Patagonia Essays - Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard, Climbing Equipment

Patagonia Essays - Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard, Climbing Equipment Patagonia Abstract Patagonias mission statement is, To use business to inspire and implement solutions to environmental crisis. Patagonia is a clothing company thats focus is on selling environmentally safe outdoor apparel. This papers focus is on the history of Patagonia their environmental marketing strategies and their competition. There has also been some outside research done to see what the publics perception of Patagonia is. Introduction Patagonia's History In 1957 a young climber named Yvon Chouinard could not find pitons (a form of climbing protection) that he liked. So he began to make his own climbing gear. Chouinard was a self-educated blacksmith. He took his knowledge and began to build his own pitons. Of the pitons he made, Chouinard would keep what he needed and started selling the rest to his friends. Shortly after, Chouinard began building carabiners in addition to his production of the pitons. Up until this point, he had been working out of his parents' back yard and selling equipment out of his car. He moved his business in 1959 to an industrial yard in Burbank California and again in 1966 to a tin shed behind an abandoned slaughterhouse in Ventura California. In 1966, Tom Frost was recruited to help make the transition from handmade to machine made products. Chouinard and Frost founded Chouinard Equipment, Ltd. Everything about the operations focused on building the best quality climbing gear in the worldThe companies genui ne and relentless pursuit of quality was matched by its reputation for it (Defining Quality, 2). Chouinard and Frost remained partners until 1975. During this time the two managed to redesign, hence improve, almost every tool used on a climber's rack. Their production also tried to minimize the use of materials. By 1970 Chouinard Equipment was the largest supplier of climbing equipment in the United States. Although this seemed positive from a business standpoint, Chouinard and Frost realized that they were contributing to environmental deterioration. Pitons require repetitive hammering for placement and removal. Because rock climbing was becoming popular the amount of destruction increased. Chouinard and Frost took a stand and decided to discontinue their production of pitons. This decision initiated a blind devotion that ultimately led to Patagonia's Statement of Purpose: To use business to inspire and implement solutions to environmental crisis. An environmental safe alternative to pitons was found in aluminum chocks. As before Chouinard Equipment designed and produced their own version of the chocks. Sales were slow until their showing in the first Chouinard Equipment catalog in 1972. The first pages of the catalog featured A Word from the owners on the environmental hazards of pitons. The ethical stand taken by Chouinard Equipment dramatically effected the climbing community. Things began to change for the better. Within just a few months of the release of their first catalog, piton sales were severely stunted. In 1973 Patagonia the company was incorporated. Around this same time, Chouinard became interested in the profit potential of soft goods. He pursued his interest by introducing rugby shirts into their line. Frost and others opposed this decision and left the partnership in 1975. In the mid-seventies clothing was introduced under the name 'Patagonia'. Shortly after, in 1979, Patagonia Clothing Corporation was established. Patagonia was incorporated in 1984. Patagonia followed Chouinard's original intentions of developing goods that could easily be described as ridiculously overbuilt (Defining Quality, 5). Chouinard began technical product development in 1973, which continued and intensified under the Patagonia name. Patagonia continually improved on the amount of environmental impact as well as the quality of their materials. Pile lead to Bunting, which lead to Synchilla, which eventually changed the industry. Patagonia also introduced polypropylene underwear, which was replaced by Capilene in 1985. Although competition became fierce, Patagonia's attention to the details and construction of their products kept them ahead of the others. Throughout the years there has always been one constant in Patagonia's design and philosophy- a sense that there is in the products, or should be, more than meets the eye. Quality. Superb functionality. Environmental concern. A Killer warranty and service to match (Defining Quality, 9). Patagonia's Environmental History As you can see in the above text, Patagonias founder Yvon Chouinard has always put the environment first in his business plans. But Patagonia has done more for

