Krohn et al. (2011). The Cascading Effects of Adolescent Gang Research Paper

Krohn et al. (2011). The Cascading Effects of Adolescent Gang Incolvement across the Life Course - Research Paper Example What is specifically meant by adult life chances is a satisfactory family life and economic well-being at the age ranging from late 20s to early 30s. And what is meant by adult criminal behavior is persistent criminal behavior at the age of 31. What concept represents the independent variable(s) in this article and what is the conceptual definition of this concept discussed by the authors? The independent variable in this study is gang involvement in adolescence. Gang involvement is defined as a self report of being a member of any street gang or â€Å"posse† between the age of 14 to 31 and the level of gang involvement is measured in terms of the number of waves in which a particular individual was involved with a gang between the age of 14 to 31. What concept represents the dependent variable(s) in this article and what is the conceptual definition of this concept discussed by the authors? The dependent variables in this study are precocious transitions, economic hardship, f amily problems, street crime and arrest. The concept of precocious transitions is defined as to include any, some, or all of the behaviors- early nest leaving (no longer resides with parents by wave 9), dropping out from high school prior to graduation (not graduated by wave 10), cohabitation (not married yet living with a partner when the individual is between 20 and 22 years of age) and teenage parenthood (had a child before the age of 20). Economic hardship is defined as to include unemployment (at 29 years of age) and income pattern (at 29 years of age). The concept of family problems is defined as to include scores corresponding to arguing, lose tempers, and physical fights at wave 13. The concept of street crime relates to the individual scores corresponding to being involved at the age of 31, in any of the 13 different street crimes listed. The concept of arrest is defined as self-reported arrest during 13th or 14th wave. What are the null and research hypotheses related to t his research question? The null hypothesis for this study is that there is no relationship between gang involvement in adolescence and life chances and criminal behavior in adulthood. The research hypothesis is that it is involvement in a gang that impacts an individual male’s life chances and eventually leads to criminal behavior as he matures into adulthood. Sample, Research Design and Data Collection Describe the sample (who or what was used and how they were selected) used in this study. The sample used in this study was the data from Rochester Youth Development Study which was a multi-wave panel study on how delinquency and drug use developed among the youth. This (RYDS) study had collected 14 waves of data from 1000 adolescents as they grew from 14 to 31 years of age and the study by Krohn et al (2011) has used the same data by way of a longitudinal analysis of data gathered from males alone which was not done by the original study. What type of research design did the authors use in this study and how was it structured? The research design was based on the structural equation model that allows to have an approximate measurement of cause-effect relationships, all the same leaving enough space for taking into account the estimation error. The design was structured so as to measure both the observed and latent variables. The two-step process involved

