. The awareness of own and

Models of Organized Crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Models of Organized Crime - Essay Example Thus, respected members of society: policemen or law officers are bribed and coerced into allowing these individuals to follow through with their plans. There are two models that seek to explain the presence of organized crime in society: the bureaucratic/corporate model and the patrimonial/patron-client model (Abadinsky 2003). This essay seeks to understand the reasons and influence these two models play on organized crime. The bureaucratic model survives on the tandem of efficiency. It is essential for large operations and activities. Thus, the individuals involved in conducting these organized crimes focus on bringing a degree of competence to the system to ensure it functions properly. This system works under Weber's definition of the various elements to an organization (1947). It needs rules, specialized training, division of labor and an authority. Thus the corporate model functions under one leader who is at the top according to the pyramidal system of authority. There is a system of specialized workers who function under this leader. And the authority maintains its power through various laws: vows of silence when communicating with a law officer. Thus, the larger the organization becomes, the more important it becomes to control it through this system of laws and power.

Investigating the Relationship between Academic Persistence and Age, Dissertation

Investigating the Relationship between Academic Persistence and Age, Gender, Ethnicity and Transfer Credits - Dissertation Example According to a report published in the associated press in the year 2011, a total of 54% of the students who enter four year colleges within the US do successfully complete their studies (2011). In addition, the reports from the National Centre for Statistics show that the number of adult learners who were entering post secondary education in the country is on the increase. The reports show that the number of adult students who were joining the system had risen from 27.3 to 30.6 million adults between the years 2000 to 2010 which represented an increase of 8% (2011). Consequently, Ziegler & Durant explain that for adult learners to achieve success, they require to first and foremost recognize their reason for getting instructions and their involvement in the designing along with the assessment of their instructions (2007). However, Tinto reports that in the traditional courses offered in various universities approximately 40% of the adult learners who enroll for higher education in t he universities eventually failed in the achievement of their desired academic goals (2008). In the year 2008, Jones suggested that adult learners can be affected by various barriers which could range from the situational, dispositional along with institutional barriers. According to him, the situational barriers come about due to the learner’s situation which may include issues like inadequate time, their work responsibilities along with childcare. On the other hand, the author describes the institutional barriers as the issues that affect the students within an institution. This includes issues like the number of hours they are required to be operating, the inadequacy of resourceful information. Finally, the author describes the dispositional barriers as internal barriers that result from the feelings of alienation that a person may be suffering from (2008). In light of these barriers, Ziegler & Durant come out to suggest that adult education mostly encounters situational barriers due to the inadequacy of time (2007). Jones additionally suggests that these barriers have in turn made the universities and colleges to introduce programs which have not previously been a part of their past curriculums. The programs are flexible and enable adult located in far away distances to acquire education (2008). This research study will aim at ascertaining the relationship that exists between the student’s age, gender, transfer credits along with their ethnicities and their persistence in achieving their set academic goals. Problem Statement The research problem will mainly aim at establishing the relationship that exists between age, gender, transfer credits and ethnicity and the academic persistence among adult learners. Previous researches like Cook and King, did study the existing relationship between the characteristics of adult learners along with their involvement in the pursuit of higher education (2009). However, the researcher’s studies only dealt with the high school students who had cleared school and were in the first years of pos t secondary education. The studies did not also indicate the existing patterns

