Social Policy Essay Example for Free

Social Policy Essay This essay will use the McPhail family case study. The essay will look at the Functionalism and Feminism theory in relation to the case study family and show the effects of two sociological perspectives and there importance in assisting the social care worker to understand the family. The essay will also look at social policy on how it is developed and he issues of private and public issues. This will include how four sectors of social care will aid the case study family and how these organisations are funded. In today’s society, there are many different family structures and these structures are interpreted differently depending on the individual. There are five main ‘types’ of family structures and these can change throughout the life span of the family. In the case of the McPhail family, their family structure can be ‘labelled’ differently depending on when the family is viewed. The McPhail family consists of a grandparent John (68), parents John (42) and Betty (42) and their children Billy (25), Michael (23), Sandy (20), Lisa (15) and Charlene (12). This according to the family structure types this family would fall under the heading of ‘Extended’ family due to grandparent John being cared for by the family. But this can change or take on multiple family types. For example, Parent John’s work pattern, who works away from home with his two eldest sons. So using structure types John would become a ‘Lone Parent’ of his sons that are with him and this could also be applied to Betty with the remaining children in her care. There is also when grandparent John goes into respite, the family structure becomes a ‘Nuclear’ family. This shows that in today’s society there is no longer a normal family structure and with changes within the family is no longer stable. Their roles in their society are deemed different from normal society. As the John (42) and his two eldest sons are the workers of the family, they are known as the providers, like a lot of families the males of the family will go out to work. This leaves Betty (42) as the carer of the family that brings up the children and nurturing their traditional norms and values on the children. But there is a difference which in todays society is deemed different and that is that Betty although labelled the Homemaker has no say on the financial decisions of the family, which is the responsibility of John (42). In society today this is not so common within families, as typically both parents have the financial obligations to the family unit. And within the travelling community money is not spoken about to others and  with the women of the family. The use of sociological perspectives can also explain the workings of this family within society. In the case of the McPhail family there are two of the sociological theories that fit this family. The first being Functionalism Theory, which this theory sees society as a system with a set of interconnected parts that together work to provide for the family needs. According to Functionalists, the family is an important positive role in developing the next generation. The McPhail family parents nurture the children by entrusting their norms and values, which according to Functionalists is how the family should work but only if the gypsy society was the dominant society. As they are not and our society is seen as the ‘correct’ society then this family is now deemed as ‘Dysfunctional’ which the gypsies/ travellers community are seen as different and do not follow the norms, values and roles of our society but for this family their norms and values have been passed down through generation to generation and are seen as ‘normal’ within the gypsie society. The McPhails have strict cultural values that of the gypsy community are very strong and not always seen as acceptable in todays society. This sociological perspective shows how their behaviour, experiences and life chances are affected. The travelling community are strict on family unit and moving around the country has an effect on the life chances, through disrupted education, socialisation out with the family unit and behaviours expected by the non-travelling community. For example the males of the family are taught trades by their fathers and male relatives, and sent out to gain employment to provide for their family but without the academic certification this proves to hinder their life chances. The other of the sociological perspectives is Feminist Theory. For example the females of a traditional gypsy family are educated to be homemakers and thus academic education is not an essential requirement and usually females leave school at fifteen/sixteen, marry young. This highlights that the women of the travelling communities have less standing than men in their community as they are seen as only homemakers. This does not allow women to travel and experience other cultures and life situations such as living alone or sharing with non family. Lack of education also causes limitations on working careers though this is not deemed acceptable but maybe essential for the family to survive. This also has a substantial affect on the behaviour  of the women in the travelling communities by asserting dominance of other women within their community. This has an effect on their behaviour, experiences and life chances for both the males and females of the travelling community. Their behaviour is different dependent on their gender, for example the males are more dominant over the females and the females are to follow strict rules on how to ‘behave’ with and to men and what are expected of them as wives and homemakers. Although this theory allows the social care worker to understand how the McPhail family operates. It also emphasises gender based differences that woman is the nurturer and the man is the provider/breadwinner. This creates generations of sexual inequality. And maintains male power throughout adult society, As a social care worker, both these perspectives can provide useful insight as to how the McPhail family operates but also provides background information for assisting them to settle into a society that in many ways is different to the society they have been brought up in. For a social care worker having a clear understanding of the functional/dysfunctional theory can allow them to sensitive to the needs of the family. For example, the education of the younger children. Putting them into the correct school that has the provisions to assist with the lack of education that these children have had due to the continual movement of the family. Placing them into a school that has educational support unit to assist them in catching up with the mainstream classes. These units will also assist with the behavioural issues that the children have when interacting with teachers and other children within the school. This also has an effect on where the family is housed, as they will need to be close enough for this type of school. Social policies are a set of rules, laws or legislation that governs social issues within society and are also set out to resolve these issues. Social policy has a major impact on the everyday lives of individuals by controlling certain behaviours and situations. Social policy is usually born from a private issue that is common to many individuals within society and when noticed by the government through politicians