Discuss (herosim and Treachery) in Jorge Luis Borges' The Theme of the Essay

Discuss (herosim and Treachery) in Jorge Luis Borges' The Theme of the Traitor and the Hero,The Shape of the Sword - Essay Example He can be considered as a master of surrealist prose, and a literary genius. His works are abstract yet somehow always concretely themed and indisputably compelling. His stories characterize a holistic view of humanity and its endless struggle towards improvement while often altogether missing the point. Often his characters act completely focused on a specific problem or set of ideas, while Borges reveals to the reader that these ideas are superfluous and that the true meanings are hidden elsewhere. In his work, the themes of chaos and indefinite repetition work to establish themselves in universes where man's perception of reality, if not reality itself, works in a fundamentally different manner. The concepts he chooses to convey, on the other hand, are not usually apparent to the reader. Several attempts to understand are usually required for his message to our conscious minds. He made note of the fact that he excluded women from his texts, claiming that he did not understand women well enough to write about them. As masterful author, he used character and literary device to adroitly convey an important idea to any reader. While several examples lend themselves to this conclusion, the devices used by author most clearly illustrate that of a manipulative secret organization controlling the fate of society, and that of the coexistence and unification of the protagonist and antagonist. While these two specific and unusual themes are present in several works by author, a juxtaposition of the works will clearly show the dramatic difference present in the underlying themes. The image we get from Borges is of a random and often malicious organization that uses its calculative abilities to further whims and chance with little if any good for society as a whole. He even gives the impression that the rewards and punishments are in some sort of equilibrium and are designed to preserve the status quo. In "Theme of the Traitor and the Hero" and "Three Versions of Judas," Borges presents two individuals struggling with the realization that our present-day conceptions of the past may be inconsistent with the actual truth. By undermining the traditional concepts of hero and traitor, as they are presented in historical and religious narratives, Borges calls into question the absolute faith with which people place their trust in what may amount to just another story. In "Theme of the Traitor and the Hero," The narrative begins suspiciously, setting the scene as "Poland, Ireland, [or] the Republic of Venice." The generalizing technique immediately universalizes both the story of Kilpatrick and the experience of Ryan the biographer. The narrator explains that "although [Ryan] is contemporary, the narrative related by him occurred toward the middle or the beginning of the nineteenth century." This comment serves as a subtle reminder that even Ryan's version of Kilpatrick's fall is subject to the same skeptical scrutiny as any historical account. As Shakespeare fictionalizes the death of Julius Caesar; Nolan plagiarizes the plays of Shakespeare in orchestrating his plan; and finally, as the gatekeepers of history record only the

Professional Sports Team Essay Example for Free

Professional Sports Team Essay The existing financial crisis has resulted to the economic imbalance. It has threatened and influenced numerous industries – not only banking institutions but also the sports industry as well. Understanding how the economic crisis might have affected the sports industry is quite unfathomable, as on the exterior, there seems to be no associations between the economy and the sports industry. However, the situation sports team are in at the moment reveals how the financial crisis has also become a let down for the sports industry. Apparently, the demand for sports as a means of entertainment has dwindled as individuals needed to allocate their resources judiciously and responsibly. The economic crisis has caused layoffs and unemployment, and the inability of organizations to increase or maintain the salary of their employees. Due to these situations, individuals have realized the importance of spending money wisely, according to need and priority. The lack of resources that individuals are now experiencing led them to neglect entertainment and other superficialities, as opposed to the need to provide for basic needs and requirements. As the chief executive of the NBA New Jersey Nets, Brett Yormack, has said the competition within the sports industry has gravitated to include other goods and services that are external to what or who sports groups or teams are usually competing with. The goods and services being provided by the sports industry is now competing with other industries that provide the most urgent needs of man. Sports groups and teams have realized that they cannot gain profit from contemporary means, such as television tie-ups for subscription, but only on conventional approaches such as ticket trading. However, the main problem is that although the sports industry is keen on selling tickets for profit, the inquiry of success still leans towards the capacity of individuals to pay for tickets. The sports industry addressed this issue by implementing a scheme that is much more convenient for people – the buy-now pay-later scheme – and therefore, enticing and motivating for individuals to catch the bait. Another economic crisis impact is the restructuring of the sports industry. The diminishing profit of the industry has forced it to cut down on expenses in order to survive the economic turmoil. Some institutions have decided to layoff their employees in order to cut back on expenses being provided for its human capital. The issues aforementioned are in discussion of the implications of the economic crisis on the local sports industry. However, the more serious issue has something to do with the impact of the financial slump on the sports industry on the national level. Sports groups, teams, and establishments are at risk for being stripped of funding, as the national government, like the people, is considering the allocation of resources judiciously such that the most important concerns will be provided for against the lighter requirements. For instance, funding for the maintenance of football fields will be in the least priority, as other issues such as health care and public safety weighs heavier in terms of benefits and contributions to society. The sports industry is starting to fall apart altogether since the impact of the financial crisis has started to take its toll on the success of the institution. Perhaps it will be difficult to expect changes in the future concerning improvements or developments in the sports industry, not unless the economic crisis is resolved. Surely, the state of the economy is a strong force that relatively influences other institutions such as the sports industry.

