Negative Effects of Childhood Obesity

Negative Effects of Childhood Obesity Stella Badalyants Abstract The purpose of this research paper is to inform about negative effects of childhood obesity. Children’s choices in foods are largely influenced by media and commercial advertising. Obesity has become a growing health concern at a very young age. Cultural differences including national history showed to have an effect on weight in children. Overweight children not only suffer from serious physical health issues but also with psychological problems brought on by teasing in school. Other factors like race, family background and age showed to make a difference in body weight. Parental supervision is important to prevent this growing desease, including television monitoring and consumption of foods high in sugar and fats. Childhood obesity has been one of the most serious medical health conditions for both children and adolescents. It occurs when a BMI or body mass index is 20 percent greater than normal which is when a child is above the normal weight to height ratio. In the past several decades a spike in overweight and obese children occurred in Western nations. Countries like Canada, Germany, Israel, Greece, Ireland and New Zealand have all become victims to this disease. With U.S. leading the way at 32 percent of overweight children and 17 percent of whom are obese (Berk, 2012, p.417). In 1995, health-care costs associated with excess weight were $51.6 billion or 5.7 % of the total U.S. health care expenses. Also, excess weight decreases productivity and leads to loss of work time (Peralta-Alva, et al., 2005).Childhood obesity has even spread to China, where 20 percent of children are overweight and 7 percent are obese, a percentage that was almost none existent one generation prior to this gener ation. In high populated cities obesity in children rose to 10 percent. Additionally, a Chinese culture belief that extra body weight shows prosperity and health has contributed to an alarming number of growth in obesity. It was carried over from centuries ago when famine caused numerous amounts of deaths. Childhood obesity also paves the way for future health problems as adults such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, not to mention emotional and social difficulties. Obesity can also lead to poor self-esteem and depression; as well as a leading factor to severe complications including stroke, kidney failure, and circulatory problems that heighten the risk of blindness and amputations. Many psychologists also believe that weight bias can be contributing to obesity. Children who are overweight or obese tend to be vulnerable to negative comments and more prone to being victims of bulling. Classmates are common critics of obese children, and school is usually the setting where weight-based teasing and victimization happens. Psychologists also have done studies which showed that negative opinions about overweight children begin as early as age 3 to 5 in the preschool age. Preschoolers consider their overweight peers are mean and less wanted playmates compared to non-overweight children. When poled for their opinion, many children viewed over weight kids as stupid, ugly, lazy and have little to no friends. The children are then poled again at elementary school age and their opinions only get worse with reports that obese peers are selfish, dishonest, socially isolated, and are prone to teasing. The issue has become so common that research now informs us that based on a child’s weight we can predict if they will be victims of bulling due to their weight. (Griffiths, Wolke, Page, Horwood, 2006). Preconception of overweight children can damage the psychological state and increase exposure to depression, anxiety, low self-esteem and poor body image. Consequently, obese youth that are being victimized by their classmates are more likely to have suicidal thoughts than those overweight students who are not bullied. Also, having to deal with humiliation about weight only increases the possibility of participating in unhealthy eating habits as well as lower levels of physical activity. Recent research has found that gilt of being overweight is associated with greater calorie intake, lower energy outflow, and over all less weight loss in adults seeking weight loss treatment (Carels et al., 2009). Obesity has been influenced by many factors, especially those in demographic and social-economic nature. Agricultural efficiency improvements have taken place due to decrease in trade barriers which has led to lower service prices. Fast-food chains are all offering fries, burgers and soft drinks at low costs. U.S. has spent $7.3 billion in advertisement for food in 1999, $765 million of that was spent on advertising gum and candy. Advertisement for soft drinks were at $549 million and snacks were at a somewhat low of $330 million (Story et al., 2004). High fructose corn syrup has been linked to childhood obesity in many