Therapy, Not Punishment Essay -- Crime Consequences Essays

Therapy, Not Punishment Problems with crime have always been a concern to society. There are many different ideas about what causes it and even more ideas about how to stop it. Dr. Karl Menninger believes that our current prison system is not adequately addressing the motivation behind crime. In his article "Therapy, Not Punishment", Menninger says of the old prison system, "In its place should go a quiet, dignified, therapeutic programÉ" (544). He sets forth the claim of policy that criminals need to be treated with professional therapy. I don't think an introduction could be more clear than this. Menninger's ideas are directed toward a wide audience of generally law-abiding citizens. This article first appeared in Harper's Magazine, a general-interest magazine that provides collections of essays and fiction. The type of person who would read a magazine such as this would probably be an educated person who is interested in the affairs of the world around them. Menninger reveals his impression of the audience in his introduction, where he says, "And from these offenses the average citizen, including the reader, is deterred by quite different restraints" (537). Armed with this vision of his audience, he presents his argument in a logical, authoritative tone that invites the reader to make the inevitable conclusion that Menninger is right. Menninger begins to support his claim of policy by demonstrating the failures of the present penal system. He states, "Today it is no secret that our official, prison-threat theory of crime control is an utter failure" (537). He illustrates this assertion by pointing out that in England when pocket picking was punishable by hanging, pickpockets targeted the crowd that gathered to witness ... ... a solution to crime. This method prepares the reader well for Menninger's proposals. This logical progression through his views of the prison system is a large part of Menninger's clear, understandable tone. By keeping to his topic and remaining organized, Menninger contributes to his own credibility. He also draws credibility from his credentials and often refers to the psychiatric community as "we". Menninger wraps up his argument just as logically as it began by saying that society must make positive moves to rehabilitate criminals. His logical style and expertise provide an effective argument and reveal a well-planned solution to a serious problem.Cedric probably needed to mention that Menninger is often sarcastic and insults his opposition at least once. It is important to comment on what isn't working for a writer as well as what he does that is effective.

Great Traditions In Ethics Essay

The overcoming of the fear of death figures as a key component of Epicurean philosophy. Because the Epicureans valued above all other accomplishments, the living of a good life and that â€Å"pleasure is the end of all morality and that real pleasure is attained through a life of prudence, honor, and justice† the acknowledgment in Epicurean philosophy that the fear of death intrudes upon individual happiness is not at all the same as admission that fear of death is an insurmountable condition, (â€Å"Epicureanism†). To the contrary, the epicurean philosophy seeks forts to identify the root causes of the fear of death, which are: â€Å"1) The fear of being dead. 2) The fear that one will die, that one’s life is going to end. 3) The fear of premature death. 4) The fear of the process of dying† and for each of these considerations, Epicurean philosophy provides a response. The intention of epicurean philosophy is to persuade its adherents that â€Å"death is not bad for the person who dies although death is inevitable and is the total annihilation of that person†; despite the belief in â€Å"total annihilation† Epicurus held no regard for death itself. The basic center of the Epicurean refusal to fear death lies in the epicurean belief that â€Å"God should not concern to us. Death is not to be feared† and these facts are unchangeable despite one’s subjective, emotional reactions. because death means the end of consciousness and the total annihilation of the individual, nothing exists beyond death which may cause fear at all,(Warren 4-7). It is only by admitting the fear of death and addressing it straight on through applied logic rather than religion or mysticism that the fear of death can be conquered. The Epicureans regarded the overcoming of the fear of death â€Å"at the very heart of their ethical project. They identified the goal of a good life as the removal of mental and physical pain. Mental pain they further characterized as anxieties and fears† because fear of death causes pain to the individual it must be overcome and it can be overcome by logical acceptance of the fact that death holds no pain for the person who experiences it. (Warren 6) Just as the fear of death prevented many individuals from achieving happiness in life, justice (or lack thereof) provides enmity to happiness in the Epicurean ethical tradition. For Epicurus, laws and justice are a matter of personal bearing and dignity as well as intelligence and experience. Under an Epicurean ethic, in a â€Å"world full of Epicurean sages there would be no need for written prescriptive laws. Everyone in that case would be able to see and remember what contributes to the utility of the community and would act accordingly† (Warren 183). The idea of breaking a rule of justice is wrong because it causes the eventual pain or threat of pain or disturbance to oters’ happiness as well as one’s own. Unlike Epicurus, St. Augustine sees the need for rigid law to control human society and he envisions this law emanating directly fro the Divine. In his distinction between the â€Å"City of God† and the â€Å"City of Men† he makes clear that the â€Å"church is divinely established and leads humankind to eternal goodness, which is God† and that in the ideal city, â€Å"The state adheres to the virtues of politics and of the mind, formulating a political community. Both of these societies are visible and seek to do good. † (Bonner 54) By contrast, the City of Man exists to serve selfishly driven needs and does not partake of the Divine spirit of creation and Divine Law. † The idea of self-love against the love of God separates the two cities an idea which â€Å"springs from what Augustine was afterwards to regard in The City of God as the architect of the Earthly City–love of self to the contempt of God† (Bonner 54).