The good shepherd

The good shepherd Our lesson this morning from Johns gospel concerns this idea of integrity. The butcher in our story probably turned many different shades of red when the lady asked him for both of the chickens since he had only one. He wasnt being too honest with her, he wasnt being too nice, and now he was caught in his lack of honesty. Jesus is not talking about butchers this morning, but he is telling the people a parable about a good shepherd, a shepherd who was honest, caring, compassionate, and will to die to take care of his sheep. Jesus is telling us something about himself, as he is the good shepherd for our lives. He is telling us through this parable three things about himself as the good shepherd. Jesus uses this parable about shepherds because the people in his day knew the kind of life that a shepherd lived; it was a difficult life, a hard life. A shepherd felt he had a calling from a young age to tend sheep, so he spent his whole young life learning how to care for the sheep, then the rest of his adult life tending the sheep, fighting off the animals who would eat the sheep, and sometimes fighting off robbers who would steal the sheep. It was a lonely life, a difficult life, but if a shepherd did his job well everyone would know that he was a good shepherd. Jesus uses what the people would understand, a parable about shepherds to tell us something about himself, that he is the good shepherd of our lives. But before we see what is good about the good shepherd, we need to look at this word good In the Greek language, which was the language the New Testament was written. There are two words that can be translated into our English word good, the first agathose which implies a moral and efficient quality about a person. A person is good because they can perform their signed task well. But there is another word that also means good and. it is kalos, it not only means what the other did, but it adds the quality of loveliness, or attractiveness to it. It is the kind of goodness that makes us feel wanted and secure. Jesus as the good shepherd or as one translation puts it the model shepherd brings to the job the strength and courage of an earthly shepherd, but also the qualities of beauty and kindness which helps us to call him friend. Now that we have laid the foundation for Jesus being the Good shepherd of our lives, the model shepherd, we can see what is so good about him why he is the model shepherd. First Jesus says that the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. A shepherd in Jesus day if he truly did his job with all of his being, and not just for the money would be willing and able to lay down his life for the sheep he was protecting. Jesus is telling us, he was willing to lay down his life for us, his sheep. He wasnt in it for the money or the glory, but Jesus would not flee when trouble came, he was willing to lay down his life, to sacrifice his life for us so that we night gain favour with the Father in heaven. There was a pastor who once visited a sheep ranch and saw a very strange lamb. It looked as though it had 2 heads and 8 feet. He asked the rancher about it. The rancher explained that one of their sheep had a baby but the mother died. They tried to give the orphan sheep to another mother-sheep but when she smelled it, she rejected it. Then they skinned the dead sheep and put the skin on the live lamb. Now the mother-sheep accepted the lamb as her own and cared for it, In a like manner, Jesus as the good shepherd died for us as the Lamb of God, and God accepts us because we are clothed with the Lambs robe of righteousness. Jesus was willing to lay down his life for us, so that we might have life, life with the Father and life for eternity. The good shepherd, who Jesus is, is willing to die for the sheep, so that the sheep can live. Jesus died for us freely so that we might life. Notice Jesus says that he laid down his life freely, no one takes his life, but he was willing to give his life for us. Jesus loves us enough, cares about us enough to die for us. He could have used his power to get out of dying for us, but he chose to struggle, to die, so that we might live. This is a powerful statement of the love, the mercy, the compassion, and the caring that Jesus our saviour has for each of us.Next Jesus says that the good shepherd knows his sheep. Knows his sheep by name. A young lady came to her pastors office trouble about this statement, How does Jesus know and is interest, in her personally. She asked, How can I believe that God is interested in what happens to me? The pastor replied, Look