Sociology for social work

Sociology for social work Sociology offers some important social theories, which provide explanations and critiques of human behaviour, social actions and interactions as well as the institutions and the structures of society. The fact that social work is concerned with social change and problem solving is precisely why sociology is important to social work. Nowadays social workers are expected to write their reports in a coherent way, justifying it using theory and research. In this essay I am going to contrast two different sociological theories to the case study of Mrs. B. This will give me the chance to better understand the usefulness of the sociological theories to the Social work profession. For the purpose of this essay I have selected to apply Functionalism theory (macro) and Symbolic Interactionism (micro) approach the Labelling theory. In the first section of this essay I will discuss the Functionalist theory, its application to the case, the limits of this theory when looking at the case of Ms B a nd contrasting it to the other theory I will go on to the second part of this essay where I will be applying the Lebelling theory from the Symbolic Interactionism approach I will then go on and do the †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Functionalism views society made up from numerous interconnected parts which together form a system. The basic part of this breakdown is the society, and its variety of parts can be understood in terms of their collective relationship. In the initial stages of this theory Functionalism drew comparisons between society and the human body. Mainly this comparison existed since they viewed society operating in theoretically the same way as the organisms in the human body. Therefore, for one to understand the function of an organ, such as the heart or lungs, it is essential to understand its relationship with the other organs in the human body and especially its contribution towards the maintaining of the organism. Thus, they argued that for one to understand the function of society, an examination and analysis is required in order to determine its relationship with the other parts of society, and most importantly, its contribution to the maintenance of society. For example, in Mrs B case a functionalist analysis to her situation would consider the behaviour of Mrs B as deviant, because it is preventing her from participating in society. She is seen as unable to fulfil her role as a mother and her social interactions are affected. Supposing that she has permit to work it would be unable to find or maintain a job due to her deviant behaviour. Functionalists would consider this as a â€Å"faulty socialisation†. Further more functionalism would view this situation as costing to society therefore not contributing to the maintenance of the society functioning. According to Emile Durkheim (1895), the founder of Functionalism, crime and deviance are normal and necessary. Since they are found in all societies functionalists argue that it is a form of social change, as through deviance the society would learn about the accepted behaviour. However, too much crime can bring on a state of Anomie Anomie, which is a state of normlessness in society. This arises when cultural goals and structural means of achieving those goals is unbalanced. The anomie state would result in conflicting the agreement of the functioning of society. Durkheim described the state of anomie as (Giddens) ‘a feeling of aimlessness or despairtraditional moral controls and standards are largely broken downthis leaves many individuals in society feeling lack of meaning in their daily lives. (2007, P14) Durkheim (1895) suggested that the theory of Merton gives an idea of the individuals who have high expectations and are unable to fulfill them through structural means then ‘strain occurs. Robert Mertons (1938) ‘Strain theory modified the Durkheims ‘Anomie to refer to the strain put on individuals when accepted norms conflict with reality. Linking these to the case of Mrs B, her asspiration to enter paid employment does not coincide with her immigration status. Therefore this disparity between desires and fulfilment will be felt in deviant motivation. Therefore this could be the point where Mrs B feels the strain and as a result deviates from the societis norms. Agnew (1992) in Levinson (2002) shows how the strain theory can lead to other deviant adoptions. Agnew criticises the earlier strain theory and ‘generalises the concept to include all negative relations with others, rather than just the negative relations that are the result of striving from uneatable, but culturally mandated goals. (2002, P:1579). â€Å" It is not so much the unique quality no any single event but the cumulation of several stressful events within a relatively short time span that is consequential† (P:62-63) as cited in Levinson (2002). Mrs B has Agnew placed great importance to the feeling of ‘anger as he argued that ‘anger is the key emotion because it increases the individuals level of felt injury, creates a desire for retaliation/revenge, energizes the individual for action, and lowers inhibitions, in part because individuals believe that others will feel their aggression is justified (P:60) as cited in Levinson (2002)