or people with power they then become a public issue which when it becomes public can be easier to solve and policies are put into place to resolve the issues. There are many different factors or influences that can lead to the development of a social  policy, and they can also be shaped by the influence of European, National and local government. For example, economics of the nation has a major influence on social policy. This has for Scotland provided free prescriptions. This came about when in the 1950’s the British government introduced prescription charges which created millions of pounds that the government used to fund statutory agencies but when the Scotland re-formed its government, the prescription charges where reduced and finally abolished in 2010, thus enabling families on a low income to receive medication otherwise unavailable to them due to the prescription charges. Another example of influences that form social policies is demographics. Looking at the national census, it shows that the growing population and the fact the people are living longer due to the advances in medical science and positive live changes of individuals. But looking mainly at the elderly population, in previous years, the elderly died younger due to lack of income to support them with medication and care but with changes in legislation influence by national and European government has provided free care and benefits. This was done by establishing the Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002, which provides free nursing and personal care with benefits to the elderly population. There is also the influence of the media. As society has progressed with technology so has the availability of information through media coverage. Individuals are finding out more on what the issues of the individuals are and how they can affect them. The media uses many different means of influencing the country but the main channels are television, internet, radio and newspapers. By broadcasting issues of concern, this raises public interest and can insight policies to be made to combat these issues. For example the Patients Rights (Scotland) Act 2011, this came about after a news report on the waiting times of local hospitals where publish. This information became public knowledge on a wider scale and got the people that have an influential say demanding for action to be taken. Which for this issue, it has had a beneficial effect but there are issues that may not such as, if a sex offenders details are available to the public. This has a domino effect as these issues change public opinion on matters of care and families, which is another influence on how social policies are created. Public opinions are brought to the attention of the government by pressure groups or lobby groups. For example MIND is a charitable organisation  that campaigns the government to makes changes to legislation that creates awareness and better rights for individuals with mental health issues. This can be seen through their campaign of the Benefits and Welfare Reform. MIND are campaigning to protect individuals on benefits with mental health issues and their campaign is to provide better assessment tools, changes to Disability Living Allowance and the cut backs, creating more user friendly language when applying for benefits and changing the contents of the new Work Programmes that are being set out by the government. Social policy and the influences that create our policies have an effect on all everyday families and in the case of the McPhail family, their private issue of discrimination of their family by the people living around them has came to the attention of the local authority. The Anti-Social Behaviour etc (Scotland) Act 2003, this act protects the McPhail family through their beliefs and way of life. This acts aim is to protect the family and allows the local authority and local police to intervene on their behalf to stop the issues that are causing them alarm or distress. This can cause social exclusion. Most individuals have a social support network, but for the McPhail family this does not seem to be the case. There are organisations that provide services to assist the McPhail family with the daily living in a community that is unfamiliar to them. These organisations are provided by four main sectors. Firstly there is the statutory sector, which in the case of the McPhail family provides assistance with housing for the family and home care for both Betty (42) and Jacob (68). This sector is funded by the government and provided by the local authority. There is the voluntary sector such as Cornerstone which can provide support to Jacob (68) and the family coming to terms with his terminal illness. This organisation is funded by private donation, fundraising events and can also be funded through government grants. There is also the private sector with agencies such The Richmond Fellowship that provides services such as care (personal care or waking night care) and support (days out and shopping trips) but this service comes at a cost to the individuals as this service is paid for by the client. Finally there is the unpaid or informal carer, which in the case of the McPhail family is Betty (42) who looks after Jacob (68) and provides all his care needs when there is no assistance from the local authority or any other care organisation. This is generally unpaid and  considered within their family as Bettys duty.

The Role of Homais in Madame Bovary

The Role of Homais in Madame Bovary Elixir for Decayed Corruption In Madame Bovary, Flaubert expresses the complications that give rise as a result of the unsatisfactory life of a young woman belonging to the socio-economic class. He directly introduces criticism of societys antics through many different characters in the novel, each of which play a significant role in delivering his message. One such character is Homais, an apothecary in the town of Yonville. Although this character appears to at first be a simply an insignificant, nosy character, his corrupt and self-serving nature continues to be revealed through his interactions with the people he meets. The purpose of Homais character in the novel is very direct as he represents the hypocritical and cowardly nature of the masculine middle class. His character also enables the society to behave in a corrupt fashion, supporting Flauberts interpretation of civilization as equally corrupt. Flaubert establishes Homais character in the novel as a device in delivering his criticism and ridicule of th e bourgeoisie and society as a whole during this time period. Initially, Homais character appears to act solely as a vehicle for Flauberts criticisms of the new, progressive middle class as cowardly and self serving. A significant manifestation of the corrupt and cowardly nature of Homais appears during a critical error he made causing the amputation of Hippolytes leg. Homais pretends that he wants to take rash actions to cure Hippolytes club foot purely for the benefit of Hippolyte, claiming that, its not for me. Its for you purely out of goodwill (174). However it is revealed that Homais simply wanted to use Hippolytes injury as a stepping stone for his flourishing in the journalism activity. Homais deceitful and sly nature appears as he attempts to convince Hippolyte by providing false hope of being more cheerful and agile and even hints that women would be more