at your fingers. There are billions of finger tips in the world, but no others are like yours. Even your finger tips have had special attention from God. Yes, we are special; God does care for each of us. This morning when you come to the table to eat and to drink, you are receiving a special invitation from God to partake in this meal, in a personal and individual way we come in physical contact with Jesus through his body and blood. God knows that we need this special time, this physical relationship with him to reassure us, to convince us, that he does love us, that he does care for us, and that he is interested in us as individual people. We are collectively Gods children, we collectively are the sheep of Jesus fold, hut individually we are also Gods children, and individually the sheep of Jesus fold. And as individuals, he is concerned about us, he cares about us, he reaches his hand of grace individually into each of our lives. Each of us, all of us are unique people, who are special to God. We are special not because we are good, or righteous, or have somehow pleased God, but because God loves us as we are or in some ways in spite of what we are God still loves us. He showed us that by the sacrifice he had his son make on the cross for us. God is concerned about us from the hairs on our heads to the blisters on our toes. God through his good shepherd, Jesus Christ, loves us, cares about us, and wants his gracious will of love to be done in each of our lives. Finally as the good shepherd, Jesus tells us he gathers together his sheep into a fold. Jesus is telling us through his spirit he gathers us who belong to him. It is the work of the spirit to gather us together as the members of the body of Christ. It is the work of the spirit, to gather the body once a week to worship and praise God. Jesus knows this time we spend together once a week is very important for our spiritual lives. It is during this time that we hear again the promises that God has made for us, it is here that we relive the life that Jesus lived on this earth. It is here that we encounter again and again the great love that God has for us. It is important that we come here often to be refreshed, to be renewed, to hear again about our God and the great love he has for us. As the good shepherd, Jesus says that it is important for him to gather the sheep together into a fold, but notice he doesnt stop with just the sheep that are immediately at hand, no he says that other sheep must be brought into this fold. The fold of sheep, the church, is always changing, growing, adding and loosing members. The fold is not a constant place, but it is an alive place, a place where things happen, where changes are made, where people grow in faith, where people meet new people of faith, who help us to understand Gods love. The fold, or the church, is an ever changing, alive, growing place. It is the place where Jesus, through his spirit is alive. It is the place where we can encounter God through his spirit because he promises to be here with us as we gather in his name. God is here with us this morning, his spirit is here leading us in our worship of him. And as we leave to go back out to world Gods spirit will go with us, helping us with life, giving us direction giving us courage, giving us his peace to cope with all the brokenness of life. Yes, the good shepherd gathers his sheep together in a fold, in the church, ch, because here, we are cared for, here te are feed, here we can learn from each other about faith, here we can help one another as we face all the difficulties-of life. Being in the fold, the church is important for the members. NOTICE ONE OTHER THING Jesus says about being in the fold. He says that as he calls sheep to the fold they will heed his voice. They will listen to him. When we come to the fold, we come to listen to the voice of Jesus. We come to hear him, we come to encounter him. And notice Jesus says those of the fold will heed his voice. They will listen to him. Jesus is saying something here about responsibility, about our job as members of the fold, as members of the church. We are to listen to him. To obey what he says. Yes, Jesus is the good shepherd of our lives. He laid down his live freely for us, he knows each of us personally because we are important to him, and he gathers us together in his fold, the church, so that we might listen to him. Yes, Jesus is the good shepherd, the one who leads us down the pathway of life. He is our guide, he is our companion, he is the one who will take care of us. Jesus is our good shepherd; he is the one who loves us.