Why does group polarisation occur Essays

Why does group polarisation occur Essays Why does group polarisation occur Essay Why does group polarisation occur Essay Essay Topic: Sociology Group polarisation refers to the tendency for groups to make more extreme decisions or judgements after discussion when compared to the initial views of group members. This phenomenon has interested psychologists since 1961, when Stoner discovered the risky shift, and is central to understanding social influence in groups; therefore the major theories of social influence have been invoked to explain it, so far with little conclusive success. This essay will cover the origins of group polarisation and examples of it in everyday life, and will then proceed to discuss a number of theories proposed to explain it. It will then be attempted to ascertain which of these best explains group polarisation and why. Until the 1960s it was generally accepted that a groups attitudes were the mean or average of its comprising individuals attitudes. In 1961 Stoner asked some business students to make judgements on a choice dilemma questionnaire, this was done individually and then in groups. Group decisions were found to be, on average, more risky than average pre-discussion, individual decisions. This was known as the shift to risk, and was quickly replicated by Wallach et al. (1962). Wallach et al. evised twelve hypothetical choice dilemmas, and asked participants to rate the lowest level of risk that they found acceptable for somebody to take a risky course of action. They found that 92% of group decisions were riskier than the average individual decision; and importantly, that it resulted in permanent cognitive change, with 39% taking riskier actions after the group decisions (Wallach and Kogan, 1965). Early explanations for this shift were based around the idea that groups have a diffusion of responsibility; with no-one individually held responsible, they can afford to take risks. However, the shift to risk was soon found to be a shift to extremity, with several experiments finding that groups are not always risky. Stoner (1968) found reliable shifts to caution on issues of well being and safety; e. g. prisoner to attempt escape, if the prisoner escapes he lives, but if not he will die. It was concluded that groups polarise, they shift to extremities, the more extreme a group is to begin with, the more extreme it seems to become (Brown, 2000, p. 199). This was a very important discovery which challenged the classic conformity theory experiments which typically showed convergence on the group norms. Sherifs 1935 auto kinetic experiment showed groups converging on a range of judgements close to the mean or median of preliminary individual judgements. Aschs line experiments produced similar results (1952, 1955 1956). The risky shift experiments show simultaneous convergence and shift to a more extreme group norm be it negative or positive. Polarisation doesnt just occur in theoretical choice dilemmas, it is a general phenomenon that may be observed in everyday life. Kalven and Ziesel (1966) studied jury decisions in America and found that the initial majority were predictive of 90% of decisions. Blacovich et al. (1975) found that groups bet more than individuals in Blackjack; while McCauley et al. found groups to be more cautious than individuals when betting on horses. Moscovici and Zavalloni (1969) asked French students their attitudes towards President de Gaulle and the USA, the students then formed groups and gave group attitude responses. These group responses were more extreme than their individual responses with de Gaulle being seen more positively and the USA more negatively than previously. However, almost all the studies conducted into group polarisation have been within laboratories using ad-hoc groups and with no realistic outcome for the participants. Therefore it could be argued that these results cannot be generalised Of the experiments that have been conducted with real-experiment groups, the results have been less reliable (e. g. Semin and Glendon, 1973) though it is a phenomenon that is occurring regularly. The first theory that tried to account for group polarisation was by Wallach and Kogan (1965); based on diffusion of responsibility, they held that discussion reduced any anxiety felt about the negative consequences of making a choice, because the responsibility is shared. This didnt explain why shifts to caution or shifts on decisions which resulted in no consequences occurred. The group decision schemes theory (Davis, 1979), was one of the first influential theories in the field; Davis held that groups have implicit rules for combining individual positions on decisions; the most common rule being majority rule. This means the group decision will be more extreme or skewed whenever the majority is biased towards a particular extreme. There were many criticisms levelled at the theory which didnt adequately resolve why polarisation actually occurred. It was rejected, as skewness does not account for shifts in dyads where no majority can exist; it doesnt explain why there are shifts in the group median as well as the mean and the shift may also runs counter to the initial majority. Also it didnt justify why the group shift was internalised and even affected non-participating observers (Lamm, 1967). Lastly, as Graesser (1975) points out, the theory is not falsifiable because group decision schemes theory is based upon infinite maths calculations and therefore it is always possible to claim that the correct scheme has yet to be discovered. A number of other theories were proposed, including familiarisation theory (Bateson, 1965) and various leadership theories, none proved to be watertight and were dismissed. Only two theories have survived and both have tended to rework one of the two dual processes recognised by the social dependency paradigm: normative and informational influence. First we shall consider normative influence and social comparison theory; an extension of Festingers (1954) social comparison theory, Sanders and Baron (1977) have modified it to explain polarisation. Normative influence is being liked; fulfilling and conforming to the groups expectations so as to boost positive feeling about oneself. Sanders and Baron tried to prove that people often value more extreme values than they actually hold; however they are generally scared of being too extremist. However when in a group it is actually found that they hold only moderate views, and so shift them further in the group direction to be seen more positively. The key factor in this social comparison explanation is peoples knowledge of other group members positions relative to the dominant social values in question (Brown, 2000, p. 202). Therefore, as Teger and Pruitt (1967) found, there is no need for any discussion, as long as group members positions can be inferred, their will be no need for a verbal exchanging of views. As the values become more explicit so people polarise more extremely; Baron and Roper (1976) adapted Sherifs (1936) auto kinetic effect paradigm by effectively informing participants that light distance was correlated with high intelligence. This inevitably led to participants estimating higher distances depending upon the claim made by the participant beforehand. However Burnstein and Vinokur (1977) claim that by associating light movement with intelligence, they have provided the participants with a persuasive argument to estimate larger distances (Burnstein and Vinokur, 1977, p. 27). Burnstein and Vinokur have taken a totally opposing stance towards solving the polarisation phenomenon. They hold that it is a result of informational influence, of persuasive arguments which cause people to accept information as the truth. Vinokur and Burnsteins persuasive arguments theory (1974) holds that a culturally given pool of arguments exist for and against the decision in question, which participants can delve into and exchange during discussion. For a shift to occur it depends upon the persuasiveness of the new arguments generated in discussions. However, availability, direction and persuasiveness of these arguments vary, which may allow for experiments whereabouts the arguments do not result in group polarisation. A persuasive argument is defined as a statement judged to have a certain cogency (Burnstein and Vinokur, 1977, p. 326), but the arguments impact can only be effective within certain social contexts; for otherwise it wouldnt be possible to determine its impact. Sanders and Baron have conceded that a persuasive argument also has an effect on group polarisation, and that the two theories work in conjunction with one another. This was rejected on the grounds that it was too complicated and that persuasive arguments can explain polarisation and convergence. There is a huge wealth of evidence lending credence to the persuasive arguments theory; including polarisation when exposed to arguments without exposure to others positions and polarisation when just thinking about an issue. Burnstein and Vinokur found that (i) if an individual could argue but not compare, then polarisation occurred (1973), (ii) if he could compare but not argue, polarisation vanishes or is greatly reduced (1973, 1975). Burnstein et al. conceded that social comparison may play an indirect role in influencing polarisation as information about others may guide the person in generating arguments (Burnstein and Vinokur, 1977, p. 318). Myers and Lamm also disagree with the persuasive arguments theory, they concluded that (although) the evidence for (informational theories such as persuasive arguments) is compelling it also appears that group polarisation is not fully explained by a passive process of cognitive learning. More dynamic processes of cognitive rehearsal and verbal commitment are also likely contributors (Myers and Lamm, 1976 cited in Burnstein and Vinokur, 1977, p. 316). Burnstein and Vinokur argue that this is invalid because persuasive arguments involves a dynamic process whereabouts the persons brain acts like a central processing unit. Another criticism of the persuasive arguments theory is that their research generally involves the use of choice dilemma questionnaires introduced by Kogan and Wallach (1964); as these only measure shifts involving a risk-caution dimension they cant really be used to generalise to choice shifts in general. Many debates have taken place between exponents of the social comparison theory and the persuasive arguments theory ultimately leading to an inconclusive end. An alternative to Turners (1987) self categorisation theory, formulated by Wetherell (1987), proposes that for convergence to lead to polarization rather than just conformity; arguments have to be persuasive and extreme positions desirable only to the degree that they represent the norms of a group with which the person is psychologically identified. What group members converge upon is not the ingroup average, but the ingroup norm. This idea was tested on students by Mackie and Cooper (1984) who confirmed that participants attitudes were significantly more affected when they knew the arguments were coming from an ingroup rather than an outgroup. Sanders and Baron admit that there are probably several processes responsible for group induced choice shifts (Sanders Baron, 1977, p. 303). Burnstein and Vinokur still remain convinced that persuasive arguments can adequately explain group polarisation; but in conclusion (and as Lamm and Myers (1978) deduce) in a naturalistic setting there is no neat dichotomy. There is no clear cut separation between the two main theories, they operate unconsciously within each other and therefore both are necessary in daily life, probably along with several other factors, in order to produce the phenomenon known as group polarisation.