pleased after the procedure (174). Homais is essentially the catalyst for the downfall of Hippolyte by using him for his own benefit and becoming taken over by greed. Flaubert critic izes the nature of the middle class to only take action when benefit comes for them. He expands on the loss of human goodwill and shows the decay and corruption that replaces compassion and benevolence. This incident regarding Hippolyte also depicts the cowardly nature of the middle class in the face of confrontation. After the rapid decline of Hippolytes health, a different doctor was summoned in an attempt to find a cure for Hippolyte. The doctor begins the criticize Charles actions stating that he was an idiot who reduced an unfortunate man to such a state (180). He continues on to derail Charles character exclaiming that they load you down with remedies without worrying about the consequences(180). In the midst of the doctors condemnation of Charles, Homais does not defend Charles even though he was the propeller of the action and essentially lays down his dignity for his greater interests. Homais does not take responsibility for his actions and instead simply observes others ta ke the burden of the blame. His cowardly act manifests Flauberts interpretation of the nature of the middle class. Flaubert denounces how the priorities of the socio-economic class appears to be based on materialistic ideals rather than core human values such as dignity, pride, and honesty. Another incident that displays the corrupt self-serving nature of the middle class depicts by Flaubert is Homais treatment towards the blind beggar. Homais considers himself a cultured, intelligent, important man when in reality he is ultimately at the same level of the peasants and lower class he looks down on. Homais proceeds to regard the beggar with contempt describing him as a scrofulous infection and poses as an intelligent man by giving the beggar advice for his blind condition (280). A notable moment that exhibits the cowardly nature of Homais is the action he takes in retaliation to the blind beggar exposing the harmful actions Homais inflicts upon others in an attempt to add to his own benefit. Homais takes advantage of his resources to launch a secret campaign against the beggar, and ultimately succeeds in jailing the beggar in an asylum. His actions shows his resort to oppression of another mans civil liberties in an attempt to protect his own reputation. Homais character acts as a representation of the corrupt and cowardly aspects of the bourgeoisie. However, a depiction of Flauberts criticisms of society as a whole can be assumed to be an addition to the purpose behind the creation of Homais character. Ironically, Homais character is arguably one of the most corrupt in the novel, yet he is the only one who achieves his goal of social mobility. In comparison to characters who appear morally good such as Charles and Berthe Bovary who end up with tragic endings, Homais is able to achieve most if not all of his ambitions and goals. An example ofÂÂ   Homais success is the fact presented that he had just received the Legion of Honor (322). Flaubert presents this fact in a blunt style as the last line of the novel leaving a foul taste in the readers mouths. Homais achievement is not shown to be a beautiful event but rather a small gain in comparison to the corrupt actions he had taken leading up to his success. As a result, Flaubert criticizes society in its capitulation towards societys accolade to the most unethical figures. He condemns the mechanics behind society and essentially exposes the moral decay that is hidden underneath the gilded surface. Through Homais triumph in acquiring the Legion of Honor, Flaubert reveals the twisted nature of the mechanics behind society. He shows the disappointing reality that those who act in sly and immoral ways often times receive more benefit than those who live an honest life. Homais character depicts the segment of society through Flauberts perspective which prevents his evaluation from being truly objective. Moreover, Flaubert attempts to depict the raw corrupt nature of Homais character through a satirical argument between Homais and the priest: Yet, said Homais, it cant be both ways. Either she died in a state of grace (as the Church puts it), in which case she doesnt need prayers; or she died unrepentant (I believe thats the ecclesiastical term), and in that case- Bournisien interrupted, replying in an irritable tone that one needed to pray, no matter what. But, the pharmacist objected, since God knows all our needs, whats the use of prayer? What do you mean? asked the priest. Prayer! Arent you a Christian? I beg your pardon, said Homais. I admire Christianity. In the first place, it freed the slaves, introduced into the world a morality- Never mind about that! All the texts- Texts, bah! Open up the history books. We know they were falsified by the Jesuits. Charles came in and walked toward the bed. He drew the curtains back slowly. (305) In this piece of dialogue Homais engages in a argument with the priest about religion. This represents the clash in culture during the time between the new science ideas and the conservative ideas of centering life around religion. Homais continues to argue even in the presence of the deceased Emma Bovary. His disregard to the situation at hand shows how he doesnt appear to have any respect towards Madame Bovary. Flaubert creates the satirical conversation between Homais and Bournisien in order to reveal the hypocritical nature of Homais in asserting that he is a religious man but proceeding to denounce the essence of religion. He presents himself as a holy man yet he objects to the statement by the priest that prayer is needed no matter what. Homais claims to admire Christianity but advocates modern ideas including Voltaire and science. Through the dialogue, Homais character is seen once more in negative light as a representation of the middle class. The insensitivity of Homais to t he environment of the deceased is reflected in his insistence in continuing to partake in the squabble with the priest. Homais interrupts and blurts out his own uneducated ideas without giving consideration to the priests words. Another characteristic revealed is in how he disregards the dead in order to win the argument and therefore feel a sense of self-superiority. The childish antics performed by Homais shows the twisted order in his priorities to favor self over the traditional values of respect. As a result of Homais corruption, the moral decay has reached such a deep point in his character that he supports Flauberts intent in depicting the middle class as well as society. Finally, Madame Bovary brings to light Flauberts dissection of society as corrupt and immoral through the character Homais. Throughout the novel Homais perpetrates many unethical actions that displays the mechanics of society through a single person. He reveals his cowardly and corrupt actions which supports the conclusion that his character was essentially devised to be used as a device for Flauberts heavy condemnation towards civilization. The novel also paves way into Flauberts analysis of a specific group, the bourgeoisie, to be equally Madame Bovary reveals the actions that give rise to the decay within the community. Through this manifestation, Flaubert delivers his denunciation of society and the middle class to be impure.