Reflection Paper on Criminology Group Presentation

Reflection Paper on Criminology Group Presentation I found that making this academic presentation to be a very challenging experience. This was mainly down to working with a group of people that I dont know, another factor that may have contributed is that I had to study an area of London that Im not familiar with. Despite how challenging I thought the experience was I also found that working on, and presenting the presentation to be a rewarding experience, this was because I was able use theories I had learned and apply them to a specific area. The groups we were in were allocated at random, this was done by giving each person a number between one and four, the number you were given is the group that you are in, this led there to mixed groups with mixed levels of ability. I found the process to be quite bothersome as I was split from the friends I had formed in the seminar group, the group I was put into consisted of four people. After being allocated into are groups were told that for the presentation we could choose any post code to research as long as it was in London. After this we were then told that we had to gather information about that specific area and that we had to use different theorys to explain the information we had gathered. At the end of the seminar the group I was in all exchanged contact details so we could talk over the up coming independent learn week. Over the independent study week we decided as a group which area we want to study which was Harlesden. The task I was given was to pick a crime of my choice and gather statistics on the crime using the Metropolitan Police statistics website, later on I would use the theories that we had been taught in our lectures and seminars to explain the crime I had picked. Another part of my task was to find statistics and information about the housing in Harlesden and try and compare them with the crime statistics I had gathered. It took a bit of time but I did finally decided on the crime I was going to pick and the crime was robbery. After I decided I then looked on the internet for information and statistics for robbery, the main website I used was the Metropolitan Police statistics website as it was reliable and we were shown how to navigate the website in the seminar. Finding reliable robbery statistics was quite straight forward to do as the statistics on the website were up to date and were fairly easy to understand. This was quite the opposite to the information on housing on the MET Police statistics website, the most difficult part, for me at least, was trying to decide what information was relevant and useful and separating it from the useless irrelevant information. Another factor that hindered me was that the majority of the information was outdated which made it unreliable. This problem was not just isolated to me as other members of my group also faced being confronted with too much information and having to deal with outdated statistics. It was useful that the group I was in would meet up twice every week outside of the seminars to discuss the progress that we had each made, it also meant that we could discuss any issues that we were having and voice any concerns that we had about the presentations. One problem with this was that one member of the group almost always never showed up to the meetings which isnt useful for the group or the individual. During one of the first meetings we had I told my group about the problems I was facing trying to find reliable information on housing, the group helped me decided that I should just gather the statistics for robbery in Harlesden. After I have done this they told me I can then use these statistics and compare it with the previous year, the thinking behind this was that by comparing the robbery rates of this years and the previous year we can show whether or not the actions being taken by the police or preventions the police ha ve put in place to decrease robbery in Harlesden are truly working, they also suggested that I should compare Harlesdens robbery rate against the MET total as this would show how Harlesden compares with robbery rates in terms of the whole of London. In my presentation I used three theories to explain robbery, the three I chose to use were the classicist approach of rational decision, zones of transition theory and also the relative deprivation theory. All three of these theories had been taught in the lecture, nevertheless I found that by doing my own personal reading and internet research it helped me fully understand these theories and then be able to apply them to the statistical data and explain robbery. The readings and internet research that I did meant that I was able to write a great statement on why robbery in Harlesden is committed, whilst also knowing the theories to a degree that I would be able to explain them during my presentation. As a group before the deadline we decided that it would be easier and more useful to do four individual presentations instead of one big presentation. During my presentation I felt that my presentation skills could have been better, this was maybe because it was the first presentation I had to do at university and nerves may have played a part. The fact that we decided to do individual presentations may also have been a factor because when your in a group others could bring up points that maybe you might have forgotten in the moment and help you through moments when you need it. All but one of my groups individual presentations seem to go alright, the one that went quite wrong was the person that never showed up to any of the group meetings, there presentation was one slide long with not much information on it and they didnt seem to have tried to complete any of the tasks we set them to do. It was quite frustrating to see because if they had turned up to group meetings they would hav e found that completing the presentation to be quite easy. If I was to change anything it would most likely be to practice my presentation skills, as I felt that this was the part that let my presentation down, this would have made presenting the presentation easier and may have even improved the grade that I received. Before I began to look at Harlesden I little idea where it was, and had almost no information about the area. This meant that I got my first impression of Harlesden from the MET police crime statistics, this in turn gave me the feeling that maybe Harlesden was a area that was maybe rife with crime. This changed however after having done more investigating in to area and having spoken to the two people in my group that live there, my impressions have now changed and I now view Harlesden like most other place, there are some better areas and there are some worse areas. This shows how working in a group can be beneficial as they helped me see that I shouldnt judge a place on just statistics and that you need to speak to people that live in the area to fully understand the area. If I had been in a group with people that didnt live in Harlesden I believe that my first impression of the area would still be the impression that would have today, yet having people in my group who had experien ced Harlesden first hand and could talk about the experiences they have had helped assist in changing my first impression. I felt this presentation helped me because I was able to improve on my weakness which I had which was my presentation skills and this allowed me to improve this in a later presentation I did for another module. So reflecting on my experience of this presentation allowed me to improve the capacity to reflect on action so as to engage in a process of continuous learning (Schà ¶n, 1983:173). This experience also showed that I was able to complete my research and gather information and deliver it in a presentation which was a new thing for me. At first I didnt feel confidence that I would be able to deliver a good piece of work, but by working with others it has shown me that if you all work together on a piece of work it doesnt seem as daunting and it will make the experience more rewarding. Bibliography Schà ¶n, D (1983) The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think In Action. New York: Basic Books