Annotated bibliography for a study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

For a study - Annotated Bibliography Example The participants for the study included hearing-impaired students attending junior high or high school. Besides that, their mothers were also qualified to participate in the research project. The student and mother required to make use of any quantity of American Sign Language so as to be able to be involved in the study (page # 177, Lines #12-24). Correlations were conducted to establish whether a relationship exists between skill level of the mothers and the English literacy of the children according to the STAR test (page # 174, Lines # 5-7). A total of seven children and six mothers were involved in the study (page # 178, Lines # 1). Results indicated that there was no significant relationship between skill levels of the mothers and the students’ English literary as measured by the TGSL-R. It was also found out that from 2010, students with higher A’ scores from TGJASL-R also seemed to possess higher scores on the CMA or ELA CST. There is a significant relationship between the ASL ability of a student and skills in English literary. These findings were supported by Strong and Prinz (1997). The amount of years a mother utilized ASL influenced her A’ scores on the TGJASL-R. Finally, there was a significant difference in performance between those who are native users of ASL and those who are non-native users of ASL (page # 185-186, Lines # 4-20; Lines # 2-16). Buchholtz, S., Lachs, L., & Boudreault, P. (2011). The effect of mothers ASL skill level on the English Literacy of their Children. Journal of the American Deafness & Rehabilitation Association , 45 (1),

Policies Government can use to close Deflationary Gap Essay

Policies Government can use to close Deflationary Gap - Essay Example Beyond this point deflation sets in; national output exceeds the expenditures on consumption, investment and that of government as well as ability to finance export. The difference between the national output given by Y and that of expenditure E is termed deflationary gap. Any gap that exists before the equilibrium level is called the inflationary gap. The existence of this disequilibrium means an excess saving over investment or more withdrawals than injections because economic participants actually spend less than the amount of income they earned hence, accumulation of inventories. This unwanted accumulation of inventories implies that firms will cut back on production, lay off workers, and income falls. Because income and consumption fall, and firms cut production whereby the actual inventories will be equal to planned inventories and planned spending equal to income at Equi. level"3 Basically, there are two main policies that can be used to close deflationary gap. They are monetary policy and fiscal policy. Monetary policy is used to influence interest rates, inflation and credit availability through changes money supply in the economy. There are three tools through which this policy can be implemented: reserve requirement, open market operations and discount rate.4 On the other hand, fiscal policy involves the use of government expenditure and taxation to influence national output and expenditure. In this section, discussion will be centered on deflationary gap experience of Japan and United States, and Ethiopia. In the late 1990s, Japanese economy underwent a severe deflation resulting in weak demand, high unemployment rate, and steady reduction in the general price level. The country experienced steady reduction in both nominal and real GDP growth in fiscal 1923 after the Great Kanto Earthquake and in fiscal 1998, after the year in which Yamaichi Securities and Hokkaido Takushoku Bank collapsed.5 There is a belief that shifts from profit maximization to strengthening balance sheet which disrupts normal working of the economy perhaps the corporate sector stop borrowing the funds the household saved even with very low interest6. (Nakahara) says that the application of monetary policy brought about considerable improvement in the economy. Bank of Japan adopted the Zero Interest Rate Policy from February 1999 to August 2000 when the industrial sector grew considerably well; corporate profits were recovering, business fixed investment and private consumption were on the rise7. In addition, the B ank of Japan introduced open market operations with overall objective of tackling reducing interest rate. The bank planned more liquidity to be made available in the money market by maintaining the outstanding balance of current accounts at the bank at over 6 trillion yen and targeting interest rate below 0.01 percent. In the diagram below, the effect of changes in interest rate is employed by Bank of Japan in order to tackle deflation. At point E the economy is at equilibrium national product which is less than full employment. Point B represents the national output the economy produces where equilibrium exists at point E intersection of initial aggregate demand AD1 and national product NP while point F is the anticipated full employment output the