Should We Continue To Commemorate Wars? :: essays research papers

Should we continue to commemorate wars? Discuss with reference to specific examples. Throughout the course of this essay I will be discussing whether or not we should continue to commemorate wars, I will be mainly referring to Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday as my examples because these are the biggest commemorations for any of the wars in British history. Among all of the ceremonies and silences that occur throughout the year, there is still a tendency for people to forget what they are commemorating and remembering. When we commemorate wars, for example on remembrance weekend, we are remembering tens of thousands of people who died defending the country against evil; we also remember the people who these people loved and the loss that they encountered. We commemorate Armistice Day because it is 80 years to the day since World War One ended and the two-minute silence is to commemorate this. The silence, says the Royal British Legion, is "to remember the brave men and women who fought so courageously and with such sacrifice to secure the freedom which you and I enjoy today". On Remembrance Sunday there is another two minutes silence at eleven o’clock. The poppies worn and laid are a mark of respect for those who have died in wars everywhere in our name. Also a march past by veterans from wars symbolises the suffering and pain that goes on everywhere today and that is endured by some many. Commemoration is a time to reflect on the fact that our entire way of life is predicated on the sacrifices and courage of those that came before us and fought for our respective nations. It takes more courage than most of us can imagine risking ones life for an intangible goal such as victory for a nation. It has long been held that we should honour our past soldiers, to that honour I say that we should add thanks and deference. I think that commemorations should be an opportunity for all people but especially the young to thank and be grateful for the service of the forces and civilians during both the world wars. The sacrifices made and that are still having to be lived with by some should never be forgotten These commemorations means to me a time when the memories of those soldiers who gave their lives for the causes of peace are appreciated by people who have benefited from this.

A Genre Analysis of Graduate-Level Reading Response Blogs Essay

Introduction As a community, academics are increasingly accepting the use of public, online, journal style writings known as weblogs (blogs) as a valid pedagogy for the classroom. The attraction of using blogs within a classroom setting stems mainly from the discursive possibilities that the new technology offers: namely, that blogs allow for a discussion of nearly any topic in a socially moderated medium that encourages participants to compare, expand upon, and modify their understanding of that topic in relation to the ideas of their peers. While these discourses may serve any variety of purposes, one growing use of the medium is as a format for reading responses—a somewhat traditional pedagogical approach within Composition Studies, but now modified by this new digital medium to allow for a discussion of course readings, rather than an isolated and individual response. In other words, the genre of the reading response blog allows the discussions of course texts, which traditionally tak e place in the classroom after the students have written a response to the text, to be initiated or conducted entirely within a social and public space. In this particular analysis, I will analyze examples of this genre from a graduate seminar, where students are responding not only to the texts but to the ideas and reflections of their peers as well. These examples are all drawn from public blog postings from a single week’s readings, early in the semester, in order to examine the moves made by these students and how, within the framework of a course assignment, they form a discourse community. It should be noted, of course, that one of the samples is my own blog, and that I will therefore be approaching this genre as both a participant a... ...om/2010/02/stop-face-lifts-we-understand-social-to.html. March 1, 2010. Hetland, Tim. â€Å"The Forms of Popular Culture as Ways to ‘Make’ Meaning.† February 7, 2010. Web. http://steppingoffthebus.blogspot.com/2010/02/forms-of-popular-culture-as-ways-to.html. March 1, 2010. Hillman, Maggie. â€Å"The Tale of Samuel Whiskers: Developing Literacy at Home.† February 7, 2010. Web. http://ethospathoslogoszone.blogspot.com/2010/02/tale-of-samuel-whiskers-developing.html. March 1, 2010. Oliver, Malcolm. â€Å"Online Communities and Mass Media are > Bedtime Stories?† February 8, 2010. Web. http://malcolmii.blogspot.com/2010/02/online-communities-and-mass-media-are.html. March 1, 2010. Sandoval, Marisa. â€Å"Discouse as a Dance.† February 6, 2010. Web. http://wsuenglish597.blogspot.com/2010/02/discouse-as-dance.html. March 1, 2010.

frost Essay -- essays research papers

The Road Not Taken In line one, Frost introduces the elements of his primary metaphor, the diverging roads. Lines two to three expresses the speaker's disappointment with his human limitations; he must make a choice. The choice is not easy, since "long I stood" before coming to a decision. Lines four and five examine the path as best the narrator can. However his vision is limited because the path bends and is covered over. These lines indicate that although the speaker would like to acquire more information, he is prevented from doing so because of the nature of his environment. In the following three lines, lines six through eight, the speaker indicates that the second path is a more attractive choice because it appears as though nobody has ventured down it recently. However, he remains ambivalent, since the traveled path is "just as fair.?Although the poet breaks for a new stanza after line 10, the comparison of the paths continues in lines nine through twelve. Here, the speaker state s that the paths are "really about the same." Neither path has been traveled lately. Although he's searching for a clear logical reason to choose a single path, not one presents itself. In lines thirteen through fifteen, the speaker makes his decision. He tries to rationalize that he will be able to traverse both paths one day. However, he is quick to dismiss his hopes. Ending line thirteen, the exclamation point conveys excitement, but that excitement is quickly undercut by the admission contained in the following lines. In the final four lines, the only stanza beginning with a new sentence, the tone clearly shifts. The speaker imagines himself in the future, discussing his life. What he suggests, here, though, appears to contradict what he has said earlier. At the end of the poem, in the future, he will claim that the paths were different from each other and that he, courageous, did not choose the conventional one. Frost's quarrel with the world is apparent in this poem. The speaker of this poem, presumable Frost himself, is forced to make a decision. Literally, he must choose a path in the woods. However, Frost's paths in the woods metaphorically describe the decisions that one must make in life. Frost is perturbed with the world because, like the speaker, he has to choose between two divergent paths. Each path appears to be suitable, yet, Fro... ... done something or spoken a word that indicates who he really is, there is no turning back, in cannot be undone. Once again at the end of the poem regret hangs over the traveler. He realizes that at the end of his life, somewhere