The Long-term Safety and Effectiveness of Low-Carbohydrate Diets :: Health Nutrition Diet Exercise Essays

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As the obsession with "losing weight" continues, many people are turning to low-carbohydrate diets such as the Atkins diet. With total book sales over 45 million, many doctors are starting to ask questions about the safety of a high fat, high protein diet. There have been many short-term studies reporting that a low-carbohydrate diet can be effective for weight loss. Unfortunately, most studies have been based on data collected for 90 days or less. Dieters and Doctors alike could benefit from long-term studies reporting on safety and weight loss after a year or more. In 2003, there were three trials reporting on the long-term effectiveness and side effects of the Atkins diet. These studies followed obese dieters who were following the Atkins low-carbohydrate diet. The results were then compared to the standard low-fat diet, which has been recommended by doctors for years. From the results of these studies we must decide if weight loss equals health and what should be considered acceptable risk?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Weight loss was the primary focus of most of the studies done on the Atkins diet. Dieters are looking for results and a decrease in weight, not necessarily fat, is the ultimate goal. All three studies showed greater weight loss after six months of a low-carbohydrate diet than the same time spent on a low-fat diet. On average low-carbohydrate dieters lost about 4kgs, or roughly 9lbs, more than the low-fat dieters. This is one reason why the Atkins diet has become so popular; dieters see results more quickly. Many people are only on the diet for a few months and then go back to eating normally. For those that stick with it, it was found that after twelve months there was no longer a significant difference in weight loss between the low-fat and the low-carbohydrate groups. Although result happened quickly, in the long run the Atkins diet didn’t prove to be any more effective at weight loss than the low-fat diet. Studies of more than a year are nearly non-existent and the studies referred to here contain flaws. More research needs to be done before we can reach a definitive answer. At the moment, it seems that for the first 3-6 months the Atkins diet may be more effective than a low-fat diet. In the long term however there is no indication that a low-carbohydrate diet is better. For both diets, participants had trouble following the guidelines and many

If Winter Comes Spring Is Not Far Behind Essay

Birds get frozen, flowers get withered, from a pebble of earth to the star of sky all get silenced. It is the time when winter jumps in. Torments, tensions, tragedies, tortures come up when west wind of winter blows. Winter is the time of sweet sorrowfulness and dangerous difficulties. However, when spring comes it brings gala days; birds fly up, and flowers get bloomed. Oh! Spring, you are a hope in calamities of life. Winter is the symbol of destruction and bareness whereas spring is the symbol of hope and fruitfulness. Around 250 thousand years ago a winter in Rome went on, in which slaves were smashed and slaughtered. Cruelity and ignorance was at peaks. At that time, a man of might and words stood like an insurmountable mountain and fought against Roman Republic for slaves. That man was Spartacus. He had almost perished the Government, but he was chopped in Third Servile War. But when he was martyred he said these words. â€Å"I will come again, not alone, but with millions.† And, yes, he came again with spring in Rome and, which perished the winter of that time. The winter of crises, problems, destruction has charged our country Pakistan. It has brought many critical and havoc circumstances which have taken lives of thousands. But hopeful spring is far behind and clouds of happiness are forecast which will bring pleasures and prosperity in Pakistan. Moulana Jalal Din Rumi says, â€Å"Don’t grieve, whatever you lose comes in another form.† So, one should push the winter out, and make outlets for spring to come in. And, coming spring will be joyous and peaceful. If winter has come, yes, spring is far behind. Winter snatches green leaves of trees, smashes colours of butterflies, slaughter blooming flowers. But, when everything is lost there hope dwells and that is the spring, which has to come anyhow after winter and that is the cycle of life.