Against School: Agree or Disagree? Essay

â€Å"Against School† is an argumentative essay that tells about how the public education system incapacitates the children of today. In this reading, Gatto claims that the public education system causes children to become bored with themselves, to conform to the way of the school and its teachers, and it causes them to lack the ability to deal with issues that go on in the real world, outside of school. The writer’s explanation for this is that it is partially the teachers’ fault. The students become bored because the teacher is actually bored with teaching the subject. Students would be adamant to learn if they were given and education and not just schooled. The students need to be encouraged to have the qualities to succeed in life instead of sitting in a prison style confinement, forced to learn material that society deemed appropriate. Summing up the essay, â€Å"Against School† states that he believes that the students should be able to manage themselves. After reading Gatto’s essay I must agree with him. If students and teachers are both bored in the school, and of the material being taught. We’re only taught what they want us to be taught. To me, students need more than that. The material needs to be taught and explained how retaining the knowledge will help them in the future. If we don’t know how it will benefit us in some way then it’s almost meaningful. In conclusion, I agree with Gatto’s argument because I think it is something most students can relate to. We’ve all had a boring teacher, teaching a boring class, that we thought meant absolutely nothing to us. But if we’re forced to take the class, then there must be some reason for it.

Classroom Scenarios Essay

Mrs. Ross has her fourth grade students move their desks together into groups of 2 to do a group activity. She instructs them to pair with anyone they choose. Teresa raises her hand, â€Å"I don’t want to pair with Megan again because she doesn’t do any of the work. Can I have someone else? † Megan who is soft-spoken just looks down at the floor as the class waits for the teacher’s response. Mrs. Ross asks Teresa and Megan to come with her outside and instructs the class to carry on with the activity. 1. What level of mutual respect exists between students and the teacher in this scenario? How did mutual respect affect the classroom dynamics? How would you improve mutual respect in this classroom? A high level a mutual respect exists between students and the teacher in this scenario. Mrs. Ross had to trust the students at least a little bit in order for her to believe they could handle moving their desks around to do group work. Teresa showed respect for Mrs. Ross by raising her hand to properly voice her concern about her partner. Not only did she raise her hand, but she respected and trusted the teacher enough to feel safe expressing her feelings. Although soft-spoken, Megan could have found some way to negatively reply to what Teresa said. However, I believe she respected Mrs. Ross enough to know she could trust her to act in a fair and kind manner, so Megan waited quietly for her response. Mrs. Ross showed respect for the two girls when she asked them to come with her outside. She didn’t just ignore the issue or thoughtlessly assign another partner for Teresa. Mrs. Ross took the time to acknowledge their thoughts and feelings in private where she could assess the situation better without putting either of the girls on the spot. Finally, Mrs. Ross showed respect for the class when she trusted them to carry on with the activity while she stepped out of the class with Megan and Teresa. The class showed respect for Mrs. Ross by continuing to work while she steps outside the classroom for a moment. Mutual respect affected the whole classroom dynamic in a positive way. There was a feeling of cooperative learning. I am pleased with the high level of mutual respect shown in the classroom and find no need for improvement. 2. How well did the teacher handle herself in the scenario? What student-teacher interactions worked well and what did not work? How would you handle the situation? The teacher handled herself very well in this scenario. She could have chosen to react immediately to Teresa’s comment with disappointment and frustration, but instead she calmly asked the two girls to come with her outside. She even thought of the rest of the class and took the time to instruct them so they weren’t left hanging while she went out with Teresa and Megan. Teresa raised her hand, but did not wait to be called on before calling out to the teacher. It was good that she felt safe enough to express her concerns, but not good that she made Megan feel badly in front of the class. I hope, if I was a teacher given the same situation, that I would be able to handle myself in a similar manner. I would want Teresa to know in front of the class that she is to wait until she’s called on to speak, but discussing the rest of the details in front of the class would only put Megan even more in the spotlight and add to her discomfort. 3. What, if any, communication roadblocks are evident in this classroom? How could you remove the communication roadblocks? How would you communicate with the students to resolve this situation? I could not see any communication roadblocks in this classroom. It appears to me that the teacher communicated well with the students, and the students felt comfortable communicating with the teacher. To resolve this situation, I would remind Teresa specifically, as well as the class in general, to raise their hands and then wait to be called on before speaking. I would also ask my class to pay attention to all the instructions. The instructions Mrs. Ross gave told students they could choose their own partner. There was never a need for Teresa to comment on not wanting to be Megan’s partner as Mrs. Ross had already told students to pick their own partner. 4. What conflicts did you observe in this classroom? What conflict resolution methods could you use to resolve the conflicts in this classroom? Are there any peer mediation methods that you could use in this scenario? The conflict in the classroom was between Teresa and Megan. To resolve the conflict I would bring the two students together and have them work cooperatively on the issue with my guidance. I would want both students to feel free to speak their mind, feel listened to, and feel that they are an important part of the solution. I would want them to understand that they both need to be respectful, listen to each other, and try to understand the others’ point of view. As part of the process I would also expect them to work together to come to an agreement they both feel good about. I would not use peer mediation methods in a fourth grade class. 5. What changes would you make to help this classroom become more of a community? Why would developing this classroom into a community be important? I don’t see any changes I would make, but something I would talk to the class about to make the classroom become more of a community would be respect. I would plan a mini lesson on respect and how we treat others for another day. It would be important to help the class develop into a community because community members care about each other, look out for each other, and help each other when needed. I would want my class to work together cooperatively and build a positive learning environment where everyone would feel valued. Tenth Grade Classroom Scenario The bell has rung and Mr. Dunn’s tenth grade math class has settled into their seats. â€Å"Good morning! Let’s begin by having everyone pass their homework to the front of the class. † Tom walks into class 5 minutes late. Mr. Dunn asks, â€Å"Tom, do you have your homework? † Tom looks down at the floor when he answers, â€Å"No, I didn’t finish it. † Mr. Dunn asks, â€Å"Why not? You knew it was due today, right? † Tom just shrugs. Mr. Dunn asks the rest of the class, â€Å"Who else did not turn in their homework today? † Pamela did not do her homework, but is