Detective story discussion The Gatewood Caper by Dashiell Hammett. :: English Literature

Detective story discussion The Gatewood Caper by Dashiell Hammett. " The Gatewood Caper" --------------------- " The Gatewood Caper" by Dashiell Hammett is not just an exciting detective story; its characters are real and fascinating people who are just as believable now as when they were first created. ------------------------------------------------------------------- " The Gatewood Caper" is a detective story written by the writer Dashiell Hammett. It was written and set during the 1920s in San Francisco, Los Angeles, in an aristocratic setting. Harvey Gatewood is a rich businessman who finds out, his daughter Audrey has been kidnapped. He calls and hires a detective, the detective tells Mr Gatewood to pay the ransom. However Audrey doesn't return after the money has been paid and the detective grows suspicious that something is not quite right. He then goes in search of Audrey and finds her in an apartment with a man. Audrey begins to shoot at the detective through the door, but in the end both her and the man give up. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- " The Gatewood Caper" certainly is an exciting detective story. The writer has us guessing all through the story about who has kidnapped Audrey and wondering whom the villain could be. The detective in this story was only in the detective business for the money but he still used his observations and cunning to track Audrey down. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Good and evil were not easy to spot in this story as the theme was not as expected, the writer kept you guessing from beginning to end, not a typical detective story. I found that the story moved very fast and got to the point quicker than most, which held my interest as I knew it wouldn't be long till the conclusion. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Some parts of the story were unconvincing. I would have expected a villain, a heroine, and someone to get their just desserts in any other detective story but I found the ending a bit of a let down when I found out Audrey had kidnapped herself to punish her father. Although I did feel sorry for Audrey as her father was a bully as Hammett writes " He was a big bruiser of a man, something over 200 pounds of hard red flesh and a czar from the top of his bullet to the toes of his shoes." From this description we can understand why Audrey has a problem with her father, especially when he lost his temper what could she do with a man with that physique. Audrey was both victim and villain in this story, which was unexpected. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- However, Hammett puts as much skill into characterisation as he does into plot and suspense.

Symbolism in A Good Man is Hard to Find and Araby Essay -- Flannery O

Symbolism In the short story, â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find†, by Flannery O'Connor, every object including the characters are symbols. The Grandmother for example is the one and only dynamic character, represents all of us who have had to feel grief or needed to ask for forgiveness. As Flannery O'Connor has suggested, the story is a spiritual journey because of the Grandmother's quandaries. In the beginning of the story the Grandmother is obsessed with everything worldly and superficial. She cares only about how others perceive her, â€Å"Her collars and cuffs were white organdy trimmed with lace and at her neckline she had pinned a purple spray of cloth violets containing a sachet. In case of an accident, anyone seeing her dead on the highway would know at once that she was a lady† (O'Conner 413). She gets dressed up for a car trip so that, on the random chance that they would be in a car accident and that in that wreck she would be thrown from the car and laying on the pavement, she would be happy because the people passing by would think that she is a lady. This represents us as humans because daily we choose to be way too self-conscience. We care what people think whether we admit it or not. The first thing that comes to mind is me and my make-up. Make-up is a perfect example of us women caring a great deal about what others think of us. She is also very selfish in her activities. Instead of caring about what is best for the family, she wants to go to Tennessee because she has friends there whom she would like to see. There are three stages of thought for the Grandmother. During the first stage, which is in the beginning, she is completely focused on herself in relation to how others think of her. The second stage occurs wh... ...hat in just reading it the first time I looked right past. It wasn’t until my dad made me actually read some parts out loud that I understood. Even in these short stories, there is so much meaning packed into them. It shows how intelligent these writers actually are. In the beginning I didn’t care too much for this quirky little love story â€Å"Araby† yet after analyzing it, it has become one of my favorites and has inspired me to go back and re-read a few of the stories in this book that I may have just brushed past. Symbolic representation has become very interesting to me and both of these stories among many others are filled with it. Works Cited O'Connor, Flannery. "A Good Man Is Hard to Find." 1955. Literature: Reading Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and the Essay. 4th ed. Ed. Robert DiYanni. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 1998. Joyce, James. â€Å"Araby†. Kirszner and Mandell.