studies. The fact that soft drinks are pumped full of high fructose corn syrup only adds to the problem. Innovations in technology have been a blessing and a curse, on one hand efficiency and productivity has increased in jobs that require labor, however those same labor saving gadgets decrease the amount of effort put into the job, therefore decreasing the amount of calorie burn per activity. Technology such as television, computers and dishwashers have all been created to save time and provide entertainment, but overuse of these tools has led to a much more serious issue. Biking and walking among Americans has decreased drastically, on the other hand, driving has increased as a source for transportation. Even short trips to the store or park have been largely dominated by vehicle transportation. Children have started losing a large amount of exercise time due to increased time spent playing video games and watching television. Cooking and preparing food has become substantially easier, this has led to more meal consumption among Americans, which is another major reason for increased weight in both children and adults. The average American home had 0% microwave ovens in the 1960’s, today over 80% of households owns one (US DOE, 2006). Patterns of food consumption have changed all together, people are now consuming more carbohydrates and fats than ever before. Ownership of television sets have also increased from as low as 10% in the 1950’s to nearly 100% today (Nielson Media Research, 1995). Which of course led to increase in time spent watching T.V. Many studies in the past have calculated endless data on changes of eating habits, level of activity and income changes in U.S. However a study by Tangel Chang, James M. Barrett and Stephen A. Vosti tests the importance of each factor in the rise of body weight. Although the study is not limited to only children, the results are certainly eye opening to future consequences. Factors such as gender, ethnic background and family income are all associated with weight. Studies show that some groups are at a greater risk of becoming overweight than others. Those include women, children, non-whites, those who are not college graduates and the lower class (Chang, Barrett, Vosti, 2006, p. 14). In addition, being born in the U.S. did not have the same effect on weight and waist size as it did on body mass index (BMI). This shows that those born in the U.S. have a higher BMI but not physical height. There are a number of areas that need to be emphasized to reverse the problem. Watching televis ion and engaging in other seated activities, such as playing video games, have proven to be an issue. There has also been a correlation between abdominal obesity, like waist circumference, waist to hip ratio, waist to height ratio, and serious risk factors among children like type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease develop as they reach adulthood (Freedman et al., 0, p.38). Another detailed study held from 2011 to 2012 had similar results. Participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey study were 9120 people who were measured in weight and height. About half of the group, 5181 people, were adults age 20 or above, 584 were infants and toddlers. The result revealed that 31.8 percent of children were overweight, of which 16.9 percent were obese. There was no difference in obesity occurrence between boys and girls in 2011 to 2012. However there were race and age differences. Non- Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black and Hispanic youth all had a higher probability of obesity than non-Hispanic Asian youth. Also non-Hispanic white youth had lower obesity frequency than non-Hispanic black and Hispanic youth. Over 8 percent of 2 to 5 year olds were obese as compared to 17.7 percent of 6 to 11 year olds and 20.5 percent of 12 to 19 year old youth. Additionally, there were 13.9 percent of teenagers age 12 to 19 with a BMI of greater than or eq ual to 30, which meets the definition of obesity in adults (Ogden, PhD, Carroll, MSPH, Kit, MD, Flegal, PhD, 2014, p.3-4). Food choices that children make have largely been influenced by the media, with television advertising targeting infants and toddlers. Many studies have focused on explaining how advertisement of fast foods, sugary snacks and many other foods with high amounts of fat, sodium and sugar are contributing to childhood obesity. Due to the high amount of hours children spend watching television, children are highly exposed to the growing number of food advertisements, which lead to unhealthy food choices. To add to the issue there is less physical activity as most of their free time is spent watching television. Extensive research has proven that time spent watching television and obesity have a direct correlation. Obesity is increased by 2 percent for every extra hour spent watching television, children that spend more than four to five hours watching television are at a higher rate of obesity