The Sin Tax bill Reaction Essay Example for Free

The Sin Tax bill Reaction Essay The Sin Tax bill (House Bill 5727 and Senate Bill 3249) is a bill which aims to restructure the existing taxes imposed on alcohol and tobacco goods. On December 20, 2012, President Benigno Aquino III signed the Republic Act 10351 or the sin tax reform 2012. The Sin Tax Bill is a sensationalized issue in the Philippines and it gets several mixed reactions from different stakeholders in the country or Filipinos at large. Filipinos are expected to reduce their vices like alcoholism and smoking as a target result of this Bill. Aquino said the new law aims to favor both the government and the Filipino people since revenues to be generated from the measure will be used to fund health insurance programs for the poor, and build and renovate hospitals in the country. Most families of Filipinos especially those who are not residing in urban areas are farmers. The source of their livelihood is farming tobacco products and harvesting fermented liquors, in our dialect â€Å"tuba†. They are now the immediate concern that the government should consider upon the approval of this Bill. Higher taxes on tobacco products mean lesser income for these farmers. Especially, that they are not the owner of the lands they’re farming, they also pay lease for the lands. Unemployment is one of the possible outcomes of the Sin Tax Bill, especially on our farmers. If they become jobless, they likely can resort to different illegal activities just to provide for their family. The aim of the Sin tax Bill is to discourage smokers and alcoholics. But the problem here is that, especially on Filipinos who claim that these vices are addiction to them, they would still continue smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages, to the point that they would sacrifice some of the immediate needs of their families just to sustain their wants. Filipinos are very steadfast on every endeavor they undertake. But they have this mindset that the Programs of the Government are not reaching the true and deserving beneficiaries, like farmers. They may not benefit from these health programs because in the first place they are not living in the cities where standard and quality health responses are located. Maybe these projects may be beneficial to the Filipinos but what of the immediate impact on these increases of taxes? Different Tobacco and Alcoholic Beverages companies might also decrease the salaries of their workers or lay-off employees because its production will become more expensive. It will really affect factory workers and even small-scale business owners. On the other hand, I think this Sin Tax Bill has its positive goals especially to the youth of the nations. Most consumers of these â€Å"sin goods† are youth. With the presence of this bill, there will be higher prices on different cigarettes and alcoholic drinks and since they cannot afford it, they will be discouraged to smoke and drink alcohols. Let’s just cross our fingers that the youth will not resort to illegal means just to continue their vices, especially the out-of-school-children-and-youths. Since they do not have a proper education, we should take it into account that OSCYs are more vulnerable to these vices and if they are not guided properly, this Sin Tax Bill will make sins bigger.

Examining Moral Philosophies’ Functions in Business Essay -- values, e

The Moral Philosophies’ Functions in Business Usually the conversation about philosophy in society is centered on the universal structure of values as part of their lives. Conversely moral philosophy relates to certain ideologies or statutes which are used by societies in determining right or wrong. It is imperative to comprehend there is a difference between â€Å"moral philosophies† and â€Å"business ethics†. The â€Å"moral philosophies† pertain to individual’s values, whereas â€Å"business ethics† is centered on groups’ decisions or relate to meeting a business objective. As espoused by Ferrell, et.al, (2013) the moral philosophy is what a person hold as their ethics and beliefs. However, when viewing ethics in the framework of business, ethics are based on what the group considers to be the best or worse approach for the business operation and its objectives. Therefore, it is the responsibility of a company or its managers to create, and instruct, employees on the conformity of ethical in business practices within their organizations. Managers also should understand that their personal moral philosophies can be influential as a guide to other employee. Moreover, it should be understood that moral philosophies offer standards for controlling how conflicts are settled in reference to people life’s concerns. Additionally moral philosophies influence how corporation devise business strategies and resolve specific ethical issues (Ferrell, et al., 2013, p. 153). With that said it should be noted that not one specific moral philosophy is accepted universally. This fact is proven by viewing how moral philosophies is used to are used to endorse certain economic system and the conduct of people in those systems. For the purpose of this paper... ...., Fraedrich, J. & Ferrell, L. (2013), Business ethics & social responsibility. [OMM640 Custom edition] Mason, OH: Cengage Learning Forsyth, D. R. (1992). Judging the morality of business practices: The influence of personal moral philosophies. Journal of Business Ethics, 11(5), 461. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/198100721?accountid=32521 Robertson, C. J., & Crittenden, W. F. (2003).Mapping moral philosophies: Strategic implications for multinational firms. Strategic Management Journal, 24(4), 385-392. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/225010000?accountid=32521 Singh, J., Vitell, S., Al-Khatib, J., & Clark, I. (2007). The Role of Moral Intensity and Personal Moral Philosophies in the Ethical Decision Making of Marketers: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of China and the United States. Journal of International Marketing, 15(2), 86-112.

Computer College †Fairview Campus Essay

1.0 Proposed Thesis Title: â€Å"Easy Login System for Computers in AMA Fairview using ID Barcode Scanner† 2.0 Area of Investigation: This study focuses on having a good monitoring system for easy login on the computers in the AMA Fairview computer laboratories in terms of students or professors using computers as well as monitoring the time and problems about each specific computer. 3.0 Reason for choosing this Topic: To secure the laboratory equipments, the professors must ensure that students will handle them properly. The proponents chose this study to give ease on monitoring of student’s usage in each individual computer and also monitor the student’s attendance. 4.0 Importance of the Study: The study will help to improve the services of the AMA Fairview in teaching on their computer subjects. It also helps the users to easily log in on the computers. Computer College – Fairview Campus Asia ’s 1st and Largest IT University Lot 9 Blk 129 Regalado Ave., Fairview, Pasong Putik, Quezon City 5.0 Target Users/Beneficiaries: The target users or beneficiaries of this study will be the students and professors using computers with ease of monitoring the computer’s condition to lessen the student’s misusage. 6.0 Similarity with Previous Study/Project: This proposed study is similar to â€Å"Celt Login Authentication System(CLAS) in University of Santo Thomas † by Michael Anthony G. Goco and Edgardo Antonio O. Gayos.

