Analysis essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Analysis - Essay Example With this exposure a new sense of understanding and confidence is gained. The new world has its own realities and customs. It is the experience of an individual which changes reality for him as he perceives it to be. Antonio and Longoria are two individuals suffering from abrupt changes. Longoria completely changes his beliefs and principles after he joins the battalion, whereas Antonio enjoys a mundane life until his wife and son are killed by guerillas. It is this experience of life that changes the reality for Antonio. So in this theory on education, Plato argued that if one were to learn or search for truth, he ought to do so in a gradual manner (PSYOPS). The characters mentioned above were exposed to sudden and unexpected experiences and as a result they could not grasp the real meanings of such experiences and hence the way they perceived reality was changed. Characterized as an ordinary citizen under rural setting, Antonio Bernal is a Guatemalan who sought to live a life of simplicity which he managed to fulfill with a radical wife and son Carlitos in brief span, despite his feeblish attributes. Originally, he is that type of fellow who is far from engaging complex ideas and would rather prefer humble settlement and not demand beyond ordinary living at San Cristobal, Acatapan. He does not find satisfaction in complex ideas and the results that arise as a result of acting on such ideas. Little does he know that his joyful pursuits in wedlock with Elena, whose fulfillment lies further on revolutionary movements against unlawful regularities in their region, is bound to culminate into tragedy. Longoria, on the other hand, is a peasant who leaves his mother in spite of his reluctance to join the army, where he got completely altered on becoming an official member of the Jaguar Battalion. His life is completely disturbed and changed by the s udden change in circumstances that he encounters after

Brothel Book Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Brothel Book - Essay Example A critical analysis of this book shows that Durkheim’s functionalist perspective to deviance as well as Merton’s social structure and anomie theory can be applied to the groups of characters which include the prostitutes and the men who visit the brothel in the above mentioned book. Emile Durkeim suggests that crime is inevitable and he argues that crime is â€Å"an integral part of all healthy societies,† (as cited in Haralambos & Holborn, 1990, p.586). From this perspective, it can be noted that not all individuals are committed to the shared values and moral beliefs of the society. It may be impossible for all the members of the society to be similar and in Durkeim’s words, crime is not only inevitable, but it is functional. He argues that social change begins with some form of deviance and as noted in the definition of deviance above, deviant behaviour can be normal in other societies. In this given book, it can be seen that prostitution is not conside red as deviant behaviour especially by those involved in this practice. It is seen as normal just like any other form of employment. This view is supported by Cohen who developed Durkeim’s ideas when he analyses two functions of crime in a society. Firstly, deviance can be a safety valve providing a relatively harmless expression of discontent while protecting social order (Haralambos & Holborn, 1990). He suggests that prostitution can perform a safety valve function without threatening the fabric of the family. Prostitutes interviewed in this book state that the majority of their clients are married men who will be seeking to relieve their stress and pressure from the demands of their families. The institution of the family is not threatened in this case since the relationship between prostitutes and clients is not binding. On the other hand, Cohen suggests that certain deviant acts are useful in warning that certain aspects of the society are not functioning. For instance, a lot of married couples reveal that their sexual relationship is not satisfactory, the reason why they seek the services of commercial workers to satisfy their sexual desires. In some cases, unsatisfactory sexual relationships among married couples can lead to divorce and the ladies in most cases opt to venture into prostitution. As is the case in this book, a notable number of prostitutes at Mustang brothel are divorcees as a result of unfriendly sexual relationships in their previous marriages. Men on the other hand will solicit for sex from the prostitutes after the marriage has broken down. It can be seen that the element of prostitution is inevitable as long as these negative social trends affecting the institution of the family persist. The other theory that can be applied to the behaviour of the characters in this book is Merton’s social structure and anomie. He argues that deviance results from the culture and structure of society itself (Haralambos & Holborn, 1990). Since members are placed in different class positions in the social structure, it can be noted that they do not have the same opportunity of realising the shared values which leads to deviance. In the given case, many prostitutes interviewed by the author such as Eva revealed that they joined the profession in order to earn a living. Some