Loyalty and Sacrifice in John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men :: Steinbeck Of Mice and Men Essays

John Steinbeck was born in 1902, in California's Salinas Valley, a region that would eventually serve as the setting for Of Mice and Men, as well as many of his other works. He studied literature and writing at Stanford University. He then moved to New York City and worked as a laborer and journalist for five years, until he completed his first novel in 1929, Cup of Gold. With the publication of Tortilla Flat in 1935, Steinbeck achieved fame and became a popular author. He wrote many novels about the California laboring class. Two of his more famous novels included Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath. Steinbeck got the title for Of Mice and Men from a line of Robert Burns, a Scottish poet, â€Å"The best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry." In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck includes the theme of loyalty and sacrifice between friends. Steinbeck illustrates the loyalty and sacrifice between friends through the friendship of Lennie and George. The issue of loyalty is embodied in the character of George. He is an intelligent man who could make a successful living for himself on his own. He chooses to stay beside his friend Lennie. George can never get a steady job to fulfill his long-term goal of having his own farm. The first job that Lennie and George have together goes well for a while. Eventually Lennie ruins everything that is going good for them. Lennie sees a pretty dress that a girl is wearing. Without thinking about what he is doing, he goes up and grabs the dress to feel the nice fabric. This scares the girl and she tells the boss. Soon the whole town is after Lennie. This is the perfect time for George to start a new life, without Lennie. However, because of his loyalty to Lennie, he chooses to help Lennie escape from the town. Lennie needs George to survive. It is this that propels George to make the sacrifice that he does. After Lennie kills Curley’s wife, George knows that this is the end for Lennie. No matter what, someone will eventually kill Lennie. And if Lennie gets away this time, there will be another time, and eventually the inevitable will happen. He truly loves Lennie, so he shoots Lennie painlessly in the back of the head. Lennie dies with the happy thought of the dream of the farm they want to own some day.

The Beauty of Language Essay -- Personal Reflection Essay

Your heart cannot be simply defined as an anatomical organ. Although it functions to pump blood throughout the body, the true essence of the heart is much deeper than science. The true essence of the heart lies somewhere within the limitless realm of art; submersed in the passion that runs through your veins, it fiends desperately to be admired. My heart is filled with a love for writing. Besides writing to complete tasks and assignments, I write to unveil the beauty of language. This beauty, created simply with words, meaning, and punctuation, is one that is uniquely crafted by its author. I, like many writers, have learned what it means to truly craft a piece of work. Before entering college, I had become accustomed to writing one draft essays. I never appreciated or understood the need for multiple drafts and peer review. Interestingly enough, in my Introduction to Rhetoric course with Dr. Mary Lamb, we discussed the difference between one-drafters and multi-drafters. One-drafters, as the name might imply, usually complete writing tasks in one shot. They revise and edit during the writing process and oftentimes consider their work to be complete; multi-drafters, on the other hand, write multiple drafts of their work and are continuously revising. As I have learned, neither writing style is necessarily better than other. This is because both types of writers are actively thinking about ways to better their work, whether it is by correcting grammatical errors or creating new ideas. Needless to say, I was a devoted one-drafter, but for some of the wrong reasons. I was always convinced that my first draft was always my best work. This was mainly because I did the majority of my revising and editing while writing (as I am doing ... ...elpful start to building my professional writing career. With each of these projects, I was given at least some, and in many cases, a lot of flexibility to be creative. I learned the functions of different types of documents and audiences. I now appreciate and understand the significance of rethinking my work and allowing change. I know that there is always room for improvement as every writer strives for some kind of perfection. Since entering college I have definitely witnessed my growth as a writer. I understand how words, grammar and usage each play a part in the meaning of language. However, as I continue to write, I know now that the true essence of writing comes from the heart. It is the passion that guides language; although the brain allows us to function, it is the heart that keeps us alive; and my heart while forever be filled with a love for writing.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Speech