Career Goals and Learning Plan Paper

Career Goals and Learning Plan Paper I am a Grad student at the University of Pheonix pursuing a Masters Degree in Psychology. I have selected this particular field of study because I intend to become a Forensic Psychologist. Forensic Psychology involves applying psychology to the filed of criminal investigation and the law. I have an undergraduate degree from North Carolina State University and my major was Political Science and Philosophy. I worked as a Legal Assistant in a Law Firm for 8 years and obtained my Paralegal Certificate from Blackstone University in Dallas, Texas. I have spent many long hours in courtrooms and find it fascinating. I have interest in the criminal mind, as well as the rehabilitation of criminals. What is Forensic Psychology Forensic Psychologists examine methods, theories and processes within the criminal, legal and civil justice systems, and also look at and apply psychological theory to a crime or criminal investigation as well as look at criminal behavior. They look at the psychological problems associated with that and fair treatment of criminals including rehabilitation. Specifically they look at the assessment and treatment of offenders. One particular area that interests me focuses around risk assessment with offenders and making decisions as to whether or not they are suitable for re-integration. Career Goals My goals are ambitious, and study at the University of Pheonix will propel me towards achieving them. Goal setting is an important part of the career planning process. At this point I will start with dedicating myself to doing well in my current classes. Procrastination is a problem for me and I have to deal with it. I have a full time job and a two year old baby so it is important for me to use my time wisely. I plan to spend 1 – 11/2 hours per day reading and being active in the discussion portion of my class. â€Å"Get Time On Your Side† by Jennifer Nichols was helpful to me. Several points which I intend to follow include; writing stuff down, tuning out distractions, talking to my professor, and making good use of my daytime hours. Nichols) Dr. Ferrari, Professor of Psychology at DePaul University indicates that â€Å"academic procrastinators tend to lack self-confidence†¦lie low during group assignments. † (Hoover 2) I was delighted to find that he even has an online discussion group which centers on chronic procrastination! Furthermore, I must deal with stress in an effectual manner. Being a graduate student will demand a commitment, but out of the stress-filled times I am hoping will come tremendous p ersonal growth. I alleviate my stress with exercise and try to get at least 30 minutes of strenuous workout per day. The degree that I am working on will help me to achieve my goals. First, the counselor that I am working with has been extraordinary and is available to me most hours during the day. He has directed me to becoming acclimated to the online learning system. Second, my advisor has put together my schedule which consists of 39 credits and all classes that will be informative and beneficial to becoming a Forensic Psychologist. Occupational Outlook Handbook According to the Bureau and Labor and Statistics Occupational Handbook, Forensic Psychologists use psychological principles in the legal and criminal justice fields. Significant points include: â€Å"34% of psychologists are self-employed, mainly as private practitioners and independent consultants. † Furthermore â€Å"job opportunities should be the best for those with a doctoral degree in a subfield such as health†¦those with a bachelor’s degree will have limited prospects. † This information did not surprise me. It is a very a very competitive field which sort of excites me. A positive point is that employment is expected to grow 12% from 2008 to 2018 because of increased demand for psychological services in schools, hospitals, social service agencies, mental health centers, substance abuse treatment clinics, consulting firms and private companies. I have a second interest with respect to my future career path and that would be to work in a substance abuse treatment center. Since I have not studied many psychology classes I am going to wait to make my decision. Multiple Pathways to Learning Test I completed the Multiple Pathways to Learning test in Chapter 2 of Keys for College Studying. The test aims to help me to identify a learning style so that I may choose study strategies and pursue learning goals. The assessment helps determine the levels to which ones eight intelligences are developed. (Center, Bishops, Kravitz) Howard Gardner is the one who developed the test and he believes â€Å"that the way you learn is a unique blend of intelligences resulting from your distinctive abilities, challenges, experiences and training. (Center, Bishops, Kravitz) The results indicate that I have highly developed verbal-linguistic, musical, interpersonal, and logical-mathematical intelligence. In sum I communicate well, have music sensitivity, communicate with others well and understand logical reasoning. This indicates to me that I will work well in groups, and maybe would do well studying with music. I especially like Classical music. The Personalit y Spectrum Assessment Personality assessments help you to understand how you respond to the world around you; which includes information, thoughts, feelings, people, and events. The Personality Spectrum Assessment adapts and simplifies this material into four personality types; Thinker, Organizer, Giver and Adventurer and was developed by Joyce Bishop. (Keys for College Studying). The results of my test indicate that I am inclined to be a ,â€Å"Giver. † Giver traits include honesty, authenticity, successful close relationships, and others, but more important; I am inclined to so well if I study with others, teach material to others, seek out tasks, groups, and subjects that involve helping people and put energy into my most important relationships. I find the handbook to be very informative. I will follow advice from the author(s) with respect to playing to my strengths. Even though I will be studying and reading alone in my classes at the University, we will have Learning Teams which will work nicely with my â€Å"Giver† personality. I am very eager to begin Psychology Courses at the University of Pheonix. I am going to have to be focused and dedicated to my studies and schoolwork. In the long run I hope that this determination will give me the ability to find a position or career and work environment that suits me.