Encountering Conflict Sample Essay Essay

Prompt: It is the victims of conflict who show us what is really important When encountering conflict, victims usually do tend to display what our priorities are. But what is considered to be ‘really important’? Morals and ethics could be considered essential when encountering conflict as they allow us to solve a conflict by ‘doing the right thing’. This can include showing attributes such as honesty and justice. For the most part, victims of conflict show us what is morally right and just by their actions. However, there are some exceptions to this. There at times when victims of conflict can be influenced by others to divert from what is truly important, and directed to obtaining gratification instead. Furthermore, those who initiate the conflict tend to have different priorities, quite distinct from what we may consider important, and so they tend to not display what is ‘really important’ in the eyes of others. Victims of conflict can show us how morals and ethics are what is important. A clear example of this in history can be seen by the actions of African-American woman, Rosa Parkes. On Thursday, December 1, 1955, Parks was sitting in the front-most row for black people. When a Caucasian man boarded the bus, the bus driver told everyone in her row to move back to create a new row for the whites. While all of the other black people in her row complied, Parks refused, and was arrested for failing to obey the driver’s seat assignments, as city ordinances did not explicitly mandate segregation but did give the bus driver authority to assign seats. Found guilty on December 5 Parks was fined $10 plus a court cost of $4, but she appealed. Her brave actions however showed the world how justice and equality is important and morally right. Rosa Parks changed the way America discriminated against the blacks and is now considered one of the pioneers of the civil rights movement. Other factors of morals and ethics which are considered ‘important’ by most can include honesty and righteousness when encountering conflict. This is clearly portrayed in the film â€Å"A Separation† by Asghar Farhadi. The film is involved around a conflict between the families of Nader and Hodjat. When both families are at court trying to seek justice, the victims of the  conflict could be considered to be the children, who were being affected by the struggle but had no direct involvement in it. When questioned by the judge, both families distorted the truth, or simply lied in order to win the dispute. Termeh, the eleven year-old daughter of Nader however, portrays what was truly important at the time. When Termeh is swayed to lie in court in order to protect her father, she is shown crying in the film. This inner struggle within her shows us that what was truly important was to tell the truth in order to solve the conflict. Her lying in court only exacerbated the situation even further, thus demonstrating how a victim of conflict although influenced to do the wrong thing, did show us what is truly important. Additionally, Termeh is shown multiple times in the film, questioning her father of whether or not he was telling the truth about the murder of Razieh’s baby. Her moral values of honesty and integrity eventually cause Nader to confess the truth. This again is another example of a victim of conflict, showing us what is really important. It could be said that only the victims of conflict show us what is really important. This is because those who benefit from or initiate conflict often have priorities quite distinct from what we might consider important – thus they don’t show us what is truly important. In the film â€Å"A Separation†, both Nader and Razieh constantly lie in court in order to save themselves from justice. Nader is shown to say he did not push Razieh out of his house, and Razieh is shown multiple times saying Nader caused the death of her unborn baby. In their mind, what is important is to save themselves from being punished due to their wrong doings. What is truly important however, is justice and morals. Because both these individuals commenced the conflict, they do not show us what is ‘really important’. IT is true that victims of conflict can show us what is important. However, although they can, it does not mean they always do. Victims of conflict can be influenced by the more powerful to do the wrong thing and thus be directed away from seeking what is important. In the film â€Å"A Separation†, Termeh, a victim of conflict, although wanting to do the right thing, is influenced by her father’s wrong actions and thus is almost ‘forced’ into lying in order to protect Nader from his wrong doings. Although Termeh seeks to be honest, there at times when victims are influenced and as a result,  they simply divert from showing us what is really important. In general, although with some exceptions, victims of conflict tend to show us what is important by standing up or simply seeking morals and ethics when encountering conflict. This can be seen by the real-life example of Rosa Parkes, a woman who seeked justice and equality. Additionally, it can be seen in multiple scenes in the film ‘A Separation’, where the children (the victims) show us that morals and ethical behaviour is what is truly important at all times.