afraid to raise her hand. Mr. Dunn says, â€Å"Good job, class! I appreciate everyone who worked hard to get their work turned in on time. † Daniel chimes in, â€Å"Which is everyone except Tom! † The class laughs. Tom angrily gets out of his chair and storms out of the room as he says, â€Å"I’m sick of this stupid class. † 1.What level of mutual respect exists between students and the teacher in this scenario? How did mutual respect affect the classroom dynamics? How would you improve mutual respect in this classroom? There exists no mutual respect between the students and the teacher. Mr. Dunn’s only attempt at positive enforcement was telling the class â€Å"good job to those who did turn in their homework†. While this seems like praise to those who complied, those who didn’t are left feeling like failures. By Mr. Dunn singling Tom out and embarrassing him, he created a classroom of disrespect and the other students felt free to tease and laugh at Tom. Tom will now view Mr. Dunn as being indifferent if not an enemy and other students may fear if they do anything wrong they will be chastised and humiliated as well. We can see this playing out in the case of Pamela feeling afraid to admit she didn’t do her homework either. Students will not thrive in an environment where they do not feel comfortable and safe and where they risk public ridicule by their peers for not doing their work. To encourage mutual respect teachers should never single out a student in front of the class, but rather talk with him privately at a later time such as after class or when students are busy working. Before making any decisions about consequences for late work seek to understand the reason the student failed to follow through. Show concern and understanding when they are facing difficulties at home or otherwise. Use encouragement rather than negative words and discuss ways you can help them, such as creating a study plan. Make mutual respect a classroom rule that is enforced by consequences for violation. Never allow students to laugh at or embarrass another classmate or group of classmates. 2. How well did the teacher handle himself or herself in the scenario? What student–teacher interactions worked well and what did not work? How would you handle the situation? The teacher did not handle himself well in this situation. The student-teacher interactions were negative and the students were not willing to admit difficulties or problems to the teacher. None of the interactions described worked well. Tom left class because it was so negative. The teacher should handle this situation by having in place a policy for tardiness. The teacher should not waste time bringing attention to tardy students. Students should know what to do when they enter a classroom even if they are tardy. One way to handle tardiness – especially for older students like these ones is to have a required slip students must fill out when they are tardy explaining the reason. They should then have a place they put slips for the teacher to look at later. There should also be a policy for not having homework completed. If the teacher setup these policies at the beginning of the year he would not need to say anything when a student walks in late, the student would know what to do. The teacher put Tom on the spot by singling him out in front of his classmates, and then showed further disrespect by asking him why he didn’t do his homework. It is unnecessary to ask â€Å"you knew it was due today, right? † This statement doesn’t help the situation and is only demeaning to Tom. Most likely he knew the assignment was due and if he had forgotten he would have remembered as soon as Mr. Dunn asked for them. He should not dwell on something Tom cannot go back and remedy. The appropriate thing would be to talk to Tom privately and ask if he is having trouble remembering his assignments. He should show care and concern by offering to help Tom get organized and devise a way to remind himself to do the work. This teacher did not even take the time to find out why Tom had forgotten his homework. He may have had a very good reason in which case Mr. Dunn should consider allowing Tom to make it up. If Mr. Dunn had handled himself appropriately, Tom would not have been so upset as to get up and leave the classroom. Students should not be left feeling worthless and disrespected. 3. What, if any, communication roadblocks are evident in this classroom? How could you remove the communication roadblocks? How would you communicate with the students to resolve this situation? There were several communications roadblocks in place in this classroom. The biggest problem is that the teacher and students had no respect for each other. As stated before, if a teacher models respect for his students and sets in place policies for behavior and academics, his students have clear expectations and are more likely to respect one another. This saves teachers time having to deal with problems as they arise. After the rest of the class has received necessary instruction and direction, the teacher should talk privately with Tom about tardiness and missing homework. The teacher should take time to listen and allow Tom to maintain his dignity. 4. What conflicts did you observe in this classroom? What conflict resolution methods could you use to resolve the conflicts in this classroom? Are there any peer mediation methods that you could use in this scenario? The main conflicts in this classroom are created by the teacher. The teacher publicly humiliated a student in front of the class because he was late and did not turn in his homework. The teacher also created an environment where it is ok to belittle your classmates. To resolve the conflict the teacher should talk to Tom individually and apologize for the way he handled the situation. Mr. Dunn should let Tom see that teachers make mistakes too and that they should not be exempt from apologizing. He should address Tom’s homework including why Tom didn’t finish it and what plan they can come up with that would help Tom remember in the future. He should then talk with the entire class and admit his mistake, emphasizing the rules of mutual respect. He should remind the class it is inappropriate to make fun of or embarrass a fellow student. There is not any real need for peer mediation with the students if the teacher is more respectful the students will be also. 5. What changes would you make to help this classroom become more of a community? Why would developing this classroom into a community be important? The most effective way to create a community in the classroom is to set the tone the first day of class. Allow the students to get to know each other, have group activities and team work projects. Allow and teach students to respect individual differences and celebrate the multitude of talents and cultural practices among classmates. When students feel like they are part of a group they perform better in school, are supported by their peers to do well and do not miss as much school; learning in this environment can be enjoyable and fulfilling. Students should learn to help and encourage one another. Set specific rules that the whole class can decide on together. Ask students what they think a caring, respectful classroom looks like. Brainstorm class rules with them and have them vote on which ones they feel are the most important. Have the students sign their names to a pledge that they will abide by the rules and work together to make the class a nice place to be. Enforce consequences of violation of these rules with consistency. Never put students down or make them feel incompetent – especially in front of others. Listen to students’ needs and treat them with respect if that is what you expect from them. Emphasize promoting positive behaviors rather than fixing negative ones. Help students learn moral values and develop a good work ethic rather than doing things simply because they are told. Rather than punishing for poor behavior, look for ways to correct problems by discussing consequences and choices.

