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What Are the Purposes of Prisons Essay

A Tale of Two Cities Essay :: essays papers

A Tale of Two Cities Essay Throughout history, the powers of love and hate have constantly been engaged in a battle for superiority. Time and time again, love has proven to be stronger than hate, and has been able to overcome all of the obstacles that have stood in the way from it reaching its goal. On certain occasions, though, hate has been a viable foe and defeated love when they have clashed. In the novel A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens presents several different power struggles between love and hate. One of the more famous power struggles takes place between Miss Pross and Madame Defarge, towards the end of the novel. When Madame Defarge, who because of her evil nature and devilish appearance is compared to "the wife of Lucifer", appears at the Manettes' residence to accuse the remaining members of the household of ridiculous crimes, she is confronted by Miss Pross. The result is a struggle between these two magnificent women, who are complete opposites of each other: "It was in vain for Madame Defarge to struggle and to strike; Miss Pross, with the vigorous tenacity of love, always so much stronger than hate, clasped her tight†¦" (p. 360). Miss Pross loves Lucie with all her heart and would never allow any harm to come to her. Madame Defarge, on the other hand, does not just hate Lucie, but she hates the Manettes and all Evremondes. One would think that such a strongly fueled hatred would permit Madame Defarge to overpower Miss Pross, but, as the reader finds out, Miss Pross' determination to keep her darling "Ladybird" safe, from any harm that might come to her or her family, allows her to overpower and kill her enemy. This time, the power of good overcomes the power of evil due to Miss Pross' true love and dedication for Lucie. Another struggle between love and hate can be found within Monsieur Defarge. In this particular case, it is evil that eventually triumphs. Monsieur Defarge can be considered a true revolutionary, as his actions prove throughout the novel: "†¦ and still Defarge of the wine - shop at his gun, grown doubly hot by the service of four fierce hours" (p. 215). Monsieur Defarge tirelessly works alongside his fellow revolutionaries to defeat the aristocracy that has treated his countrymen so harshly. A Tale of Two Cities Essay :: essays papers A Tale of Two Cities Essay Throughout history, the powers of love and hate have constantly been engaged in a battle for superiority. Time and time again, love has proven to be stronger than hate, and has been able to overcome all of the obstacles that have stood in the way from it reaching its goal. On certain occasions, though, hate has been a viable foe and defeated love when they have clashed. In the novel A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens presents several different power struggles between love and hate. One of the more famous power struggles takes place between Miss Pross and Madame Defarge, towards the end of the novel. When Madame Defarge, who because of her evil nature and devilish appearance is compared to "the wife of Lucifer", appears at the Manettes' residence to accuse the remaining members of the household of ridiculous crimes, she is confronted by Miss Pross. The result is a struggle between these two magnificent women, who are complete opposites of each other: "It was in vain for Madame Defarge to struggle and to strike; Miss Pross, with the vigorous tenacity of love, always so much stronger than hate, clasped her tight†¦" (p. 360). Miss Pross loves Lucie with all her heart and would never allow any harm to come to her. Madame Defarge, on the other hand, does not just hate Lucie, but she hates the Manettes and all Evremondes. One would think that such a strongly fueled hatred would permit Madame Defarge to overpower Miss Pross, but, as the reader finds out, Miss Pross' determination to keep her darling "Ladybird" safe, from any harm that might come to her or her family, allows her to overpower and kill her enemy. This time, the power of good overcomes the power of evil due to Miss Pross' true love and dedication for Lucie. Another struggle between love and hate can be found within Monsieur Defarge. In this particular case, it is evil that eventually triumphs. Monsieur Defarge can be considered a true revolutionary, as his actions prove throughout the novel: "†¦ and still Defarge of the wine - shop at his gun, grown doubly hot by the service of four fierce hours" (p. 215). Monsieur Defarge tirelessly works alongside his fellow revolutionaries to defeat the aristocracy that has treated his countrymen so harshly.