A Statistical View of the Juvenile Justice System Essay Example

A Statistical View of the Juvenile Justice System Essay Example A Statistical View of the Juvenile Justice System Paper A Statistical View of the Juvenile Justice System Paper A STATISTICAL VIEW OF THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM Najja A. Wells California State University, Dominguez Hills Author Note Najja A. Wells, Department of Public Administration, California State University Dominguez Hills Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Najja A. Wells, Department of Public Administration, California State University, Dominguez Hills 1000 E. Victoria Street, Carson, CA 90747 (310)243-3696 Email: [emailprotected] csudh. edu Policy/Issue Americas youth are faced with an ever-changing set of problems and barriers to successful lives. As a result, we are constantly met with the task of developing enlightened policies and programs to address the needs and risks of those youth that enter our juvenile justice system. The policies we create must be based on facts, not fears or negative assumptions. This document will take a look at the current and former statistics of the juvenile justice system in California and the nation in the years ranging from 1995 until present time. Statistics gathered from an array of sources provide insight of the issues of the juvenile system including disparities in racial representation, trends in criminal behavior of juvenile offenders, methods of entrance into the system, gender and age variations in crimes committed, as well as statistics on the demographic, sociological, and economic factors that are indirectly or directly related to juvenile victimization and crime. Together, these statistics dispel common perceptions of the increase in the rate and proportion of young juveniles entering the system, and provide an informed view of the actualities of the juvenile crime rate and juvenile justice system. Background The juvenile justice system was created in the late 1800s to reform U. S. policies regarding youth offenders. â€Å"The juvenile court was founded at the turn of this century as a specialized institution for dealing with dependent, neglected, and delinquent minors. Its guiding principle was parens patrie, a medieval English doctrine that allowed the Crown to supplant natural family relations whenever a child’s welfare was at stake- in other words, to become a substitute parent. † (Greenwood, Lipson, Abrahamse, amp; Zimring, 1983). Since that time, a number of reforms aimed at both protecting the due process of law rights of youth, and creating an aversion toward jail among the young have made the juvenile justice system more comparable to the adult system, a shift from the United States original intent. The juvenile justice system along with other numerous U. S. programs and systems has undergone many periods of change and reform. The reform and social change of the juvenile justice system begun with the Progressive Era reforms and continued with the â€Å"In re Gault† Supreme Court decision of 1967, the Juvenile Delinquency and Prevention and Control Act of 1968, the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Control Act of 1974, and the modern â€Å"Get Tough on Crime† legislation. The most prominent and altering reform phase was in 1974. By 1974, the United States had developed a strong momentum toward preventing juvenile delinquency, deinstitutionalizing youth already in the system, and keeping juvenile offenders separate from adult offenders. The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 created the following entities: The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), The Runaway Youth Program, and The National Institute for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (NIJJDP). History of America’s, 2008) The act of 1974 also offered grants to encourage states to develop community-based programs as alternatives to institutionalization. Law enforcement experimented with the introduction of community-based correctional facilities, such as group homes and halfway houses. (Child or Adult, 2010) The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) compiles arrest information provided by law enforcement agencies each year and creates reports examining the trends, rates a nd statistics of uvenile criminal activity. Every four years the OJJDP publishes a comprehensive study as part of its Juvenile Offenders and Victims National Report Series. The arrest statistics found in these studies are useful for comparing general trends. Existing Problems One of the major and probably most widely known and controversial issues within the juvenile justice system is the apparent disproportional representation of minority offenders in juvenile arrests and delinquency cases. A number of recent surveys have shown that there are profound racial disparities in the juvenile justice system, and that African-American and Hispanic youth are more likely to be tried as adults. They are more likely to receive longer sentences; theyre more likely to be in locked facilities, and on and on and on, even when charged with the same offense as whites. Statistically, race plays a role in the types of crime in which youth become involved. The OJJDP, in its reporting, chronicles how many arrests are made in each of four racial categories – white (includes Hispanic youth), black, American-Indian, and Asian. The study charts arrest rates among different racial groups for specified juvenile crimes. It also compares arrest rates with population rates, and follows arrest rates over time. According to the Juvenile Offender and Victims 2006 National Report, black youth, who accounted for 16% of the juvenile population in 2003, were involved in a disproportionate number of juvenile arrests for robbery (63%), murder (48%), motor vehicle theft (40%), and aggravated assault (38%). The December 2001 bulletin of the Juvenile Offenders and Victims National Report Series published the following statistics on crime in 1999: White youth were arrested for 72 percent of the crime and made up 79 percent of the youth population; black youth were arrested for 25 percent of the crime and made up 16 percent of the youth population, American Indian youth composed 1 percent of the juvenile population and were arrested for 1 percent of the crime, and youth of Asian descent composed 4 percent of the juvenile population and were arrested for 2 percent of the crime (Juvenile crimes demographics, 2008). When looking at the numbers, it appears that juveniles of white descent are actually the ones with a disproportionate representation in the system. This is however untrue. Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) data do not distinguish the ethnic group Hispanic; Hispanics may be of any race. In 2003, 92% of Hispanics ages 10–17 were classified racially as white (Snyder and Sickmund, 2006). Although a majority of delinquency cases handled in 2002 involved white youth (1,086,700 or 67%), a disproportionate number of cases involved blacks (473,100 or 29%), given their proportion of the juvenile population. In 2002, white youth made up 78% of the juvenile population (youth ages 10 through the upper age of juvenile court jurisdiction in each state), black youth 16%, and youth of other races 6% (Snyder and Sickmund, 2006). The issue of racial disparities is by far not a new concept. A report submitted to the Florida Supreme Court Racial and Ethnic Bias Study Commission in 1990 by two gentlemen D. M. Bishop and C. E. Frazier, revealed that race (if non-white) did make a difference with regard to outcome decisions. According to Bishop and Frazier: â€Å"Nonwhite juveniles processed for delinquency offenses in 1987 received more severe (i. e. , more formal and/or restrictive) dispositions than their white counterparts at several stages of juvenile processing. Specifically, we found that when juvenile offenders were alike in terms of age, gender, seriousness of the offense which prompted the current referral, and seriousness of their prior records, the probability of receiving the harshest disposition available at each of several processing stages was higher for nonwhite than for white youth. These disparities were found to exist for petition, secure detention, commitment to an institution, and transfers to an adult court. † (Pope and Feyerherm, 1995). Concern with racial disparity in the juvenile justice system extends to both sides of the bench. Bridget Jones, former supervisor of the juvenile division of the Santa Clara County Public Defenders Office said, â€Å"The system is not fair. Institutional racism is alive and well in the juvenile justice system, as it is in the criminal justice system. Its easier to identify with people that are more