than those who only watch two or less hours. (Arnas, 2006). As the appeal to children grow in fo od advertising, so do the requests by children for those advertised foods, as do the actual purchases of those foods by the parents. A fact that also seems to be overlooked is that children now have televisions in their rooms, as high as thirty percent of children age 0 to 3 and 43 percent of children 4 to 6 years of age (Connor, 2005). It is a significant factor in the likelihood of overweight children. The nutritional value of major advertised foods for children are nowhere near the recommended dietary guidelines. Parents and pediatricians seem to overlook the advertising message children are exposed to on a daily basis. The market teams behind these advertisements design them to intentionally influence children’s preference and consumption in foods. Dr. Susan Connor conducted an eye opening study on the most popular channels watched by children. In her research results, Disney Chanel had the least amount of advertisements, totaling 26 for the 5 hours that it was recorded. Of those, 17 were Disney products and 9 were of McDonald’s. PBS led second with a total of 65 advertisements, of which 39 were focused on fast food. The highest of the three was Nickelodeon, having 283 advertisements in the 5 hours, of which 41% were of fast foods such as McDonald’s, Wendy’s and Chuck E. Cheese. Additionally, 41 percent was used to advertise sugary cereal, 14 percent went for snacks and 4 percent to frozen treats (Connors, 2005). A large amount of fun, excitement, bright colors and actions are incorporated into children’s advertisements. Snack food advertisements are promoted as cool, uniquely shaped, brightly colored and yummy tasting. Fast food advertisements use the appeal of the latest toys as a selling point. Overall, the actions and the energy of children featured in the commercials are laughing, giggling, playing, high energy, excitement and activity. Based on the social cognitive theory, children learn to model their behaviors on what is shown by the media, including the models in their present social environment (Dixon et al, 2007). As presented by the social cognitive theory, it is expected for children that are exposed to certain patterns of eating habits modeled on television are to adopt them as their own. Positive association towards junk food as advertised on television, such as the perception that those foods are consumed by other children their age, reported to have increased the consumption of such junk food (Dixon et al., 2007). Same concept applies to advertisements of nutritious foods, positive association to healthy, nutritious alternatives can increase appeal to children. Increasing the frequency of healthy food advertisements versus fast food commercial can also promote a healthier option when faced with opposite choices. Encouraging an active lifestyle has shown to improve weight numbers. Tendency of obesity seems to lean towards women and children, so programs that encourage movement and exercise instead of television and video games are especially valuable. Those who struggle with being overweight can take on activities that emphasize muscle building, which showed to be very beneficial towards weight loss. Previous diet results showed that based on total caloric intake, it is more important to watch how much each type of food is being eaten rather than focus on the whole level of intake. Areas to focus on would be sugar and fat. A variety filled diet of fruits, vegetables, healthy carbohydrates and proteins is a good habit to develop. Children and women are especially prone to obesity, so encouragement in eating healthier foods are especially beneficial to preventing the development of the disease. It was also found that it becomes increasingly difficult to lose weight as we age, so starting health y eating habits at an early age can help continue the healthy lifestyle into adulthood, therefore preventing the development of obesity. Best treatment for obesity currently available are multi-layered lifestyle changes that focus on dietary interventions and promotions of physical activity. Furthermore, involvement of family members is a key feature of effective interventions, especially in cases of multifaceted interventions where trained experts in disciplinary teams are needed. The intensity of such an intervention should depend on the degree of obesity as well as the child’s age. In addition, parents should be sure to take their children to routine pediatric visits, during every visit a health care professional measures the weight and height of the child and assess for any unnecessary weight gain based on height. The doctor should also take into account any factors, like the child’s rate of weight gain and parents’ weight status. Health care professionals such as pediatricians and primary care doctors are viewed by parents as authorities of their child’s health. Therefore it is their p rofessional duty to