Analysis essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Analysis - Essay Example With this exposure a new sense of understanding and confidence is gained. The new world has its own realities and customs. It is the experience of an individual which changes reality for him as he perceives it to be. Antonio and Longoria are two individuals suffering from abrupt changes. Longoria completely changes his beliefs and principles after he joins the battalion, whereas Antonio enjoys a mundane life until his wife and son are killed by guerillas. It is this experience of life that changes the reality for Antonio. So in this theory on education, Plato argued that if one were to learn or search for truth, he ought to do so in a gradual manner (PSYOPS). The characters mentioned above were exposed to sudden and unexpected experiences and as a result they could not grasp the real meanings of such experiences and hence the way they perceived reality was changed. Characterized as an ordinary citizen under rural setting, Antonio Bernal is a Guatemalan who sought to live a life of simplicity which he managed to fulfill with a radical wife and son Carlitos in brief span, despite his feeblish attributes. Originally, he is that type of fellow who is far from engaging complex ideas and would rather prefer humble settlement and not demand beyond ordinary living at San Cristobal, Acatapan. He does not find satisfaction in complex ideas and the results that arise as a result of acting on such ideas. Little does he know that his joyful pursuits in wedlock with Elena, whose fulfillment lies further on revolutionary movements against unlawful regularities in their region, is bound to culminate into tragedy. Longoria, on the other hand, is a peasant who leaves his mother in spite of his reluctance to join the army, where he got completely altered on becoming an official member of the Jaguar Battalion. His life is completely disturbed and changed by the s udden change in circumstances that he encounters after

Europe’s Interaction with Africa, Asia Essay Example for Free

Europe’s Interaction with Africa, Asia Essay In the mid-15th century, European nations started sending merchants, explorers, colonizers and missionaries to various parts of the world. Historians often referred to this phenomenon as the Age of Discovery, an era in which unknown seas were traversed, new lands and peoples were discovered and an astounding new phase in global encounters was initiated (Sanders, Morillo and Nelson 3). The Age of Discovery played an important role in the political and economic development of Western Europe. Some of its key legacies included colonization, the development of large-scale horticultural industries and the spread of Christianity. The Age of Discovery, however, is usually portrayed as exclusively European and historically unique. It must be made clear that such a description is misleading and incomplete. Exploration and expansion are not historical novelties, and neither are they uniquely European. Furthermore, they have other motivations, attitudes and cross-cultural perceptions apart from the desire to discover other lands (Sanders, Morillo and Nelson 3). Muslim and Chinese explorers and traders have been traveling across Asia, Arabia and Africa centuries before Christopher Columbus set out from Spain in 1492. The journeys of Ibn Battuta in the mid-14th century, for instance, took him through the vast extent of the Islamic world. Zheng He, a fleet admiral who lived during the Ming Dynasty, sailed as far as the coast of east Africa in the mid-15th century (Sanders, Morillo and Nelson 3). Tunisian philosopher and historian Ibn Khaldun traveled as far as Spain in the 14th century (Ahmed 102). But European and non-European explorers differed in terms of the motives behind their respective journeys. Non-European explorers traveled primarily to create extensive religious and trade networks. Muslims were partially bound by religion and commerce as a form of compensation for the near-absence of political unity in the Islamic world. Despite ethnic and regional differences, their adherence to Islamic laws and values provided them with a sense of unity and shared identity. The