ages and ages hence? he will have the regrets about having never gone back and traveling the road he did not take. Yet, he remains proud of his decision and recognizes that it was this path that he chose which helped him live the life he did. â€Å"I took the road less traveled by and that has made all the difference? To this man, the most important thing was that he did not have to follow the crowd and could stand independent and travel down the road he really wanted to. If he had not, he would not be the same man he is now. There are many equally valid meanings to this poem and Robert Frost may have intended this. He may have been trying to achieve a universal meaning. In other words, there is no real moral to the poem. There is simply a narrator who makes a decision in his life that changed the direction of his life. It allows all readers from all different experiences to relate to the poem and encourages each to peruse his own dreams and individuality. frost Essay -- essays research papers The Road Not Taken In line one, Frost introduces the elements of his primary metaphor, the diverging roads. Lines two to three expresses the speaker's disappointment with his human limitations; he must make a choice. The choice is not easy, since "long I stood" before coming to a decision. Lines four and five examine the path as best the narrator can. However his vision is limited because the path bends and is covered over. These lines indicate that although the speaker would like to acquire more information, he is prevented from doing so because of the nature of his environment. In the following three lines, lines six through eight, the speaker indicates that the second path is a more attractive choice because it appears as though nobody has ventured down it recently. However, he remains ambivalent, since the traveled path is "just as fair.?Although the poet breaks for a new stanza after line 10, the comparison of the paths continues in lines nine through twelve. Here, the speaker state s that the paths are "really about the same." Neither path has been traveled lately. Although he's searching for a clear logical reason to choose a single path, not one presents itself. In lines thirteen through fifteen, the speaker makes his decision. He tries to rationalize that he will be able to traverse both paths one day. However, he is quick to dismiss his hopes. Ending line thirteen, the exclamation point conveys excitement, but that excitement is quickly undercut by the admission contained in the following lines. In the final four lines, the only stanza beginning with a new sentence, the tone clearly shifts. The speaker imagines himself in the future, discussing his life. What he suggests, here, though, appears to contradict what he has said earlier. At the end of the poem, in the future, he will claim that the paths were different from each other and that he, courageous, did not choose the conventional one. Frost's quarrel with the world is apparent in this poem. The speaker of this poem, presumable Frost himself, is forced to make a decision. Literally, he must choose a path in the woods. However, Frost's paths in the woods metaphorically describe the decisions that one must make in life. Frost is perturbed with the world because, like the speaker, he has to choose between two divergent paths. Each path appears to be suitable, yet, Fro... ... done something or spoken a word that indicates who he really is, there is no turning back, in cannot be undone. Once again at the end of the poem regret hangs over the traveler. He realizes that at the end of his life, somewhere ages and ages hence? he will have the regrets about having never gone back and traveling the road he did not take. Yet, he remains proud of his decision and recognizes that it was this path that he chose which helped him live the life he did. â€Å"I took the road less traveled by and that has made all the difference? To this man, the most important thing was that he did not have to follow the crowd and could stand independent and travel down the road he really wanted to. If he had not, he would not be the same man he is now. There are many equally valid meanings to this poem and Robert Frost may have intended this. He may have been trying to achieve a universal meaning. In other words, there is no real moral to the poem. There is simply a narrator who makes a decision in his life that changed the direction of his life. It allows all readers from all different experiences to relate to the poem and encourages each to peruse his own dreams and individuality.

Emerging Technology Essay

The purpose of this paper is to summarize the advantages of computers/software and the use of computer technology in investigations. Summarize the disadvantages to law enforcement with respect to the advancements of computers. Real cases will be researched in order to understand how computers can be utilized in criminal activities, as well as a case that the use of a computer was beneficial to the prosecution in a criminal case. A final conclusion paragraph will address my personal subjective opinion as to whether these technologies, in an overall sense are a benefit or hindrance to law enforcement efforts. Introduction Since computers have become such a big part of our lives it is no surprise that even criminals now know how to hack into large computer networks. Obtaining electronic evidence may be one of the most difficult types of evidence to recover. Another issue is authenticating this evidence; however with the help of legal standards this evidence is admissible in court today. Even though computers are the most dominant form of technology that is used in a variety of situations, there are set backs to everything and computers are no exceptions as this paper will explain (Forensic Science, n.d.). The Advantages of Computers and the Use of Computer Technology in Investigations In order to paint an accurate picture of the advantages of computers and technology relating to investigation we must start as close to the beginning as possible. This would be when President Johnson in his State of the union Address to Congress in 1968. This is where the President made the announcement â€Å"to bring the most advanced technology to the war on crime in every city and country in America† (Northrop, 1993). It was less than ten months when the congress along with the President, put into law the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968. This law created the Law Enforcement Assistance Association (LEAA), to handle and deliver on the promise of the President of technological assistance. During the next ten years the LEAA contributed meanly $50 million to state and local government criminal justice and law enforcement agencies for crime fighting. Otherfederal agencies like the FBI matched the funding as well as local and state governments themselves (Northrop, 1993). To demonstrate the usefulness of computers by police in the fight against crime, this pare to the paper will refer to results from a comprehensive repeated-measures field study that looked specifically at how useful computers are to police in the fight against crime. The study focused on a particular class of computer use, which was the searches for vital information because this is the bulk of computer activity for officers and are valued by the police in their fight against crime. Between 1976 and 1988 the data did â€Å"show a clear improvement in both the use of and benefits from such systems† (Northrop, 1993). The only drawback is that â€Å"the investment in search systems and the promise they hold for improving police effectiveness is badly constrained by