make parents aware of their child’s excess weight early to allow time for prevention and intervention. Children who consume a variety of high nutrient rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, low-fat or nonfat dairy products, and whole grains are less likely to be overweight and obese. Child care facilities should provide meals that are high in nutrient content so as to be consistent with the healthy diet the parents have set at home, as well as ensuring that children have access to healthy foods and portions appropriate for their age. Government agencies should put high efforts into affordable nutritional meals for families in local communities, by making the most of their participation in the federal nutrition assistance programs. The federal government should also set up nutritional guidelines for children under two years of age, as it is important to start good habits at a very young age. Parents should monitor how much time a child spends per day watching television, versus how many hours they spend doing outdoor physical activities. Parents and childcare providers should also focu s on promoting healthy sleep schedules, evidence suggests that short duration of sleep is a risk factor for obesity. Yet another reason why parents need to limit television and video games, especially at night. References Arnas, Yasare. The effects of television food advertisement on children’s food purchasing requests. Pediatrics International. 2006; 48, 138-145. Carels, R.A., Young, K.M., Wott, C.B., Harper, J., Gumble, A., Oehlof, M.W., Clayton, A.M. (2009). Weight bias and weight loss treatment outcomes in treatment-seeking adults. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 37, 350-355. Chang, T., Barrett, J. M., Vosti, S. A. (2006). The Physical, Social, and Cultural Determinants of Obesity: An Empirical Study of the U.S. Connor, Susan, PhD. Food-related advertising on preschool television: Buidling brand recognition in young viewers. Pediatrics. 2005; 118, 1478-1485. Freedman, D. S., Kahn, H. S., Mei, Z., Grummer-Strawn, L. M., Dietz, W. H., Srinivasan, S. R., Berenson, G. S. (0). Relation of body mass index and waist-to-height ratio to cardiovascular disease risk factors in children and adolescents: the Bogalusa Heart Study1-4. Griffiths, L.J., Wolke, D., Page, A.S., Horwood, J.P. (2006). Obesity and bullying: different effects for boys and girls. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 91, 121-125. Nielson Media Research, 1995 Ogden, PhD, C. L., Carroll, MSPH, M. D., Kit, MD, B. K., Flegal, PhD, K. M. (2014). Prevalence of Childhood and Adult Obesity in the United States, 2011-2012 Cynthia L. Ogden, PhD; Margaret D. Carroll, MSPH; Brian K. Kit,MD, MPH; Katherine, 311(8), 3-4. Peralta AA Pere Gomis, P, The macroeconomics of obesity in the United States, Macroeconomics 0503014, Economics WPA, revised 28 Mar 2005 Story, M and French, S, â€Å"Food Advertising and Marketing Directed at Children and Adolescents in the US, Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act., 2004; 1:3. U.S. Department of Energy http://www.energy.gov/ Berk,L.E. (2012). Chapter 11. In Infants and children: Prenatal through middle childhood (p.417). Boston: Pearson Allyn Bacon.

Profile essay Essay

Benny, son of Daniel Joseph was born on the 4th of December, 1995 in Gujarat, India. Tall, dark, and dresses formally Benny believes he is destined for the greatest things in life. More of a career-based individual, Benny wants to achieve highest in his life than what he had obtained. He has worked hard beyond his limit to be where he is today. For Benny life is positive and fulfilling through dedication and hard work. When the outcome is negative, Benny procrastinates and fails to really enjoy life. This is one of his drawbacks. Life should be lived as if there is no tomorrow. God has gifted us each day to enjoy and as humans we need not always be competitive. He mentioned during his childhood he didn’t speak much and used to suffer from severe headaches and because of this, he wouldn’t interact with many people. He was perceived as rude and disobedient. Through Benny I realize how he emerged from a difficult phase in his life to be more successful today. As an emotional person there are several events where Benny wept for his family and loved ones. Benny had a rough childhood from the loss of his dearest Grandfather who passed away when Benny was fourteen. His grandfather had been an inspiration and motivation for Benny to move on in life thus bringing out the best in him; he was Benny’s ‘shadow’. His grandfather believed in helping other people and often mentioned _†HE WHO HELPS PEOPLE IN NEED, WILL FIND INNER SATISFACTION†._ Through this quote Benny helps other people in trouble which brings him a sense of relief and satisfaction. Benny believes he looks like his grandfather and has a vision to reflect his Grandfather’s values. He believes passing on a positive action for the world in his lifetime. Benny learned