establishment of long-distance trading networks, meanwhile, allowed Muslim producers and consumers from different regions to communicate with one another, as well as with peoples of different religions (Sanders, Morillo and Nelson 4). Muslim traders therefore organized camel caravans to the frontiers of India and across the Sahara in Africa. They likewise established equally profitable trade routes by sea across the Indian Ocean. By the late 15th century, the commercial activity in most of the regions surrounding the Indian Ocean was almost under their control. Furthermore, certain localities in the Islamic world were gaining recognition for their excellence in specific industries. Persia, for example, was renowned in the 14th century for its exquisite glassware, jewelry and pottery (Sanders, Morillo and Nelson 4). Extensive trade and industry, in turn, provided the Islamic world with urbanized and cosmopolitan societies. Sophisticated commercial centers such as Cairo, Damascus, Baghdad, Timbuktu and Zanzibar attracted residents from distant regions that eventually converted to Islam. These new converts subsequently spread Islam and elements of Islamic culture to their respective homelands. The Delhi Sultanate of India and the West African kingdom of Mali are some examples of regions that were not originally Islamic but were later Islamized (Sanders, Morillo and Nelson 4). In sharp contrast, the motive behind most European explorations was the pseudo-revival of the Reconquista (the struggle of the Spanish and Portuguese Christians to expel the Moors from their respective countries). In the 14th and 15th centuries, anti-Moor sentiment was still strong in Spain and Portugal – it was during these periods that Spanish and Portuguese Christians successfully expelled the Moors from Iberia. But this victory soon left many knights idle and looking for new adventures. Many knights thus joined overseas expeditions, viewing these as new opportunities to vanquish the hated Moors (Sanders, Morillo and Nelson 5). Certain economic conditions in Europe during the 14th and 15th centuries were also responsible for the xenophobic attitude that many European explorers had during the Age of Discovery. In these eras, most European economies were still small, largely agrarian and geared towards meeting local needs. Muslim merchants and middlemen were the sole sources of spices and other luxury goods. In addition, Europe was politically fragmented – the continent’s monarchs wasted scarce resources and manpower in the numerous wars and conflicts that they waged against each other. Lastly, the Black Death (bubonic plague) killed millions and further weakened economies, adding to the pervasive atmosphere of dread and xenophobia (Sanders, Morillo and Nelson 5). Given the insular, backward and unsophisticated nature of Europe in the 14th and 15th centuries, it was no longer surprising that the expeditions from the continent had mostly detrimental effects. Many explorers viewed the natives that they encountered in foreign lands as â€Å"barbarians† that must be â€Å"civilized† by being subjugated to them. By the 16th and 17th centuries, therefore, many countries in Asia, Africa and the Americas ended up being the colonies of Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Britain and France (Sanders, Morillo and Nelson 5). In addition, the transatlantic slave trade occurred from the 16th to the 19th centuries. Mainstream historians had indeed painted a misleading and incomplete picture of the Age of Discovery. By claiming that the Age of Discovery was an exclusively European and historically unique phenomenon, they are implying that it was an event that was born out of Europe’s benevolent desire to discover other lands. But the truth is that the Age of Discovery should not be glorified. Exploration and expansion have already been taking place long before it happened – proof that the inhabitants of the regions outside of Europe are not savages. The Age of Discovery occurred at a time when Europe was still insular, backward and unsophisticated. Thus, many of the continent’s explorers exhibited a fearful and xenophobic attitude when it came to dealing with people not of their own race. This paranoia, in turn, led to the colonization of several nations in Africa, Asia and the Americas. In addition, slavery became a centuries-old practice. Works Cited Ahmed, Akbar S. Discovering Islam: Making Sense of Muslim History and Society. New York: Routledge, 1989. Sanders, Thomas, Stephen Morillo, and Samuel H. Nelson. Encounters in World History: Sources and Themes from the Global Past, Volume II: From 1500. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2005.

If global warming is a man-made disaster why have governments around the world failed to do very much about it?