Study skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Study skills - Essay Example To begin with, the report will analyze on the powers and responsibilities of the Great London authority and the mayor (Mayor of London, 2011). Secondly, the report will have a reflection on the policies that are related to the environment, as introduced by the mayor in the last five years. This will be a critical analysis of the policies and a critical evaluation of the evidence as provided by literature reviews. Thirdly, the report will include focus on the existing gap between policy, public policy initiatives and general practice. This will be in line with the London developments in line with the established policies during the time of governance by the incumbent mayor. Lastly, the report will direct its focus on the concerns about the effectiveness of the greater London authority. This will also reflect on the effectiveness of the mayor in making it a key success in executing all the stated policies. Similarly, the report will have information about the environmental developments that have been effected by the great London authority. The success of the policies will be used to evaluate the performance of the great London authority and the mayor. Therefore, positive accrual will refer that the great London authority has been successful, alongside the services of the mayor, which is a positive trait. Powers and responsibility of the mayor The mayor and the great London authority have various obligations in their mandate, which need to be executed while in office. The GLA is a considerable administrative tool that was incepted in London to take care of the developments. It has vast responsibilities in ensuring there is rapid development in the area. The body is vested with powers and responsibilities that used to execute the decisions. Therefore, the development of London is the initial responsibility of The GLA (Edwards and Miller, 2008). London is a city that needs exponential development with a rapid improvement over the years. Apparently, the GLA is consid ered the apt option that would deal with the development of the city. This is a vast responsibility that needs ample preparedness and stratification of strategies on the development. In the recent times, the GLA has been coming up with developmental programs that are functioning to the advantage of the city. Therefore, it has been responsible for most of in its functions in the city. This shows that it has been effective in implementing it responsibilities. In addition to this, the environment has record rapid improvement as the city generates better services to the people. In essence, the implementation of the strategies by GLA has been successful in the city with more progress recorded in the past five years. The first responsibility of the Great London Authority is social development. Social development is an initiative that is geared towards providing a social induction that makes all the people have a better social life. The people have to be contented with their residence in t he area. This is only done through the provision of highly rated social services. Therefore, it is in the best interests of the GLA to ensure the people have the best social services. The social services include recreational grounds, effective transport and social living. With ample provisions of these services, the GLA will have successfully executed its responsibilities. In actual sense, the GLA will have accrued an effective performance in accordance to its obligations. The second obligation of the Great Lond