humanity from his grandfather and put into practice. An incident occurred two years ago where he noticed a stray dog was being tortured by people around it. He immediately contacted th e animal shelter in his city. The dog is now adopted and is in safe hands. Such events have shaped Benny’s character and how he is perceived today. He has recovered from his once lonely and dark world. By observing him I feel I should shape my character to resemble his, whereby I can help people live and enjoy life who do not value it, by giving them a push to explore what God has gifted us. Today Benny believes to have come out from his comfort zone, _†I HAVE SUFFERED ENOUGH IN THIS LIFETIME_ _†;_ He wanted to disappear from the world of darkness to enter into the fruitful life God has gifted him, but he needed a push. He found Timmy, who became his best friend helped him understand the meaning of life. They shared their views and opinions. They both travelled to France last year with other school mates, and mentioned that he hadn’t laughed that much in a long time. Benny is currently in the United States pursuing his education. He is a freshman at Richland College. He loves the people, the environment here and has made many friends in such short period. He finds Math and Chemistry extremely challenging and must work hard towards them. Benny has overcome his fear of loneliness and darkness and now interacts with many people. He is a struggler. He loves exploring different parts of the world and would love to visit Venice which he describes as beautiful, breath-taking and heavenly. His dreams lead him to where he belongs, a pharmacist is what he wants to become. I see Benny as a wise individual who believes in God and visits the church regularly. Interviewing Benny was fun and exciting. He mentioned during his leisure time he enjoys watching comedy movies, biking, pranking his friends and trying out new food. In the coming future Benny would love to have his own family and describes his future wife as _†beauty with brains†_. He wants to have three children, two boys and a girl which depicts that Benny has turned into a humorous and more outgoing person.

Criminology and Terrorism

J. Paul BatraProfessor Barnes Research Paper Final due 4/19/10 April 1, 2010 Terrorism Introduction Terrorism is defined loosely based on the Latin word Terre, which means to frighten. To be considered an act of terrorism, which is a political crime, an act must carry with it the intent to disrupt and the change the government and should not be merely a common-law crime committed for greed or egotism. The discipline of economics has many concepts that are relevant to an understanding of terrorism — supply and demand — costs and benefits, etc. Fully-developed economic or econometric models of terrorism are quite rare, however, and often involve such things as â€Å"psychic† costs and benefits (Nyatepe-Coo 2004). More down-to-earth economic theories can be found in the literature on deterrence. Rational choice theory, in particular, has found a place in criminology, and holds that people will engage in crime after weighing the costs and benefits of their actions to arrive at a rational choice about motivation after perceiving that the chances of gain outweigh any possible punishment or loss. The second theory that can explain the motivation behind terrorism is the relative deprivation hypothesis which is the idea that as a person goes about choosing their values and interests, they compare what they have and don't have, as well as what they want or don't want, with real or imaginary others. The person then usually perceives a discrepancy between what is possible for them and what is possible for others, and reacts to it with anger or an inflamed sense of injustice. We should be advised that debates exist within criminology regarding relative deprivation and terrorism, on the one hand, with the anomie or strain tradition which finds causal influence in such objectivist factors as Gross Domestic Product, and on the other hand, with the left realist tradition which finds causal influence in subjective experiences of deprivation or discomfort Crime Characteristics of Terrorism: Terrorism is not new, and even though it has been used since the beginning of recorded history it can be relatively hard to define. Terrorism has been described variously as both a tactic and strategy; a crime and a holy duty; a justified reaction to oppression and an inexcusable abomination. Obviously, a lot depends on whose point of view is being represented. Terrorism has often been an effective tactic for the weaker side in a conflict. As an asymmetric form of conflict, it confers coercive power with many of the advantages of military force at a fraction of the cost. Due to the secretive nature and small size of terrorist organizations, they often offer opponents no clear organization to defend against or to deter. The United States Department of Defense defines terrorism as â€Å"the