If global warming is a man-made disaster why have governments around the world failed to do very much about it? One of the most important phenomena affecting nations in the 21st century is global warming. Global warming is defined generally as the progressive rise in average global temperatures caused by increased emissions of greenhouse gases, and is often referred to as the effect on the climate of human activities[1]. Though there have always been natural cycles of changing climate, global warming is considered to be man-made due to increased burning of fossil fuels and large-scale deforestation, which have led to a large increment in carbon dioxide emissions, coinciding with steadily rising temperatures[2]. Although efforts have been made to reduce the effects of global warming, governments around the world have failed to effectively tackle the issue. There are several reasons for this failure, including the problem of governing the commons, effects on the economy, as well as the difficulty in achieving global cooperation over the issue. This essay aims to discuss and analyse the main reas ons why governments have failed to successfully reduce global warming. One of the most fundamental reasons why very little has been achieved by governments in the effort to combat global warming lies with the difficulty of governing the commons. When a resource is not under jurisdiction of a single sovereign state, it is considered to be part of the commons, implying unrestricted access to anyone[3]. This means that no individual state has reason to preserve the resource, but rather to take as much of it for themselves as possible, usually leading to over exploitation[4]. The other issue with the commons is that they are often used as sinks for degraded waste products[5]. It is generally possible to solve this issue by allocating the commons into private ownership, thus creating incentives to preserve and manage them. However, this solution is not viable for the atmosphere because it is impossible to enclose, thus difficult to divide between states. As with any other resource that lacks ownership, the atmosphere becomes subject to the tragedy of the co mmons, but without the simple solution of private ownership. Therefore, it is difficult to negotiate an agreement over emission limits because states gain higher individual benefit than individual costs from increasing production, as the total cost of pollution is shared[6]. However, with the spread of globalisation, it is feasible that an increased awareness of a shared global space can increase states self-interest in protecting the environment. However, globalisation can in some ways be considered to be a reason for the limited success in curbing global warming. The relationship between the process of globalisation and the problem of environmental degradation is fairly complex, as though globalisation may raise the importance of protecting the commons, it may actually heighten the problem. Globalisation has lead to the spread of industry around the world, resulting in rising levels of production and consumption, which in turn leads to increased emissions[7]. The demand for open borders and free trade makes it more difficult for governments to enforce environmental regulations as firms are more able to evade them by moving to areas in which regulations do not exist or are lower[8]. The more difficult or complicated the regulation process is, the more unlikely governments are to succeed in lowering emissions. This has led to the argument that international trade is incompatible with environmental protection, as increased trad e and globalisation lead to further industrialisation, production and consumption, thus increasing global emissions, limiting governments ability to stop global warming. Governments may also have failed in successfully accounting for externalities of pollution (environmental and social damage) as pollution taxes and regulations have not been at a socially efficient level, thus leading to inefficiently high emissions[9]. However, many people argue that globalisation actually increases the efficiency of production, as long as markets take into account these externalities[10]. The spread of wealth and knowledge to new regions brought about by globalisation can also be argued to improve local environments due the facilitation of global awareness. Therefore, possibly a more viable explanation for the failure of governments in regulating global warming emerges from the potential economic costs of reducing production and consumption. It may not be in the national interests of states to reduce emissions, as this would involve limiting production by regulating