inadequate training of patrol officers and detectives† (Northrop, 1993). However, there is a very simple solution to this small glitch and that is to create an adequate training system and put all officers through that training program (Northrop, 1993). The most notable problem facing officers was the chronic lack of information. This spans the range from the police chiefs shortage of information on how to use the departments limited resources to the patrol officers uncertainty over whom to stop and question regarding suspicious behavior. In the 1970’s and early 1980’s, this problem was addressed using a multi-facade management approach and there were big payoffs. The problem of improving how information was provided to police officers in the street or to the detective working a case was harder to fix. They soon realized the only way to specific individuals or cases was the existing records. However, the only means of utilizing those records was to look them up (Northrop, 1993). From utilizing computers in cars so officers could run a license plate and social security number to see if there are any warrants out for the person they stopped, to more advances such as carrying cell phones, GPS tracking systems in cars, crime mapping tools, information sharing between state and local law enforcement, to even sharing information across countries. Technology has come a long way in helping officers and other agents within the criminal justice system do their job. Just a bit more about the advantages of the things mentioned above and time to move on. The most interesting thing is Geographic Information Systems (GIS), which has become a most important tool for law enforcement agencies. GIS, othermapping software and desktop computers now are capable of mapping and data analysis that is way above and beyond what used to be possible with backroom mainframe computers (Rubley, 2011). Another great advancement is the widespread use of everyone using mobile devices. Many officers now use two to three cell phones. The invention of apps has made it easy for everyone to tap a button and instantly retrieve valuable information. Information that used to take several steps to obtain using a browser is now at the officer’s fingertips. Mobile technology is evolving all the time and it is evolving fast, even in the past few years the government has been able to identify a suspect through a facial recognition app on the iPhone, look up a potential jurors social media profile during voir dire, and now they even have real time data streaming to mobile devices which can provide information on a fugitive or get instant news feeds. There is no doubt that computers and technology have taken law enforcement to a whole new level (Rubley, 2011). What Disadvantages Face Law Enforcement with Respect to the Advancements of Computers? One big disadvantage is that there is such a high volume of information being exchanged daily on the internet and while this is a convenient thing for most of us, there are also criminals taking advantage of the opportunity. There is corporate fraud, theft, intellectual property disputes, and even breach of contract and asset recovery issues. These are some of the situations that use computers to commit the crime and use computer forensics to solve the crime (n.a., 2009). An additional disadvantage is making sure that the digital evidence is going to be admissible in court. Since data can be modified very easy, the analyst must be able to comply with the standards of evidence required by law. The analyst must make sure their investigation is fully documented and accounted for. Another real disadvantage is the cost of retrieving the data. Computer forensic experts are hired by the hour and the process of analyzing and reporting the data can take up to 15 hours depending on the nature of the case (n.a., 2009). Other disadvantages are really the same ones facing all users of technology. If the system is down there is no information that can be retrieved. If the user is not trained in using the technological equipment at his/her disposal then this will be a waste of time. If the input of information is incorrect which sometimes occurs because of human error, then that will cause a problem for officers in the long run. The Case Chosen to be researched where the Computer was used to Aid in the Commission of a Crime. 3 NJ Students Charged in School Computer Hacking On April 14, 2010, in Haddonfield N.J. three students hacked into one of the top preforming High Schools. They are now facing charges for attempting to change their grades once they were into the system. The three students are boys, ages 14, 15, and 16 but because they are minors their names have not been released. The Boys were found out when a staff member found one of the boys using keystroke capture software on one of the computers at the school in an attempt to steal a teacher’s password. That student then implicated the others in this crime. The boys were charged with illegally obtaining information and were released to their parents (Associated Press, 2010). This is a wonderful example of how people, who might never have committed a crime in their lives, get ideas about computers as if this is not a crime. They get on the internet, explore places and things that are illegal and never think twice about it because they are either in their own home and feel protected, or they feel that it is easier to get away with computer related crimes and take their chances. There is too much technology and it is dangerous in the wrong hands. People need to realize that especially crime on the internet will always be solved sooner or later because what you do on a computer leaves a print forever that can never be erased. Research Case Where a Computer was Beneficial to the Prosecution in a Criminal Case In this case a woman age 45, named Sonia Martin, from Nigeria and Chicago, Illinois was â€Å"manager of a Chicago cell in one of the most sophisticated and organized computer hacking and ATM cash out schemes ever perpetrated† (U.S. Attorney’s Office, 2012). On August 12, 2012 she was sentenced to serve two years and six months in a federal prison on charges of conspiracy to commit wore fraud. She will also serve five years of supervised release and $89,120.25 in restitution fees (U.S. Attorney’s Office, 2012). According the United States attorney Yates, in November of 2008 a group of hackers obtained unauthorized access into the comp uter system of a company called WorldPay US, Inc., then known as RBS WorldPay, which is a payment processor in Atlanta. The hackers were very sophisticated and used some daring techniques to compromise the data encryption that WorldPay used to protect the customers data on payroll debit cards. These are used by more and more companies to pay their employees. This is convenient for employees as they can use the debit card right away or use it to withdraw their salaries right from an ATM (U.S. Attorney’s Office, 2012). Once they were in, hackers raised the balances and ATM withdraw limits on the compromised accounts. â€Å"They then provided a network of lead â€Å"cashers† with 44 debit card account numbers and their PIN numbers, which they used to withdraw more than $9 million from over 2,100 ATM;s in at least 280 cities worldwide, including cities in the United States, Russia, Ukraine, Estonia, Italy, Hong Kong, Japan, and Canada† (U.S. Attorney’s Office, 2012). The whole thing, $9 million dollars, took less than 12 hours to pull off on November 8, 2008 (U.S. Attorney’s Office, 2012). Throughout the cash out the hackers monitored these fraudulent ATM withdraws in real-time from inside the