like yourself, so if you have judges that are predominantly from that same community, they can identify. . . . The same thing happens with people who have money versus people who dont have moneyif they can demonstrate a support system that can act as a safety net or think they can act as a safety net for them on the outside; judges are more prone to buy into that. † (Is the system, 2010). The supervising deputy district attorney for the Juvenile Division of the Santa Clara Countys District Attorneys office, Kurt Kumli, concurs with his statement: â€Å"You cant go into any ourtroom in this state and take a look at the kids that are in custody and the kids that are out of custody and deny that there is racial disparity in the juvenile justice system. I think there are a number of reasons why there are racial disparities in the system. The law is skewed with respect to the social factors that are considered, in terms of making a determination of who gets locked up and who doesnt. And since it is skewed in such a way as to essentially favor more affluent kids or to punish kids that are less affluent, that have racial and ethnic consequences. (Is the system, 2010)? Another issue within the juvenile justice system is the inaccuracy of the true amount of juvenile criminal activity. Official records often under represent juvenile delinquent behavior. Many juveniles who commit offenses are never arrested or are not arrested for all their delinquencies. As a result, official records systematically underestimate the scope of juvenile crime. In addition, to the extent that other factors may influence the types of crimes or offenders that enter the justice system, official records may also distort the attributes of juvenile crime. Although official records may be inadequate measures of the level of juvenile offending, they do monitor justice system activity. Analysis of variations in official statistics across time and jurisdictions provides an understanding of justice system caseloads. (Snyder and Sickmund, 2006). An alternative method used to gain insight of juvenile delinquent behavior is through self-report studies. Self-report studies ask victims or offenders to report on their experiences and behaviors. Self-report studies can capture information on behavior that never comes to the attention of juvenile justice agencies. Compared with official studies, self-report studies find a much higher proportion of the juvenile population involved in delinquent behavior. Self-report studies, however, have their own limitations. A youth’s memory limits the information that can be captured. This, along with other problems associated with interviewing young children, is the reason that the National Crime Victim ization Survey does not attempt to interview children below age 12. Some victims and offenders are also unwilling to disclose all law violations. Finally, it is often difficult for self-report studies to collect data from large enough samples to develop a sufficient understanding of relatively are events, such as serious violent offending. (Snyder and Sickmund, 2006). Age and gender representation and differences in the system is possibly one of the smallest issues within the juvenile justice system. On the whole, far fewer juvenile females than males commit crimes. In 1999, females accounted for only 27 percent of juvenile arrests. In 2000, they accounted for 28 percent of juvenile arrests. Females were most involved in: prostitution/commercialized vice arrests, embezzlement arrests, theft arrests, and runaway arrests. Juvenile females were least involved in rape arrests, sexual offense (excluding rape and prostitution), and gambling and robbery arrests. The arrest rate among young women did not experience the peak and fall that characterized male juvenile arrests during the 1990s. Instead, female juvenile arrest rates have steadily grown for the past 20 years. (Juvenile Crimes-Demographics, 2008). Juveniles are defined by the OJJDP as youth under the age of 18. In 1999, the year analyzed in the OJJDP’s National Report Series, juveniles composed 17 percent of all U. S. arrests. Youth under the age of 15 made up 32 percent of all juvenile arrests. Youth under the age of 15 were most likely to be arrested for arson, vandalism, or assault cases. Youth between 15 and 17 made up 68 percent of all juvenile arrests. Youth between the ages of 15 and 17 were most likely to be arrested for alcohol and drug violation cases. Theft, simple assault, and drug use crimes represented the highest number of arrests overall. (Juvenile crime-demographics, 2008). In 2002, the delinquency case rate for 16-year-olds was 1. 6 times the rate for 14-year-olds and the rate for 14-year-olds was 3. 1 times the rate for 12year-olds. The increase in rates between age 13 and age 17 was sharpest for drug offenses; the rate for drug offenses for 17-year-old juveniles was 8 times the rate for 13-year-olds. (Source: Authors’ adaptation of Stahl et al. ’s Juvenile Court Statistics 2001–2002. ) Most delinquency cases involve older teens. High-school-age juveniles (ages 14 and older) made up 80% of the delinquency caseload in 2002, older teens (ages 16 and older) accounted for 42%. In comparison, middle-school-age juveniles (ages 12 and 13) were involved in 16% of delinquency cases, while juveniles younger than 12 accounted for 5%. (Snyder and Sickmund, 2006). A final major issue that deserves examination  within the juvenile justice system is the behavioral, social, and economic factors/ problems that are prevalent in juveniles already in the system and are associated with the expectancy of juvenile delinquency. A recent study using data from NLSY97 explored the factors associated with a youth’s self-reported law-violating behaviors. One significant factor was a youth’s family structure. In general, the research showed that juveniles who lived with both biological parents had lower lifetime prevalence of law-violating behaviors than did juveniles who lived in other family types. For example, the study found that 5% of youth age 17 who lived with both biological parents reported ever being in a gang, compared with 12% of youth who lived in other family arrangements. Similarly, youth at age 17 living with both biological parents reported a lower lifetime prevalence, compared with youth living in other types of families, for a wide range of problem behaviors: marijuana use (30% vs. 0%), hard drug use (9% vs. 13%), drug selling (13% vs. 19%), running away from home (13% vs. 25%), vandalism(34% vs. 41%), theft of something worth more than $50 (19% vs. 17%), assault with the intent to seriously injure (20% vs. 35%). Family structure is correlated with a youth’s race and ethnicity; that is, white non-Hispanic youth are more likely to live in families with two biologi cal parents than are black or Hispanic youth. Therefore, patterns that indicate racial or ethnic differences in self-reported behavior may in reality be reflecting differences in family structure. (Snyder and Sickmund, 2006). It is seemingly common belief that juveniles that come from a single-parent household, with more times than often, an incarcerated parent are more likely to become involved in law-violating behaviors. The study also found other factors related to juveniles’ self-reported involvement in law-violating behaviors. The most closely related factor was the presence of friends or family members in gangs. For example, compared with juveniles who did not have friends or families in gangs, those who did were at least 3 times more likely to report having engaged in vandalism, a major theft, a serious assault, carrying a handgun, and selling drugs. They were also about 3 times more likely to use hard drugs and to run away from home. Connectedness to school and/or work also was related to juveniles’ self-reported law-violating behavior. Juveniles who were neither in school nor working had a significantly greater risk of engaging in a wide range of problem behaviors- using marijuana and hard drugs, running away from home, belonging to a gang, committing a major theft or a serious assault, selling drugs, and carrying a handgun. (Snyder and Sickmund, 2006). Possible Outcomes if Problem is not solved If the problems within the juvenile justice system are not addressed, and actions are not set forth to reform current policies, the present issues will not only remain, but will become even more pertinent and numbers will continue to increase. New programs have been developed to determine the probability of juvenile delinquency at ages as young as nine (or that of a third grade student). The prison system is a private enterprise that functions on capitalism and profit. Since these agencies have already created systems to classify children and