emissions. Furthermore, reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases would involve regulation of energy, transport, agriculture, and industry, which are fundamental to modern economies[11]. Therefore, governments are reluctant to ban greenhouse gas emissions or to call for severe cuts as this could potentially have devastating effects on their economies, thus lowering living standards. Moreover, the cost of developing new technology and renewable energies to replace current production methods is vast, even though there are potential economic benefits from investing in alternative energy technologies[12]. Governments may therefore forego sustainability at the expense of economi c growth. However, probably the most important reason why governments have not succeeded in significantly reducing global warming is the difficulty in achieving global cooperation on the issue. Although the tragedy of the commons, globalisation and economic effects play a large role in the past failure in the reduction of global warming, most of these problems ultimately stem down to the lack of cooperation between states in dealing with the issue. Global warming is an issue that transcends national boundaries, involves irreversible damage to the environment, and affects all states, thus requiring international cooperation[13]. Many attempts have been made at reaching cooperation in the past, through numerous summits and meetings, and the creation of treaties and global institutions, such as the Kyoto Protocol and the United Nations Environment Program[14]. These attempts have had limited success in bringing the issue of global warming onto the global agenda. For example, the issue of governi ng global commons has been approached by creating a framework of mutually acceptable standards of behaviour, and the issue of economic costs for states has been tackled by setting global emission targets (Kyoto Protocol for example). However, regardless of these attempts, it has been impossible to forge global cooperation for several reasons. Firstly, international environmental meetings often serve many other political objectives, thus making it less likely that states will reach an understanding[15]. In conjunction, states may have conflicting national interests over political issues, the economy, trade policies, as well as the environment, making it difficult to forge a deal that adheres to each states needs. In addition, since international cooperation involves transboundary regulation, some have made claims that environmental action and new forms of global governance may be a threat to state sovereignty, thus further complicating cooperation[16]. Furthermore, it is important to consider the role of hegemons, especially the United States, in forging international cooperation. In recent years, the US has rejected many global efforts in environmental policymaking, withdrawing from the Kyoto Protocol, challenging the need for new treaties and questioning the precautionary principle in environmental protection[17]. If the US fails to act on global warming by accepting emission limits or by taking environmental leadership, other nations will find it difficult to do so while still remaining economically competitive. Therefore, there are many reasons explaining why governments have failed to do so little about global warming, largely arising from the difficulty in global environmental cooperation. In my opinion, although governments around the world have failed to fully prevent the negative effects of global warming, there have been many achievements that have brought the world closer to successfully understanding how to do so. In many cases, environmental problems can be managed through cooperation in global institutions and treaties[18]. Despite USAs failure to ratify Kyoto, there is significant proof that emissions targets do work in slowing down global warming[19]. Furthermore, solutions such as tradable permits and carbon taxes have gone a long way in finding a market based solution to the problem of greenhouse gas emissions[20]. International action could be further encouraged by the acknowledgement of global warming as a national security risk, as environmental degradation leads to both internal and external conflicts by potentially deepening poverty cycles and leading to mass migration away from degraded areas[21]. By accentuating the security risks associated with gl obal warming, governments may be more inclined to act, as security issues are crucial to governing a state. Even though global warming is acknowledged as a man-made disaster, governments have failed to fully stop its effects. This can be attributed to the difficulty in governing the global commons, the spread of