Extended School Day Essay

Imagine you are a seven-year-old whose’s parents work until five each night. When you come home after school there is no one home with you. What could you get into? You might know right from wrong but you still might get yourself into some trouble. Just out of plain curiosity you might get into something or an accident could happen without you even being involved in it. But I say there is a way to stop this from ever happening. I think we should either keep schools open longer or introduce more after school programs. Many advantages would come from either of these ideas. For one the parents would not have to be in a state of worry about whether their child is safe at home or in trouble. Plus you always have that added guilt about not being able to help your kids with their homework. Now with either longer days or more after school programs a lot of stress could be taken away from your family. No more having to pay for sitters which could stress out a families finances. Also th e dangers of the kids being home and getting into trouble would be cut down severely. And also with the longer days or more after school programs parents would be able to get home, at least one parent would be home, to pick their kids off the bus. I wanted to suggest some programs I feel would help out with the problem at hand. These programs would be a reading and math after school program. One program I would suggest is a reading after school program. It is said that today, too many children fail to read at a level we would expect for the grade they are in. In a study done in 1998, the National Assessment of Educational Progress found that, thirty eight percent of our nation’s fourth graders failed to read at the basic level. That fact alone says we must enforce more after school programs. Now they also found that sixty-four percent of African American and sixty percent of Hispanic American fourth graders read below the basic level. This shows we need to not only put these programs in suburban schools but also city schools. Research has shown that students who are behind in reading can catch up to grade level with additional reading instruction and tutoring after school and in the summer. And that is what I am trying to put in effect. We all know that to succeed in school all students need good reading skills, and that’s just a fact. Another program that I think is good is a mathematics after school Program. I has been found that students who take rigorous mathematics courses are much more likely to go on to college and into promising careers than those who do not. And with technology becoming more prevalent in the workplace, the need for employees with mathematics backgrounds has greatly increased. In my research I have found that far too many students finish middle and junior high school without developing a solid foundation in algebra and geometry. Research done by the international comparative assessments said that U.S. student achievement in mathematics falls below the average in the middle grades. We need to help improve this. I think some other important facts help support my case for the longer school day and the after school programs in this little cha rt. Some reasons why the public supports after school programs: *Over 28 million school-age children have both parents or their only parent in the workforce. *At least 5 million children — and possibly as many as 15 million — are left alone at home each week. *Many children, especially low-income children, lose ground in reading if they are not engaged in organized learning over the summer. *Experts agree that school-age children who are unsupervised during the hours after school are more likely to receive poor grades and drop out of school than those who are involved in supervised, constructive activities. *Statistics show that most juvenile crime takes place between the hours of 2:00 and 8:00 pm, and that children are also at much greater risk of being the victims of crime during the hours after school. Here is another chart showing that after school programs enhance a child’s academic achievement. *Participants in after-school programs:* *Show increased interest and ability in reading *Develop new skills and interests *Show improved school attendance, increased engagement in school, and reduced dropout rate *Turn in more and better quality homework and can spend more time on task *Are held back or placed in special education classes less frequently *Show higher aspirations for the future, including intention to complete high school and go to college. These facts are real. This is why I picked trying to make a longer day and more after school programs. And with these two programs the numbers will go up. I plan on adding more programs to what I have wrote in here. But I think implementing a longer school day and these after school programs should help not only the parents of these children but the children themselves.

Theme of Inequality in The Subjection of Women by John...