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Hello and thank you all for coming! Today, we are here to commemorate the man, or Genius rather, who goes by the name of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. At the early age of four, he could learn a piece of music in a mere thirty minutes. At six years old, he began writing his first symphonies. Oh, the joy I would have if I could just sit and talk with him about his passion for music. We would talk about how he structures his compositions or about how easy he thought it was to compose a piece of music in only a short amount of time.Mozart’s mind is almost magical in my eyes. The precision he put into every one of his symphonies and operas emulates the passion he must have felt for his work. Of course it goes with out mention that he had his struggles every now and then, especially with matters of money. But through it all, he still managed to bring the world a wide array of music, which we can honestly say has defined a major portion of the â€Å"classical† period of music. Many composers that followed him sought to emulate his style, but it seems to me that there was no one greater than Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.As a classically trained opera singer, I have experienced the joy and struggle that accompanies any Mozart compilation. As I began learning his work, I was able to step into the shoes of one of Mozart’s opera singers. I imagined him encouraging my progress and watching my every achievement. Having learned many of his operas, I wondered how many he actually wrote in his life and what went into making them. I also thought of how his work had affected my life and the life of others.And, because of this my friends, I am here today to show you why Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart deserves a day of recognition for what he has given us, and to immortalize his life and works, and for his influence in my life. His operas are enchanting and unforgettable, but more importantly, the admiration I gained from learning his operas throughout m y life has given me a greater respect for the love of classical music. Mozart had many followers of his talented music, and of course, as he traveled for work, he had to accommodate to them.He composed many operas in German, Latin, and Italian. The traveling started when he was young. At only seven years old, his father would take him and his sister on tour across Europe, which gave him the chance to perform and to absorb many different styles of music. Since Wolfgang was a fast learner, he was quick to acknowledge the many musical idioms he had learned and that in turn helped him setup his own style of music. When he began freelancing his music, he sparked a great interest among people because they had never experienced the â€Å"Mozart† way of music.If he hadn’t embarked on his own path of self-fulfillment, I wouldn’t be here talking with you today. You see, Mozart had a passion and he built on that and was able to watch it grow. His actions have helped me kee p my love for music growing. Like Mozart, there are times that I struggle with the music, but it’s the passion and perseverance inside of me that pushes me forward. Because of my endeavors and accomplishments with Mozart’s operas, I was able to cultivate a new view on life. There is courage in me that I have gained from overcoming the difficulties of his works.I have an enormous amount of respect for real music because I know how much time and talent goes into it. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart has shown me, through his works, that I can achieve great things and that I can over come difficulties. There is a way to share with others the joy and strength he has given me, and that is to dedicate a day of celebration in his name. I am proud to honor Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart by proclaiming that January 21st is national Mozart day. This day will not only commemorate the day he was born, but it will also memorialize the history of his life.In celebration there will be chances for you to learn more about the famous composer. Historians will share with you the stories of his life, orchestras and operas will preform for you his many challenging masterpieces, and musicians everywhere will have a chance to be recognized for all the hard work and dedication they put into sharing the gift of music. A banquet held for them will provide the opportunity to learn and share all the unique aspects of music each musician can share with the world.This day will help us to set our goals high, and like Mozart, we will achieve greatness. No one will ever have the misfortune of not knowing who Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is and what he has blessed us with. Joy and relaxation will run through the veins of listeners as radio stations spread the beauty that his music provides. Mozart’s life was built around music. He was preforming almost his whole life, and even though that is true, most of us wish he could give us more.There are many works of music out there that have been writt en by Mozart but there are many more pieces of music that have been written and shaped by the influence he has bestowed upon the world. His love for music has shown me how much I can achieve just by pursuing the hard to reach goals. As we celebrate his life, may we take advantage of the joy Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart can bring to each of our lives. But remember, Mozart was truly gifted and was recognized for it at an early age. You can encourage your children to get involved with music. You never know, what if they become the next â€Å"Mozart! † Thank you