globalisation and the potential effects on the economy of cutting emissions, as well as the difficulty in reaching global cooperation in environmental policy. Governments still face the task of finding a socially optimal level of regulation, the difficulty of ensuring emission standards are met once a treaty has been signed[22], as well as managing the connections between climate change, security, and globalisation. However, if powerful nations take the lead in promoting environmental norms, and if states adopt a precautionary principle on global warming, international cooperation can potentially succeed in providing governance regimes for important global commons. Word count: 1500 Bibliography: Baylis, J. Smith, S. and Owens, P. (eds), The Globalization of World Politics: An Introduction to International Relations, 4th Edition (Oxford: Oxford University Press). Steans, J. and Pettiford, L. (2005), International Relations: Perspectives and Themes, 2nd Edition, (Harlow: Pearson Education). Krugman, P. Wells, R. Graddy, K. (2008), Economics; European Edition, (Worth Publishers). Cline, W. (1992), The Economics of Global Warming, (Institute for International Economics). Victor, D. (2001), The Collapse of the Kyoto Protocol and the Struggle to slow Global Warming, (Princeton University Press). Nordhaus, W. Boyer, J. (2000) Warming the World: Economic Models of Global Warming, (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). Hardin, G. (1998), Extensions of the Tragedy of the Commons, Science; New Series, 5634(280): 682-683 Barnett, J. (2003), Security and Climate Change, Global Environmental Change, 13(1): 7-17 Falkner, R. (2005), American Hegemony and the Global Environment, International Studies Review, 7(4): 585-599 Hersch, J. Viscusi, K. (2006), Allocating Responsibility for Failure of Global Warming Policies, Responses to Global Warming: The Law, Economics, and Science of Climate Change, 155(20): 1657-1694 Barrett, S. (1990), The Problem of Global Environmental Protection, Oxford Review of Economic Policy, 6(1): 68-79 Robert, K. Basile, G. Kuehr, R. (2002) Strategic Sustainable Development Selection, Design and Synergies of Applied Tools, Journal of Cleaner Production, 10(3): 197-214 Houghton, J. (2005) Global Warming, Reports on the Progress of Physics, 68(1): 1343-1403 Flohn, H. (1980), Possible Climatic Consequences of a Man-made Global Warming United Nations Environment Programme, at: http://www.iiasa.ac.at/Publications/Documents/RR-80-030.pdf [1] Houghton, J. (2005) Global Warming, Reports on the Progress of Physics, 68(1) p.1343 [2] Flohn, H. (1980), Possible Climatic Consequences of a Man-made Global Warming United Nations Environment Programme, at: http://www.iiasa.ac.at/Publications/Documents/RR-80-030.pdf, (Date Accessed: 20/02/2010) [3] Hardin, G. (1998), Extensions of the Tragedy of the Commons, Science; New Series, 5634(280) p. 682 [4] Barrett, S. (1990), The Problem of Global Environmental Protection, Oxford Review of Economic Policy, 6(1) p.68 [5] Baylis, J. Smith, S. and Owens, P. (eds), The Globalization of World Politics: An Introduction to International Relations, 4th Edition (Oxford: Oxford University Press) p.358 [6] Hardin, G. (1998), Extensions of the Tragedy of the Commons, Science; New Series, 5634(280) p. 683 [7] Baylis, J. Smith, S. and Owens, P. (eds), The Globalization of World Politics: An Introduction to International Relations, 4th Edition (Oxford: Oxford University Press) p.352 [8] Nordhaus, W. Boyer, J. (2000) Warming the World: Economic Models of Global Warming, (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) p.3 [9] Hersch, J. Viscusi, K. (2006), Allocating Responsibility for Failure of Global Warming Policies, Responses to Global Warming: The Law, Economics, and Science of Climate Change, 155(20) p.1659 [10] Krugman, P. Wells, R. Graddy, K. (2008), Economics; European Edition, (Worth Publishers) p.483 [11] Baylis, J. Smith, S. and Owens, P. (eds), The Globalization of World Politics: An Introduction to International Relations, 4th Edition (Oxford: Oxford University Press) p.362 [12] Robert, K. Basile, G. Kuehr, R. (2002) Strategic Sustainable Development Selection, Design and Synergies of Applied Tools, Journal of Cleaner Production, 10(3) p.202 [13] Cline, W. (1992), The Economics of Global Warming, (Institute for International Economics) p.9 [14] Baylis, J. Smith, S. and Owens, P. (eds), The Globalization of World Politics: An Introduction to International Relations, 4th Edition (Oxford: Oxford University Press) p.356 [15] Houghton, J. (2005) Global Warming, Reports on the Progress of Physics, 68(1) p.1391 [16] Steans, J. and Pettiford, L. (2005), International Relations: Perspectives