Comparing poems from different cultures. Essay -- English Literature

Comparing poems from different cultures. Many poems deal with the theme of cultural identity. I have chosen three to compare, they are: Search For My Tongue, by Sujata Bhatt Half-Caste, by John Agard and Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan, by Moniza Alvi. I chose these three poems because I feel that they all deal with different aspects of cultural identity. For example Search for my tongue covers the aspect of losing your native tongue and using a ‘foreign’ language, Half-Caste addresses the point of racism and stereotyping, whilst Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan highlights the issues of alienation and not being able to fit in with either side of your family. Search For My Tongue is quite unusual as instead of the text being in one language all the way through it starts in English and then changes into Arabic part of the way through. This leaves the reader with a feeling of disorientation and that the reader, unless bilingual in those two languages, can not read or make sense of the foreign language. This poem also relays to you the fact that even if you’ve forgotten your mother tongue and don’t speak it for some time it will always come back and blossom if it is used enough. The poet also puts the point across by repeating the word tongue over and over again. The foreign tongue can never take the place of the mother tongue, because it is part of your own identity. The passage ‘†¦.but over night while I dream it grows back..’ gives the impression that although you may speak in the foreign language most of the time you still dream in your native tongue and it will never go away. The poem ‘Half Cast’ also deals with the aspects of a different language but instead of writing in a ... ...e to fit in with either side of their family. For example when her Aunts bring the Candy-striped glass bangles they snapped and made her wrists bleed, this is because people from Asia are very small boned, so because of her being mixed race she was not able to put then. Also it says that her school friends where not impressed by her Salwar kameez, they wanted to see weekend clothes and where not interested in the mirror work or the story how three of them sailed toto England. I find all of these poems very interesting and thought provoking. My favourite out of these three is half-caste because it give such a strong point and all the examples make sense. Where we live there aren’t many people from different cultures, so we don’t face racism and people from mixed race that often. These poems make you see the points of view and traditions of other cultures.

Piece inspired by ‘Of Mice and Men’ Essay

The sun was blazing down on the yard outside the barn. The group of men were playing a horse shoe tournament. Lennie was still sitting down on a barrel, watching the other guys play. In the distance he saw a man walking towards them with a trail of dust bellowing from his feet. It was Curly. Everyone went silent as he swaggered up to Slim. â€Å"Av, you seen my wife! † â€Å"No, she’s probably bunking up with the Nigger! † muttered Carlson. Everyone began to chuckle, Lennie didn’t hear what Carlson had said but he started to laugh so he wouldn’t stand out. He laughed so loud that in the end he did stand out. Curly stormed over to him, he had a menacing look on his face. Lennie stopped laughing immediately and began to hide his face. â€Å"What the hell you laughing at? † Curly asks as he looks down on Lennie. â€Å"Nu.. Nu.. Nothing† Stuttered Lennie. Everyone fell silent as Curly started to crack his knuckles in a fighting fashion. â€Å"Come on, you big bastard. Get up on your feet. No big son-of-a-bitch is gonna laugh at me. I’ll show you who’s yellow. † Curly yanks Lennie up on his feet and starts pummelling into his stomach and face. As Lennie is taking this beating he looks up and looks into Georges eyes. Everything starts slowing down in Lennie’s brain and all he can hear is George’s voice repeating â€Å"Get him Lennie. Don’t let him do it! † Slim rushes to George and says† The dirty little rat. I’ll get him myself. † â€Å"Wait a minute. Get him Lennie! † George shouts. Then the tables turn. Lennie grabs Curly by the shirt and lifts him high above the ground. Lennie is a blur and begins to bear hug Curly. Curly is totally refrained from doing anything to Lennie. Then all the men hear groaning noises coming from Curly. A loud yell cry comes from the mouth of Curly as the men hear his back breaking. Each spinal column crunching into each other. Everyone realises that it’s time to get Lennie off of Curly before he kills him. â€Å"Let go of him Lennie. Let go! † George screams as he jumps onto Lennie’s arms. â€Å"Let go of him Lennie. Let go. Slim, come and help me while the guy got no back left. As the men prize Lennie ofF he is still in a blur, he suddenly just drops Curly and runs onto a haystack crying†. You told me to George! † â€Å"I know I did Lennie, I know I did†,George whispers to Lennie as he sits and comforts him. Slim walks over to Curly who was lying on the floor having lots of short spasms in his back. â€Å"Looks like every bone in his back is bust† Slim says as he analysed Curly’s injury.

Where Is the Patis Essays

Where Is the Patis Essays Where Is the Patis Paper Where Is the Patis Paper Seanursing student studying litreature of the philipines tomorrow is my finals i need answers so please help me A Filipino may denationalize himself but not his stomach. He may travel over the seven seas, the five continents and the two hemispheres and lose the savor of home, forget his identity and believe himself a citizen of the world. But he remains- gastronomically, at least- always a Filipino. For, if in no other way, the Filipino loves his country with his stomach. It seemed to me that the big deal is the overall feeling of â€Å"no big deal†, if you get my drift.It kinda gives this impression that you could go there and leave your cares in the world. The place has a hippie vibe to it, with people wearing whatever, doing whatever, minding their own business and having a grand time. There’s food, finds, and fun. I liked it. I liked it a lot. We ended up staying at the New Merry V Guesthouse for our first night since we had a hard time looking for Tavee Guesthouse, where we initially planned to stay. The other options such as the Lamphu House, Green Guesthouse, and the Rambuttri Village Inn were fully booked.It really pays to book your accommodation in advance to save yourself from minor inconveniences. New Merry V Guesthouse has very basic amenities, pretty much getting what you paid for: a place to rest after a long day of serious walking and wandering. The good thing about us ending up here is that we found ourselves in Phra Arthit Road, where the Phra Arthit Pier is within short walking distance. Just cross the road and look for the sign post with a boat sign; better yet, aim for the Navalai Resort which will lead you directly to the pier