calculated use of unlawful violence or threat of unlawful violence to inculcate fear; intended to coerce or to intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious, or ideological. † Within this definition, there are three key elements—violence, fear, and intimidation—and each element produce terror in its victims. The FBI uses this: â€Å"Terrorism is the unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives. † The U. S. Department of State defines â€Å"terrorism† to be â€Å"premeditated politically-motivated violence perpetrated against non-combatant targets by sub-national groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience. (International Terrorism and Security Research). Technological terrorism is defined as actions directed against infrastructure elements critically important for national security or committed with the use of especially hazardous technologies, technical means, and materials. In considering technological terrorism scenarios, the primary impact factors of such terrorist acts initiate secondary catastrophic processes with a significantly higher (tens and hundreds of times) level of secondary impact factors that affect the targets of the ttack, their personnel, the public, and the environment. (Nikolai A. Makhutov, Vitaly P. Petrov, and Dmitry O. Reznikov, Russian Academy of Sciences Institute of Machine Sciences )Although what we don't know about the psychology of terrorism is more than what we do know, there have been several promising attempts to merge or combine psychology with sociology (and criminal justice) into what might be called terrorist profiling (Russell and Miller 1977; Bell 1982; Galvin 1983; Strentz 1988; Hudson 1999). This line of inquiry actually has a long history, and includes what rare studies exist of female terrorists. The earliest study (Russell and Miller 1977) found that the following people tend to join terrorist organizations: †¢ 22-25 years of age †¢ 80% male, with women in support roles †¢ 75-80% single †¢ 66% middle or upper class background †¢ 66% some college or graduate work †¢ 42% previous participation in working class advocacy groups †¢ 17% unemployed †¢ 18% strong religious beliefs IBLIOGRAPHY NOTE: Characteristics of Technological Terrorism Scenarios and Impact Factors* http://www. nap. edu/openbook. php? record_id=12490=53 The Economics theory of Rational Choice Theory as a theory of terrorism contends that these criminals usually come to believe their actions will be beneficial — to themselves, their community, or society — AND they must come to see that crime pays, or is at least a risk-free way to better their situatio n. Perhaps the most well-known version of this idea in criminology is routine activities theory (Cohen and Felson 1979), which postulates that three conditions must be present in order for a crime to occur: (1) suitable targets or victims who put themselves at risk; (2) the absence of capable guardians or police presence; and (3) motivated offenders or a pool of the unemployed and alienated. Other rational choice theories exist which delve further into models of decision making. In the few models of collective iolence that have found their way into criminology, the Olson hypothesis (source unknown) suggests that participants in revolutionary violence predicate their behavior on a rational cost-benefit calculus to pursue the best course of action given the social circumstances. Bibligraphy note: (THEORIES AND CAUSES OF TERRORISM) http://www. apsu. edu/oconnort/3400/3400lect02. htm) .   As far as we know, most terrorists feel that they are doing nothing wrong when they kill and injure p eople. They seem to share a feature of the psychological condition known as antisocial personality disorder or psychopathic personality disorder, which is reflected by an absence of empathy for the suffering of others. However, they do not appear unstable or mentally ill for this. A common feature is a type of thinking such as â€Å"I am good and right. You are bad and wrong. †Ã‚   It is a very polarized thinking which allows them to distance themselves from opponents and makes it easier for them to kill people. It is not the same kind of simplistic thinking one would expect from someone with low intelligence or moral development. Most terrorists are of above average intelligence and have sophisticated ethical and moral development. A closed-minded certainty is a common feature of terrorist thinking. (Merari 1990). Relative Deprivation occurs where individuals or groups subjectively perceive themselves as unfairly disadvantaged over others perceived as having similar attributes and deserving similar rewards (their reference groups). It is in contrast with absolute deprivation, where biological health is impaired or where relative levels of wealth are compared based on objective differences – although it is often confused with the latter. Subjective experiences of deprivation are essential and, indeed, relative deprivation is more likely when