Geothermal energy

Environmental Ecology 25, October, 2013 Geothermal Energy Geothermal Energy is energy that is made from heat and comes from the interior of the earth. Just about everywhere the earth keeps a constant temperature of 50 and 60 degrees and heating pumps can tap into this and use this heat. This type of energy also doesn't produce the greenhouse gases, which harm the earth. The biggest reason I can think of to use this type of energy is that it is a renewable resource that will never quit producing because earth is a 365, day a year energy source.In the winter, geothermal energy can be a huge help because these heating pumps can actually pump heat from the earth through pipes to your homes air delivering system, this can also be reversed in the summer where the heat is actually pumped from inside your house toa heat exchanger. When this happens you can actually use this heat for hot water. When using geothermal energy you it doesn't produce harmful gases that the burning of fossil fuels causes. Instead it only produces a vapor that is harmless to the earth.These geothermal plants are also powered by streams, and nothing from the lant needs to be transported to another location because the source and everything needed is right under the feet of the plant. Right now pollution is thought of as a serious problem, and with how much money there is put into a cleaner earth, you would think they would use it for geothermal plants. This type of energy source is renewable, they have done studies that show that even with constant extraction process of heat from the earth, it still wouldn't effect the earth or run out of heat.The absolute only way we would run out is if the core of he earth turned cold. And if this happened we would have much more problems than producing energy on earth. A lot of people would expect this to be expensive but its actually cheaper than your standard fossil fuel systems in homes. It costs less to install. And energy bills are cut in half, accordin g to a woman that has owned one for about a year. With this system in your house they say it will have paid for itself in the first 10 years of owning one. Not only is the cost of this low, but it would eliminate our dependency on foreign oil which would be a huge plus. Geothermal energy Environmental Ecology 25, October, 2013 Geothermal Energy Geothermal Energy is energy that is made from heat and comes from the interior of the earth. Just about everywhere the earth keeps a constant temperature of 50 and 60 degrees and heating pumps can tap into this and use this heat. This type of energy also doesn't produce the greenhouse gases, which harm the earth. The biggest reason I can think of to use this type of energy is that it is a renewable resource that will never quit producing because earth is a 365, day a year energy source.In the winter, geothermal energy can be a huge help because these heating pumps can actually pump heat from the earth through pipes to your homes air delivering system, this can also be reversed in the summer where the heat is actually pumped from inside your house toa heat exchanger. When this happens you can actually use this heat for hot water. When using geothermal energy you it doesn't produce harmful gases that the burning of fossil fuels causes. Instead it only produces a vapor that is harmless to the earth.These geothermal plants are also powered by streams, and nothing from the lant needs to be transported to another location because the source and everything needed is right under the feet of the plant. Right now pollution is thought of as a serious problem, and with how much money there is put into a cleaner earth, you would think they would use it for geothermal plants. This type of energy source is renewable, they have done studies that show that even with constant extraction process of heat from the earth, it still wouldn't effect the earth or run out of heat.The absolute only way we would run out is if the core of he earth turned cold. And if this happened we would have much more problems than producing energy on earth. A lot of people would expect this to be expensive but its actually cheaper than your standard fossil fuel systems in homes. It costs less to install. And energy bills are cut in half, accordin g to a woman that has owned one for about a year. With this system in your house they say it will have paid for itself in the first 10 years of owning one. Not only is the cost of this low, but it would eliminate our dependency on foreign oil which would be a huge plus.