and Themes, 2nd Edition, (Harlow: Pearson Education) p.214 [17] Falkner, R. (2005), American Hegemony and the Global Environment, International Studies Review, 7(4) p.585 [18] Steans, J. and Pettiford, L. (2005), International Relations: Perspectives and Themes, 2nd Edition, (Harlow: Pearson Education) p.206 [19] Hersch, J. Viscusi, K. (2006), Allocating Responsibility for Failure of Global Warming Policies, Responses to Global Warming: The Law, Economics, and Science of Climate Change, 155(20) p.1662 [20] Krugman, P. Wells, R. Graddy, K. (2008), Economics; European Edition, (Worth Publishers) p.481 [21] Barnett, J. (2003), Security and Climate Change, Global Environmental Change, 13(1) p.10 [22] Victor, D. (2001), The Collapse of the Kyoto Protocol and the Struggle to slow Global Warming, (Princeton University Press) p.55

Richard A. Wasserstroms Lawyers as Professionals: Some Moral Issues Es

Richard A. Wasserstrom's article "Lawyers as Professionals: Some Moral Issues." Criticisms of lawyers are the topic in Richard A. Wasserstrom's article "Lawyers as Professionals: Some Moral Issues." Wasserstrom broke this topic into two main areas of discussion. The first suggests that lawyers operate with essentially no regard for any negative impact of their efforts on the world at large. Analysis of the relationship that exists between the lawyer and their client was the second topic of discussion. "Here the charge is that it is the lawyer-client relationship which is morally objectionable because it is a relationship which the lawyer dominates and in which the lawyer typically, and perhaps inevitably, treats the client in both an impersonal and a paternalistic fashion." Wasserstrom considers a few options with in his discussion concerning a multitude of aspects faced by lawyers. "The lawyer's situation is different from that of other professionals. The lawyer is vulnerable to some moral criticism that does not as readily or as easily attach to any other professional." Thi...

Gang membership, Drug Selling, and Violence in Neighborhood Context Ess

Smiley is a man who was released back into the society on a parole. He was sent back to live in his neighborhood. Shinichi Suzuki, a famous Japanese violinist who invented Suzuki Method, got the right idea of Smiley’s situation when he said â€Å"Man is a child of his environment†. It means that Smiley is a product of his environment. His neighborhood is a no picnic. The neighborhood is a basically a graveyard of American dreams. Like everyone else in America, Smiley values individualism, achievement, money, and family unity highly. However he is in a hostile society where his rough background is rejected and regarded as a stigma. He does not have education or an escape from his neighborhood where people are under a great strain. The reason for the strain is because American culture sets the bar for gold standards of an ideal lifestyle that in the reality that social structures in some groups cannot follow (Shelden, Brown, Miller, & Fitzler, 2008). According to strain theory, Smiley’s neighbors all want same things but they cannot get them legally so they decide to find illegal loopholes. They go in this state that Robert Merton would call anomie (Shelden, Brown, Miller & Fritzler, 2008). According to him, the state is when â€Å"social structures exert a definite pressure upon certain persons in the society to engage in nonconforming rather than conforming conduct† ( p.78). A gang in Smiley’s neighborhood pressures Smiley into practicing norms that are considered unacceptable legally . Smiley’s gang approves stealing, violence, abuse of drugs, and organized crimes. Smiley had to adapt by conforming to the gang’s values, follow ritualism like wearing certain colors and speaking gang jargon, and view the world as us ( gang) against them.... ..., T. (2009). Gang membership, drug selling, and violence in neighborhood context. Justice Quarterly, 26(4), 645-669. Opsal, T. (2009). Women on parole: Understanding the impact of surveillance. Women & Criminal Justice, 19(4), 306-328. Shelden, R.G., Brown, W.B., Miller, K.S., & Fritzler, R.B. (2008). Crime and criminal justice in american society. Long Grove, Illinosis: Waveland Press, INC. Stickels, J. (2007). The game of probation. Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, 22(1), 33-43. Wilkinson, D.L. (2007). Local Social Ties and Willingness to Intervene: Textured Views Among Violent Urban Youth of Neighborhood Social Control Dynamics and Situations. Justice Quarterly : JQ, 24(2), 185-220. (Document ID: 1295281001). http://ezproxy.rit.edu/login?url=http://proquest.umi.com.ezproxy.rit.edu/pqdweb?did=1295281001&Fmt=7&clientId=3589&RQT=309&VName=PQD