the differences between two groups narrows so that comparisons can be easily made than where there are caste-like differences. The discontent arising from relative deprivation has been used to explain radical politics (whether of the left or the right), messianic religions, the rise of social movements, industrial disputes and the whole plethora of crime and deviance. The usual distinction made is that religious fervour or demand for political change are a collective response to relative deprivation whereas crime is an individualistic response. But this is certainly not true of many crimes – for example, smuggling, poaching or terrorism – which have a collective nature and a communal base and does not even allow for gang delinquency which is clearly a collective response. The connection is, therefore, largely under-theorized – a reflection of the separate development of the concept within the seemingly discrete disciplines of sociology of religion, political sociology and criminology. The use of relative deprivation in criminology is often conflated with Merton's anomie theory of crime and deviance and its development by Cloward and Ohlin, and there are discernible, although largely unexplored, parallels. Anomie theory involves a disparity between culturally induced aspirations (eg success in terms of the American Dream) and the opportunities to realise them. The parallel is clear: this is a subjective process wherein discontent is transmuted into crime. Furthermore, Merton in his classic 1938 article, ‘Social Structure and Anomie', clearly understands the relative nature of discontent explicitly criticising theories which link absolute deprivation to crime by pointing to poor countries with low crime rates in contrast to the wealthy United States with a comparatively high rate. But there are clear differences, in particular Mertonian anomie involves an inability to realise culturally induced notions of success. It does not involve comparisons between groups but individuals measuring themselves against a general goal. The fact that Merton, the major theorist of reference groups, did not fuse this with his theory of anomie is, as Runciman notes, very strange but probably reflects the particular American concern with ‘winners' and ‘losers' and the individualism of that culture. The empirical implications of this difference in emphasis are, however, significant: anomie theory would naturally predict the vast majority of crime to occur at the bottom of society amongst the ‘losers' but relative deprivation theory does not necessarily have this overwhelming class focus. For discontent can be felt anywhere in the class structure where people perceive their rewards as unfair compared to those with similar attributes. Thus crime would be more widespread although it would be conceded that discontent would be greatest amongst the socially excluded. The future integration of anomie and relative deprivation theory offers great promise in that relative deprivation offers a much more widespread notion of discontent and its emphasis on subjectivity insures against the tendency within anomie theory of merely measuring objective differences in equality (so called ‘strain' theory) whereas anomie theory, on its part, offers a wider structural perspective in terms of the crucial role of differential opportunity structures and firmly locates the dynamic of deprivation within capitalist society as a whole. To be completed: Application: Conclusion: Bibliography

George Orwell s The Elephant - 1608 Words

Throughout the course of the years, a variety of people such as scholars, teachers and historians have discussed a controversial topic, did George Orwell want to assassinate the elephant? George Orwell was a sub divisional police officer in Burma that acted under pressure. Despite several claims, George Orwell opposed imperialism and its rules, yet his actions have muddled several and has caused them to think otherwise. In the beginning of the story, Orwell is essentially harassed and laughed at by the Burmese because he is associated with the British. One day, he is made aware that an elephant has gone loose and has caused havoc in a small village, ruining property and killing. Orwell in this instant decide to act like a hero and asked to be handed a .44 rifle, despite the fact that he had no real intention of shooting the elephant. On his way to the location of the elephant, he was nerve wrecked because he had a huge crowd following and observing him, they were expecting something big from him. Orwell gave into peer pressure and killed the elephant to satisfy the crowd’s bloodlust. Throughout his short narrative he bluntly tells the reader that he in no way intended to kill the elephant, his only intention was to defend himself and anyone who was in possible danger. The only reason Orwell felt compelled to shoot the elephant was because he felt pressured by the people of Burma and certainly did not want to humiliate himself and endure more disdain. It is a popular humanShow MoreRelatedGeorge Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 1114 Words   |  5 PagesShooting an Elephant : George Orwell Since the publication of George Orwell s, Shooting an Elephant in 1936 many philosophers have engaged in conversation about humanity, violence, politics, power, dominance, race, culture and principles. 