Class, Race and Gender in The Associate essays

Class, Race and Gender in The Associate essays Many issues regarding class, race, and gender in corporate America are brought to the forefront in The Associate. The issue in this movie is that Whoopi's character, Laurel is one who doesn't get treated fairly because she is not in the elite class of the top-level executives, she is black, and a woman. She has the brains and the ideas, but still can't get ahead because of the stigma behind these labels. Out of desperation of hitting the corporate glass ceiling, she creates Robert Cutty, presumably rich, white, and male the key to success in corporate America. The issue of class is an interesting one. Often class is not looked upon as an idea independent from race and/or gender. The American upper class would like to view America as a classless country affording every member of society with equal opportunity for economic gain and success. In order to perpetuate this ideal of a classless society, the poor are therefore racialized and/or femininized. Race and gender are used to diver t attention away from issues of class inequality. The members of these categories are then defined by stereotyping labels of lazy, unfit, sexually promiscuous, and uneducated which prevent their success in society. However, class exists and is an independent ideal from race and gender. Classes exist in relation to one another in ways that are often oppositional, i.e., the benefits and privileges of one class are at the expense of other classes in the same way that men and whites receive benefits that are often at the expense of women and minorities. This ideal of the privileged versus the under-privileged is evident in The Associates portrayal of corporate America. Independent of gender, Sally is a prime example of the lower class within an institution. The camera subtly depicts her less than affluent position by placing her in the background when in Franks office while Laura is con...

The Effects of Alcoholism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Effects of Alcoholism - Research Paper Example As a result, they seek to drown these issues in an alcoholic fog. However, more recent science has suggested there is another, deeper cause to alcoholism that can only be found in the genes. Alcohol affects the brain more than any other bodily organ. â€Å"The brain is damaged through the drinker's behavior changes and emotional distress. Three noticeable effects of alcohol injury to the brain: memory loss, confusion, and augmentation.† (Dunlap) Everyone experiences alcohol differently. Because it is something experienced differently by different bodies, there are a number of effects that can be felt depending on the body, how much of what kind of drink is consumed over how long of a period of time and whether or not food was consumed with it. Alcohol can act as a stimulant and as a sedative, but it is not an effective tranquilizer, anesthetic or health boost. Alcoholism is â€Å"a progressive neurological disease strongly influenced by genetic vulnerability. Inherited or acq uired abnormalities in brain chemistry create an altered response to alcohol which is turn causes a wide array of physical, psychological, and behavioral problems† (Katherine/Asbury pg. 46).

Symbolism and Metaphor in Poetry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Symbolism and Metaphor in Poetry - Essay Example â€Å"Black granite† symbolizes the hard and unbreakable nature of the poet. In the second stanza of the poem Facing It by Yusef K. (1988), â€Å"My clouded reflection eyes me like a bird of prey† is symbolism in simile form. Here the poet symbolizes how bad and shameful he feels when he recalls the past suffering days that are not worth remembering. â€Å"Light† has been used to express hope for a good future. The poet also says â€Å"The profile of night slanted against morning†. Night here symbolizes the bad past which highly depends on a brighter future which is symbolized by morning. â€Å"I’m a window† is another instance of metaphor in the poem Facing It by Yusef K. (1988). Window is used to show that by looking at the poet, people remember the past. â€Å"Smoke†has also been used in the fourth stanza to imply faded and unclear letters. This shows that he is desperate in his options.â€Å"Red bird’swings† is used in the fifth stanza to symbolize a plane. â€Å"Black mirror† has also been used in the sixth stanza of the poem as a symbol of a reflection of the hard times in the past. From the use of symbolism and metaphor in the poem Facing It by Yusef K. (1988), different themes are clearly brought out. The theme of hope and expectation is brought out when the poet says he is â€Å"depending on the light to make a difference†. He hopes morning will come and he will make changes where he can. The theme of racism is also evident. â€Å"A white vet’s image floats† is used to symbolize that the white are highly rated to the extent of using plane than the blacks who only deal with stones as shown by â€Å"My black face fades hiding inside the black granite†. It is clear that the black are viewed as people with no abilities to do anything substantial. In conclusion, symbolism and metaphor are essential aspects of poetry as explained by Timpane J. Watts M. & San Francisco State