computer systems of WorldPay. Once the transactions were complete the hackers sought to destroy data stored on the card processing network so they could cover up this illegal activity. WorldPay discovered the unauthorized activity and reported the breach (U.S. Attorney’s Office, 2012). Sonia Martin was working with one of the lead cashers and supervised a cashing crew in Chicago. Martin was given PIN codes, and payroll cards, and then manufactured counterfeit debit cards based on that information. So she handed out cards to her underlings that she recruited and supervised. Together they all withdrew approximately $80,000 from various ATM’s around Chicago, during the early morning hours of November 8, 2008. Martin’s primary addres s is Nigeria (U.S. Attorney’s Office, 2012). This case was investigated by special agents of the federal bureau of investigations. Other who helped provide assistance included; numerous domestic and international law enforcement partners and WorldPay immediately reported the crime and substantially assisted in the investigation (U.S. Attorney’s Office, 2012). Conclusion My belief is that the new technology and computers have really given law enforcement some spectacular tools to do their job. I feel that technology has aided in the increase of incarcerations. Anytime criminals can be taken off the streets or even out of the darkness of their homes where they are committing crimes, this is a good thing. Yes there are some disadvantages that can also be dealt with. The problems of officers being unaware of how to use some of this modern technology can be cured by sending them to some training programs. All officers need to be aware of what evidence to collect when it is possibly on a computer and the chain of custody that this type of technology requires. As technology advances, unfortunately so will the crime that is being committed with that technology. Officers everywhere must be able to respond to these crimes effectively. This is why it is so important for every department to keep up with the fast paced computer technology, cell phone technology and any other technology that will aid in catching the bad guy. References Associated Press. (2010). 3 NJ students charged in school computer hacking. Retrieved June 6, 2013, from abclocal.go.com: http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/technology&id=7386890 n.a. (2009). Advantages and Disadvantages of Computer Forensics . Retrieved June 9, 2013, from anushreepatil.ewebsite.com: http://www.anushreepatil.ewebsite.com/articles/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-computer-forensics.html Northrop, A. (1993). Police of Computers. Retrieved June 10, 2013, from Center for Research on Information: http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/71x0h7hb#page-2 Rubley, S. (2011). How Has Mobile Evolved to Help the Investigative Community . Retrieved June 9, 2013, from Blog.Thomson Ruters.com: http://blog.thomsonreuters.com/index.php/how-has-mobile-evolved-to-help-the-investigative-community/ U.S. Attorney’s Office. (2012, August 12). Sentencing in Major International Cyber Crime Prosecution . Retrieved June 9, 2013, from FBI.gov: http://www.fbi.gov/atlanta/press-releases/2012/sentencing-in-major-international-cyber-crime-prosecution

Policing: Police and Stakeholder Groups

Community policing is a method of enforcing the law and philosophy based on the perception that collaboration and support of the society and police can help reduce crime, the fear of crime and to alleviate the social problems that lead to crime and. The members of the community help to identify suspects, to restrain offenders, report crimes to police and to address the social problems that lead to increase in the crime rates in the first place.Community policing advocates for organizational strategies that incorporate community-police partnerships and problem-solving methods, which seek to deal with the immediate conditions that give rise to public safety issues such as social disorder fear of crime and crime itself. There are three gears of community policing; collaboration with the community, resolving the problem affecting the community and transformation of the police organization (Trojanowicz & Bucqueroux, 1994). Other attributes of community policing are partnership, personaliz ed approach, permanent, proactive, patrols and problem solving.Community partnerships refer to the collaboration between the police and the members of the community they serve. These include individuals, private businesses, organizations, community groups, media, and other government agencies. It involves bringing together the law enforcers and various stakeholder groups together so that they develop solutions to the problems and build trust in the police. These partnerships give the stakeholder groups an opportunity to input their ideas and views into the police process; this is done as part of community support and participation.Organizational Transformation involves the restructuring of the structure, information systems, personnel, and management practices to take in the community partnerships and problem solving. It seeks to reinvent the police departments, transform their leadership organizational culture, relationship with other stakeholder groups and agencies, service delive ry, and improve the public perception of the police. The transformation seeks to move away from the traditional view of police to a better force.An example is the shift from the traditional view that the police are the principal government agency that enforces the law to the community policing view that police are community members and all the stakeholder groups are the police; the police officers are just employed to dedicate their full time to the duties of every community member (Palmiotto, 2000). Problem solving involves the engagement of the law enforcers and stakeholder groups in analyzing and identifying the problems and then developing appropriate effective responses.Trojanowicz et al. (1998) explains the SARA (Scanning, Analysis, Response, and Assessment) model of problem solving which is applied in community policing projects. Scanning: identifying the problems based on priorities. Analysis: entails finding out the known facts about the problem. Response: entails coming up with solutions, which will permanently reduce incidences and extent of problems. Assessment: determining whether the problems have changed, and establishing the outcome of the responses.Police subculture refers to a situation where the police officers, instead of adhering to the set professional code of conduct, they come up with their own individual code of ethics. They put loyalty to their fellow colleagues first at the expense of protecting and serving the community. Palmiotto (2000) describes it as â€Å"the blue curtain† and some of its characteristics are cynicism, isolation from others, tribal/racist and ethnic. This clannish mindset results from three factors. First, police officers are the only real crime fighters and are easily identified because of uniforms, badges and guns.Secondly, they have a similar way of life; only police can understand police. They face the same challenges, risks, dangers, and rewards which the public do not have an idea. Lastly, that they are targets of criminals and perceive that various stakeholder groups such as concerned individuals, politicians and bureaucrats do not support them. It is true racist notions of certain communities dominate that police subculture. After the 1970s' police reforms, there has been a gradual rise in minority officers. By mid 1990s, African American officers composed most of the