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The setting of both the spots was in Burma, a nation in Asia. In A Hanging the setting was principally in a correctional facility while in Shooting an Elephant was in a Moulmein, in lower Burma where an Elephant went quiet . The Characters in A Hanging were for the most part a Hindu who was little whit no hair and obscure fluid eyes, additionally he had a thick, mustache which was humongous for his body. Additionally George OrwellRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 1010 Words   |  5 Pagesmake can hav e long-lasting effects on them.†¯In Shooting an Elephant, by George Orwell, the author goes back to a situation in his life when he was a young adult where he had to make a choice between evil deeds. Many years later, the decision still haunted him. It takes place back when Orwell was a British police officer in Burma. He reevaluates his situation in life when he encounters a moral dilemma; to kill or save an elephant. Orwell is a confused and unhappy young policeman who lives in mentalRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 989 Words   |  4 PagesShooting an Elephant, by George Orwell, the author recounts an event from his life when he was about twenty years old during which he had to choose the lesser of two evils. Many years later, the episode seems to still haunt him. The story takes place at some time during the five unhappy years Orwell spends as a British police officer in Burma. He detests his situation in life, and when he is faced with a moral dilemma, a valuable work animal has to die to save his pride.{3} Orwell is an unhappyRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 953 Words   |  4 PagesThe area of focus I chose was a work from the Innocence and Experience chapter. The work of fiction that I chose to analyze is â€Å"Shooting an Elephant† by George Orwell. The main question is whether what he did in the story was ethical. This story is about the inner fight between right and wrong, â€Å"if I do this†¦Ã¢â‚¬  or â€Å"if I do that†¦Ã¢â‚¬  or â€Å"what if I don’t do anything?† Bottom line is you’re damned if you do, and damned if you don’t. We all do this in some form or fashion, we all have that inner voice tellingRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 985 Words   |  4 PagesShooting an Elephant, by George Orwell, the author recounts an event from his life when he was about twenty years old during which he had to choose the lesser of two evils. Many years later, the episode seems to still haunt him. The story takes place at some time during the five unhappy years Orwell spends as a British police officer in Burma. He detests his situation in life, and when he is faced with a moral dilemma, a valuable work animal has to die to save his pride.{3} Orwell is an unhappyRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 1250 Words   |  5 Pagesthen. For example, in the essay â€Å"Shooting an Elephant† by George Orwell, Orwell himself is working as a British police officer in Burma in the 1920’s. He does not like his job because of his hate for the oppressive nature of the British government. However, he does take the job seriously. One day, he gets a report about an elephant tearing through the town. He quickly gets his gun and rides to the scene with his horse. Once Orwell arrives, the elephant is long gone, but he sees all the damage it hasRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 2165 Words   |  9 Pagesauthor of Shooting an Elephant, George Orwell, describes his moral troubles as a police officer in Moulmein in lower Burma (known as Myanmar in the twenty-first century) when encouraged by its citizens to kill a rogue elephant in town. Orwell details how nearly every citiz en in Moulmein had a grudge against Europeans, and would, as a result, antagonize any European in the town. Orwell was a sub-divisional European police officer and had a particularly difficult time in Moulmein. Orwell explains one particularRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 1490 Words   |  6 PagesShooting an Elephant by George Orwell is a story about Orwell s experience as a police officer for the British Raj in frontier Burma. The exposition digs into an inward clash that Orwell encounters in his part of representing the British Empire and maintaining the law. At the opening of the narration, Orwell state, â€Å"Theoretically—and secretly, of course—I was all for the Burmese and all against their oppressors, the British†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Orwell, 1) by doing this, he clears up that he is against the British