Write a dialogue in which John Hick, the astro-physicist priest (lets Essay

Write a dialogue in which John Hick, the astro-physicist priest (lets call him Father Tom) from Arthur C. Clarkes The Star, the Devil, - Essay Example Out main agenda was about Science and Religion and which theory of the two seemed more credible as evident in the Star by Arthur Clarke (Rabkin, 1980). John Hick: My evening is fine †¦ how about you? (He stretches his right hand to meet mine in a greeting. I realized that the lines on his face symbolized one who is deeply troubled by some questions he could not find answers to. So I interjected to help him think aloud about his woes). The narrator: Father†¦ why are you in the outside? I thought it would be fine if you were inside the room so that this candle could bring light into the room and scare aware insects†¦ you know†¦ things like that (I paused to allow him time to respond while he scrambled a seat for me to join him in the conversation). John Hick: (While supporting his cheeks, he began): Little one, you are yet to live the length of time I have been breathing. That is why you may not be able to understand some of these things. To begin with, I’ve chosen my outhouse ostensibly to come to terms with what religion and science has in store for us humans. John Hicks: The house is artificial; it technically obfuscates my vision of nature. The symbols of science such as the planets, galaxies, the moon, darkness, chirping crickets, wind are more real to me here than when I’m inside the house. With these symbols of nature so true and real, I do entrust my religious faith with answers as to their origin, but in situations where I’m certain that religion is not providing me with the answers that I need, I refer to Science. However, my main worries stem from the competing theories; I’m technically lost for though with regard to which side has all of the answers to nature. John Hicks: It is not that easy the way you think, my little friend. I must admit here before you that that the lines you are seeing on my

Renters Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Renters - Essay Example If it there is no comparison, one should lower the tax rate. To report rental income, one can use the form 1040 that comprises of all the schedules from A to F, J, L, M, & SE, and the other form 1040 with few information and no schedules. If your buildings, apartments, or rooms provide only trash collection, heat, and light among others, one should only report the rental income and expenses on part 1 in schedule E form 1040. If the apartment provides extra services that are essential to tenants’ convenience, like maid service, regular cleaning, and changing linen should report the rental expenses and income in Schedule C form 1040. It indicates considerable services of the apartment or business as the real estate dealer One can include rental income from the real state property owned by the taxpayer with the income they are reporting for their convenience store by including it on the schedule C used to report sales activities. This may be helpful as in most cases one may be subject to risk on activities carried out as business or trade. Typically, schedule C highlights the loss and profit from the business. It underlines basic services imposed for tenant’s convenience, and the total rental expenses and income (Anderson, 2011). The rental income is an income that is subject to self employment taxes. It is worth noting that, rental income is indicated on schedule E with Supplemental loss and income of tax return. Such incomes are derived from corporations, rental income, royalties, and trusts just to name a few. Nevertheless, even though such are categorized as income, it is not earned until one rent a personal property rather from real estate. Rental income takes place when one invests money in estates, which is return on investment in the form of rent. Therefore, the rental income can only be subject to self-employment taxes if there is investment obtained. However, if the apartment does not give