force in Detroit, Washington, D. C. , and Atlanta.However, in states like Miami, Hispanic and African American officers comprised 48 percent and 17 percent respectively (Walker, 1999). Supporters of these transformational efforts recommended that minority officers had less likelihood of using force against minority suspects, and were less likely to be biased against them. Further, they suggested that minority officers would have an improved connection with minority citizens. Indeed, studies have proven that there exists major difference in the attitudes of white officers and minority citizens, though only a smal l number of differences in actual behavior and performance have been reported.Such other noteworthy differences are also seen in the attitudes of minority and white officers toward community policing policies. For instance, a research on police officers working in minority districts in New York City shows that minority officers had positive attitudes about the districts and citizens in the districts they worked. Compared to their white counterparts, it was found out that minority officers adopted a positive attitude towards the community policing initiatives and the society, (Walker, 1999). Besides the race discrimination, there also is the gender bias.With the steady rise in the number of female officers, there have been many theories advanced concerning the attitudes and conduct of males compared to female officers. Those supporting the recruitment of more female officers argued that females would conduct themselves better verbally when handling difficult circumstances, and would be less aggressive. Those against the hiring of female officers put forward the fact that female officers were poor in handling aggressive situations, and faced greater risk resulting in the rise, in officer safety problem.Additionally, they disputed the capabilities of female officers arguing that they would be more like social workers than law enforcers would. Studies have indicated that there are no major variations in attitudes, performance, and on-job-conduct between male and female officers; however, there is a subculture, which underscores the existence of gender discrimination (Palmiotto, 2000). These notions have eventually evolved to police subcultures, which are widely practiced by the police officers.These notions become practices because officers believe that they have the freedom and the right to act or make a judgment based on their own independent choice and thought. The police work usually draws individuals who are naturally dictatorial and guarded; new recruits int o the police force are socialized in the environment full of the subcultures leads to the development and adoption of these traits. Cynicism starts in the military-type police training colleges and gradually rises with years of service; lack of job satisfaction and promotions usually precipitates it (Trojanowicz & Bucqueroux, 1994).Some of these widespread subcultures are intimidation, offensive language, harassment, and unnecessary or excessive use of force. Others are the codes of silence and the â€Å"cop code† (Lawrence, 2010). In the codes of silence, the officer covers evidence, assaults a suspect, or breaks a law to implement another; other officers either overlook or abet contravention of their professional code of ethics. A famed incident of law transgression by the police officers is Rampart scandal in which many of Los Angeles Police Department officers engaged in wanton shootings, assault, faking evidence and drug trafficking (Lawrence, 2010).The cop code comes in when the society feels that the police officers do not follow their code of conduct; it cultivates a sense of mistrust and contempt of the police department. In minority areas, the public starts to view the police as a face for ethnic discrimination. Because of this, the community loses trust in police and refuses to in help them solve crimes and may sometimes culminate in riots. To overcome these embedded notions, a lot needs to be done. Some measures that can be used include controlling the day-to-day police work, raising the education standards for recruits, and improving training.It is widely argued that officers with higher education levels are better equipped to deal with the demanding duties of police officer, their conduct is better, are more likely to use alternatives to arrest, and more restrained in using force against suspects. This is clearly demonstrated in female and minority officers, where it has been proven that officers with higher education have a better view co mmunity policing and more positive attitude towards the citizens (Trojanowicz et al. 1998). Necessary reforms should be instituted and an independent, internal affairs monitoring system be put in place.Watchdogs and community organizations can help make sure that the police force is free of misconduct and corruption. The professional code of conduct and ethics for police officers should be designed in such a way that it incorporates the universal principles of policing. According to Walker (1999), the code should incorporate three important aspects; it should ensure equal protection for all in spite of race, gender, identity, or social status of the lawbreaker. The rule of law must apply to everyone including the law enforcers, and the police must be of high moral conduct greater than that of many members of the public.It should have checks and balances to prevent abuse of power and illegitimate use their power for personal gain. There should be clear guidelines on the use of force; policies should limit the use of excessive force on unarmed or non-dangerous criminals. There should be improved supervision and necessary disciplinary measures taken for the officers who contravene the professional code of conduct. In addition, psychological screenings and intensive screening of the backgrounds of potential police officers should be done to avoid officers with antisocial personalities (Walker, 1999).Community policing involves the police-stakeholder groups partnerships to identify and solve the crimes and social disorders that affect the community through delivering police services and problem-solving tactics. It seeks to alleviate the fear of crime and ensure security and prosperity of the community. In implementing a community-policing program, the first step should be identifying and prioritizing the problems facing the community. The police subcultures play an important role as they can help to identify the possible drawbacks and causes of these problems.The m istrust in the police and few rogue individuals among the officers could be the cause and working on them could reverse the social problems facing the community. The police subcultures also help to understand the challenges to community policing, to identify whether the actual policing is taking place and to determine the future trends of community policing. The existence of a subculture shows that officers have several attitudes, values, and beliefs that are common to them. These practices, attitude, values, and beliefs are passed from officer to officer via the process of socialization.These subcultures can aid in implementing community policing in that if the staffing, instruction, and on-the-street experiences of new recruits that socialize them into the police subculture are positive, the whole police force gradually becomes transformed positively. They can help to build a positive image of the police force. By creating, the trust of community members in the police, they will l ead to new collaborations in the betterment of the community welfare, and community policing as a whole.