In the essay, The Subjection on Women, the author John Stuart Mill describes his views on the inequality between men and women. He gives his opinion on why men have so much power over women and why this occurs. John Stuart Mill describes a principle and system that regulates the social relations between women and men. The principle Mill proposes is the legal subordination of one sex to the other. He is referring to the dominance that men have over women. In 1869, the Parliament in Europe gave little rights to women that created a tremendous gap between men and women. Men would be given the final say on what women could and could not do. The system that regulates the social relations between men and women was the system of†¦show more content†¦It was this type of education that brainwashed both men and women for many years. There are certain aspects of a mans personality that makes them take advantage of a women’s dependencies. According to Mill, the first aspect of a mans personality was the natural attraction to a woman. Mill stated that men also liked the fact that women were reliant on them. Wives could only go as far as their husbands’ role in society. If a wives husband was a part of the government she would receive a higher social status and more privileges than if her husband was a carpenter. Mill stated that men liked that anything women received came from the mans doing. It symbolized that the husband had all the power and control over his wife. Mill gives several reasons for men wanting to hold women into subjection. One of those reasons Mill gives is that he feels that men could not live or comprehend that women could be equal to men. In Europe during the mid-nineteenth century the ideal that a women could have the same ideas and accomplish the same things, if not better, than a man was a too advanced way of thinking for men during that time period. John Stuart Mills makes many points in his essay, The Subjection of Women, on t he reasons of male dominance over women. I feel that a British male philosopher in the mid-nineteenth century thinking of why women are not equal to men andShow MoreRelatedWomen And Women s Rights2013 Words   |  9 Pagesof women, what rights women should have, and the how women how women should equate to men has always been a popular topic and several majors events have occurred in regards to women s equality, role, and rights. Over the course of civilization, the rights and views of women have drastically improved, but there are still a few areas in which women are not treated as equals to their male counterparts. One popular social issue that is currently in debate is wage equality between men and women. SeveralRead MoreFeminist Theory2762 Words   |  12 PagesIntroduction Since the beginning of time women have been considered inferior to men, which seem to proceed to affect everyday lives of all social beings in this world. Women have a disease, a disease that will prevent them for ever having the political drive to achieve political, social or economic opportunities men have. This disease is the need for independency and self-respect or the lack there of. This is what we have come to know as feminism. Feminism refers to the body of thoughtRead MoreLiberal Perspective of a State7979 Words   |  32 PagesINTRODUCTION Liberalism has meant many things over the last 400 years and has provided significant benefits to the human race. Basically, liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights and so, the main theme of liberalism throughout the period of its development was that the purpose of state is the promotion and protection of human freedom and equality and ensuring of human happiness. Liberalism meant the removal of traditional distinctions that were imposed on people. Read MoreA Doll House by Henrik Ibsen7379 Words   |  30 PagesTranslated by Rolf Fjelde I. Introduction During the late nineteenth century, women were enslaved in their gender roles and certain restrictions were enforced on them by a male dominant culture. Every woman was raised believing that they had neither self-control nor self-government but that they must yield to the control of a stronger gender. John Stuart Mill wrote in his essay, â€Å"The Subjection of Women†, that women were, â€Å"wholly under the role of men and each private being under the obligationRead Moresecond sex Essay13771 Words   |  56 Pageswrite a book on woman. The subject is irritating especially to women; and it is not new. Enough ink has been spilled in the quarreling over feminism, now practically over, and perhaps we should say no more about it. It is still talked about, however, for the voluminous nonsense uttered during the last century seems to have done little to illuminate the problem. After all, is there a problem? And if so, what is it? Are there women, really? Most assuredly the theory of the eternal feminine still