prepare a place for them in a delinquency center before they even complete elementary education, a continued lack of involvement on all levels of society-parents, schools, community, and government will only act as a catalyst for the continued incarceration of youth. There will be a continuous disparity in racial representation, juveniles will receive harsher punishments because of assumed liability, the age of offenders will have slight change, violent crimes will flourish, and the presence of juvenile females in the system will continue to increase. Possible Outcomes if the Problem is Solved To better understand how to improve the juvenile justice system, a combination of self-reports and official recorded data must be integrated together. Carefully used, self-report and official statistics provide insight into crime and victimization. Delbert Elliott, Director of the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, has argued that to abandon either self-report or official statistics in favor of the other is â€Å"rather shortsighted; to systematically ignore the findings of either is dangerous, particularly when the two measures provide apparently contradictory findings. Elliott stated that a full understanding of the etiology and development of delinquent behavior is enhanced by using and integrating both self-report and official record research. (Snyder and Sickmund, 2006). An increase in racially diverse judges and personnel within the court system will encourage a decrease in the conviction and harsh punishments implemente d on juveniles of minority backgrounds. In relation to the racial disparities within the juvenile justice system, Judge Ladoris Cordell who erved on the Superior Court of the Santa Clara County offers a solution. She says: â€Å"One way is to increase the number of judges on the bench who are judges who look like the people who come before them. So, if I have judges who are African-American, who are Latino or Latina, who are from the Asian-American communities, they are less likely to engage in that kind of stereotyping when some young kid who is of the same background or same ethnic background comes before that judge. . . . The other is, there are judges who are white, black, whatever, who have those biases. The idea is to address those biases, to get them to address it, which means judicial training. † Trends The reports generated by the OJJDP, although not infallible in representing crime rates, are effective at showing trends and general patterns. The following patterns in juvenile crime have been particularly interesting: * Since 1994 most arrest rates have been in steady decline. Murder arrest rates, for example, were 74% lower in 2000 than they were in 1993. * Between 1987 and 1994 most arrest rates increased sharply. Aggravated assault rates doubled, as did murder rates. * Males drove the 1987-1994 spikes in the murder arrest rate, and the increases were seen in acts committed with firearms. (Juvenile Crime, 2008) A common perception in the last few years was that the rate and proportion of young juveniles (under age 13) entering the juvenile justice system had increased. This statement is not true. In 1980, there were an estimated 1,476 arrests of persons ages 10–12 for every 100,000 persons in this age group in the U. S. population. By 2003, this arrest rate had fallen to 1,296, a decline of 12%. In 1980, 9. 5% of all juvenile arrests were arrests of persons under age 13; in 2003, this percentage had decreased to 8. 5%- with the majority of the decrease occurring during the mid-1990s. (Snyder and Sickmund, 2006). Gender-specific factors also influence juvenile arrest trends. If juvenile males and females were contributing equally to an arrest trend, then the female proportion of juvenile arrests would remain constant. A major story in the last few years has been the rise in the proportion of females entering the juvenile justice system. In 1980, 20% of all juvenile arrests were female arrests; in 2003, this percentage had increased to 29%- with the majority of this growth since the early 1990s. The female proportion increased between 1980 and 2003 in juvenile arrests for Violent Crime Index offenses (from 10% to 18%) and for Property Crime Index offenses (from 19% to 32%); however, the female proportion of drug abuse violations arrests was the same in 1980 and 2003 (16%). Between 1980 and 2003, the female percentage of juvenile violent crime arrests increased, with the overall increase tied mainly to aggravated assault arrests. (Snyder and Sickmund, 2006). Between 1994 and 2003, female juvenile arrests either increased more or decreased less than male juvenile arrests in many offense categories (e. g. , driving under the influence, drug abuse violations, simple assault, liquor law violations, and aggravated assault). As a result, while male juvenile arrests declined 22% over the period, female juvenile arrests declined just 3%. Between 1994 and 2003, while both juvenile and adult male arrests for simple assault changed little (1% and –5%, respectively), arrests for both juvenile and adult females increased substantially (36% and 31%, respectively). This implies that the increase in juvenile female arrests for simple assault over the period was a trend for females in general, not for juvenile females specifically. Recommendations To help improve the issues within the juvenile justice system, involvement, reform, and social change has to extend has to extend to all areas of society. Parents must first take a proactive stance in their children’s education and rearing; schools need to provide more after-school programs and alternative learning models for troubled students; the community needs to offer more functional and supportive outreach programs to deter criminal activity; juvenile centers must keep to the purpose of rehabilitating the juveniles instead of inconspicuously preparing for the recurrence of criminal activity, and finally those involved in the courts must work on refraining from racial biases, prejudices, and extraneous sentencing on juveniles. Conclusion The juvenile justice system is full of troubled juveniles that didn’t think they would get caught. Because of harsh and sometimes extraneous legal policies, juveniles are often treated as adults in the system and the purpose of rehabilitation seems only but a distant dream. Unfortunate racial, socioeconomic, gender, and behavioral biases that have been placed upon numerous juveniles continue to cause major discrepancies within the system. A sad byproduct of the issues associated with entering the juvenile system is the label juveniles receive and the social stigmatism after their release. Although there has been evidence of decreases in juvenile criminal activity, the lack of efficient reporting, and continuous exposure of the juvenile justice system’s flaws is still very evident in news reports and the media. Once labeled a juvenile delinquent, these juveniles still will have a difficult time removing that label even if they turn their life around and begin to make better choices. All the negativity associated with the juvenile justice system brings one to question whether enough is being done to prevent the issue, rehabilitate present offenders, and deter future activity. The reformation of the juvenile justice system is a task that cannot rest on the efforts of an individual, or one solitary group. It is not until it becomes a national concern that any change can take place. If the children are our future, then their freedom is our duty. References Basic Statistics. (2001). Retrieved October 11, 2010 from Frontline, Juvenile Justice: bs. org/? wgbh/? pages/? frontline/? shows/? juvenile/? stats/? basic. html. Child or Adult? A Century Long View. (2010). Retrieved from October 25, 2010 Frontline, Juvenile Justice: pbs. org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/juvenile/stats/childadult. html Is the system racially biased? (2010). Retrieved October 11, 2010 from Frontline, Juvenile Justice: pbs. org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/juvenile/bench/race. html Flatley, J, Kers haw, C, Smith, K, Chaplin, R, amp; Moon, D. Home Office, Home Office Statistics Unit. 2010). Crime in England and Wales 2009/2010. United Kingdom: Crown Copyright. Greenwood, P. W. , Lipson, A. J. , Abrahamse, A, amp; Zimring, F. State of California Assembly Rules Committee. (1983). Youth crime and juvenile justice in California: a report to the legislature (Rand-3016-CSA). California: The Rand Corporation History of Americas Juvenile Justice System. (2008). Retrieved October 11, 2010 from Einstein Law, Lawyershop. com: lawyershop. com/? practice-areas/? criminal-law/? juvenile-law/? histor

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