Dietary Trends A Literature Review - 1468 Words

Policies of Nutritional Well-Being and Their Success to Change Dietary Trends: A Literature Review I INTRODUCTION The law of supply and demand offers an economic model that allows the market to set prices for goods. Within a competitive market, consumers can dictate the price and a company’s willingness to produce a product for that matter by their spending habits or their demand. If a large enough portion of consumers were to stop buying a product for example, this could ultimately run it out of the market. This is important to understand because this could provide an important tool to helping in the efforts for sustainability. Shifts in consumer trends within the global food market could pressure producers to alter their practices of land degradation in the effort to stay in existence. This could be applied to challenges beyond just land degradation as effective ways to create change in dietary trends can allow us to pressure any producer of environmental harm to change its ways. One way to see this is through historical records on dietary trends of consumer purchases. To realize the potential success of this type of strategy however, there must be historical evidence of shifts in consumer trends following the increased awareness of an issue. The increased awareness in the last few decades in nutritional well-being in the United States provides a great case study to determine the effectiveness of policies/programs in changing dietary trends. If it can be seen thatShow MoreRelatedObesity And Its Effects On Children1011 Words   |  5 Pagesmovement. Unfortunate dietary patterns and physical latency are ahead of schedule to end up built up and contribute majorly toward advancement of adolescence overweight and heftiness. Normally recommended modifiable general wellbeing techniques to battle youth heftiness are advancement of bosom nourishing, constraining TV review, empowering physical movement, expanding products of the soil admission, controlling bit sizes, and restricting sweetened beverage utilization. Dietary adjustment is anRead MoreThe Obesity Epidemic Remains A Public Health Concern Worldwide1115 Words   |  5 Pages CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW Overview The obesity epidemic remains a public health concern worldwide. 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This review will focus on the benefits of dairy intake forRead MoreNutrition and Physical Activity Essay673 Words   |  3 Pagesleading factors to an overall healthy lifestyle. NUTRITION AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY 3 Literature Review 1. Sample and Delivery The sampling methods employed by the research team for the chosen topic of nutrition and physical activity was gathered thru surveys conducted and processed using the hints database (Health Information National Trends Survey). By gathering information based solely upon obtained responses, allowing for researchers to not only projectRead MoreQuantitative Research Critique: Relationship of Glucose Value to Sliding Scale Insulin1237 Words   |  5 Pagesnot receiving standard care. Data Collection A qualitative and quantitative research design was used. Literature review was done to validate the efficacy of using SSI to lower blood glucose levels and the timing of SSI dose as it relates to meal time. A sample size of 60 was selected from two adult medical acute care units was selected. Informed consent was approved by the institutional review board and the study was explained to participants, disclosing that 2 additional independent finger sticksRead MoreThe Link Between Autism And Autism1580 Words   |  7 Pagesresult in autism is important because such knowledge will lead to better treatments, prevention, or even cures. In this essay, I will review recent research advances in the field of autism, including searches for historical and current trends for potential causes or contributing factors of an autism-related disorder in addition to identifying accurately how these trends have changed over the years and how they may continue to change in the future. Clinical diagnosis Autism is now recognized as a disorderRead MoreInferential Statistics Essay560 Words   |  3 Pagesequivalent with a number of European nations. Yet sub-Saharan Africa, where most of the worlds famished exist, is considering a raise in obesity, particularly among urban women. In all areas, obesity seems to increase as income rises (Obesity Worldwide Trends, para 3). Obesity has an extensive implication on a childs health. Obesity has been correlated to numerous diseases and circumstances in adults, like heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Overweight children are twice as much probable to containRead MoreObesity : An American Crises1062 Words   |  5 Pagesdichotomies in trends when it comes to overweight and obesity by sex and race that are statistically significant with the Hispanic group. Among children ages 2 to 19, Hispanic boys are more likely than Hispanic girls to be obese. It is noted that Hispanic boys of this age group, 2- 19 years old are obese (NCLR, 2010). The target audience for this health promotion topic is Hispanic male children ages 2 to19 years residing in Norcross Georgia. This paper focuses on the literature reviews on the prevalenceRead MoreEssay on Childhood Obesity1599 Words   |  7 PagesHollar, PhD, Marie Almon, RD, MS, and Arthur S. Agatston, MD. The study was published in the American Journal of Public Health in 2010. The focus of the study was to assess the effects of a school-based obesity prevention intervention that included dietary, curricula, and physical activity components on body mass index (BMI) percentiles and academic performance among low-income elementary school children. According to the article the prevalence of obesity remains high among all age and racial groupsRead MoreCombating Childhood Obesity in America2461 Words   |  10 Pagesfor many American youths, a trend that has been further reinforced by participation in social media networks. In this environment, it is little wonder that many young people become overweight, but the implications of obesity in childhood have lifetime implications, making the need for studies of childhood obesity and the identification of evidence-based interventions a timely and relevant enterprise. To this end, this paper provides a review of the relevant literature concerning childhood obesity

Should Scientists Be Allowed to Perform DNA Tests on...

The study of the DNA of human embryos was possible at the time when in vitro fertilization began to be practiced. In vitro fertilization (IVF) is the process of forming a human embryo outside the womb. The process involves extracting several eggs from a woman’s body and then fertilizing them in a laboratory. A couple days after fertilization, genetic tests can be applied on a cell that is removed from the embryo. The DNA testing process is called preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and usually triggers the diagnosis of the embryos with genetic abnormalities but can also identify other genetic traits of the future progenitor such as sex, athletic ability, special talent, and certain physical appearance. The researchers produced the†¦show more content†¦The embryos considered questionable are being discarded; this act is being criticized as an act of abortion (Hudson 106-107). However, Caplan argues: â€Å"When you destroy a fetus in an abortion, its because you dont want to have a baby. When you make a lot of embryos, its because you are desperately trying to have a baby† (qtd. in Williams 100). Therefore, creating multiple embryos can be deemed pro-life. Another issue regarding DNA testing of embryos is the possible societal discrimination of disabled people, women, and familial discrimination based on child preference. Disabled people can be stigmatized in society. For example, people with conditions that are not life-threatening, such as Downs syndrome, can be categorized as unworthy of life. However, Gregor Wolbring, a bioethicist at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada replies, If there was nothing wrong with Downs syndrome or disabilities, there would be no need for PGD (qtd. inGenetic Testing.). In addition, an eventual discrimination for women can occur in such countries as China and India, known through history for their preference for a male child. Preimplantation genetic diagnosis can denigrate the families’ integrity because parents may show more affection towards the children selected genetically than thoseShow MoreRelatedPreimplantation Embryo Genetic Modification Should Be Legal1753 Words   |  8 Pages Preimplantation embryo Genetic Modification should be legal for medical purposes because it was proven safer than other forms of genetic modification in other countries. According to the National Institute of Health, PGM is legal in the United Kingdom for research purposes only. However, it is illegal to implant the embryos into a woman for further development or gestation. In the United States, it is not legal to perform such research because of ethical concerns (NIH). Some argue that it is notRead MoreGenetic Engineering : The Field Of Biomedical Research1710 Words   |  7 Pagesexperimental practice used in the world of biomedical research. This practice refers to humans modifying an animals’ genetic component in order to express a particular trait (Dale et al). The scientific community calls the animals produced by this practice as transgenic animals in order to distinguish between its wild type relative. This innovative technology paved ways for medical breakthroughs, along with the expansion of human understanding towards the mechanisms of prevalent diseases. As a result, researchRead MoreCell Biology Final Essay30093 Words   |  121 PagesName: _Leroy Johnson __________________________________ Date: ______________Comprehensive Study Guide. Test will only be Multiple choice 1. The feature that most clearly separates eukaryotes from prokaryotes is the presence of _______ in eukaryotic cells. A) ribosomes B) oxidative phosphorylation C) DNA molecules -D) a nucleus 2. Cytoplasmic organelles are - A) absent in prokaryotic cells; present in eukaryotic cells. B) present in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells

Conformity Free Essays

The Price of Nonconformity Defiance is a daring and bold resistance to authority or society. In any group, whether a neighborhood, team, or school, there is a certain ethical and moral code that people are expected to abide by, and therefore defiance is not welcome. However, every group has its individuals, people who break the mold and go against the grain. We will write a custom essay sample on Conformity or any similar topic only for you Order Now Actions made by individuals that shake the foundations of a society’s beliefs are seen in negative light, and as a result, the individual faces animosity. Nonconformity and defiance to a society’s customs lead to great implications for the individual. In the novel The Chocolate War, Jerry’s friendship with Roland Goubert deteriorates in correlation with Jerry’s nonconformity. Popularly referred to as â€Å"The Goober,† Roland is Jerry’s only real ally in the novel. The Goober is a peaceful figure who hates strain and contention and gets along with Jerry who shares Goober’s mild behavior (Cormier 100). The chocolate sale, however, drives a wedge between the two’s easy friendship. Goober responds with fear and apprehension when Jerry relates his plan to refuse the chocolates. He entreats Jerry to appease the school and sell the chocolates, and Jerry’s empty response to Goober’s plea starts the division in their friendship. â€Å"Jerry’s lone protest is partly inspired by a poster displayed in the back of his Buda 2 locker. It shows a man walking alone on the beach, with a captioned quote from poet T. S. Eliot: ‘Do I dare disturb the universe? ’ Beyond answering this challenge Jerry has no satisfactory explanation for his friend The Goober, or for himself, as to why he is still refusing to sell the chocolates† (Telgen). As a result, Goober refuses to participate on the football team, which greatly upsets Jerry and widens the fissure between them. After sharing their conflicting positions on the way to the bus stop one morning, the two feel separated. â€Å"They sat in sadness. Finally, they gathered their books, got up, and walked in silence to the bus stop† (Cormier 160). One’s nonconformity can also cause him to be subjected to psychological warfare. Archie Costello has a keen and disturbing talent for inflicting psychological damage on his subjects. Because Jerry defies the Vigils, Archie focuses his â€Å"talent† on Jerry. Jerry receives frequent, anonymous phones calls at all hours of the night. When Jerry answers, there is only silence; and then the people on the other line chuckle, privately, at some intimate joke (Cormier 191). This scheme proves very effective in penetrating into Jerry’s mind. â€Å"In bed once more, small in the dark, Jerry willed his body to loosen, to relax. After a while, sleep plucked at him with soft fingers, soothing away the ache. But the phone rang in his dreams all night long† (Cormier 220). The morning after his first night phone call, Jerry goes to his locker and finds that someone vandalized his poster and slashed his shoes. His poster that inspired his nonconformity had been smeared with something that appeared to be blue paint, and the message had been virtually obliterated into a grotesque jumble of unconnected letters (Cormier 192). After this event, Jerry feels as if someone is trying to send him a deliberate message. Archie further psychologically attacks Jerry by secretly taking Jerry’s homework assignment after he turns it in. Jerry claims he left his watercolor project on the teacher’s desk the day before, but Buda 3 the substitute, Brother Andrew, doubts him. â€Å"Jerry sighed quietly, in resignation. He knew that brother Andrew wouldn’t find the drawing there. He wanted to turn, to scan the faces of the kids in the class, to find that one kid who’d be gloating in satisfaction. Hey, you’re getting paranoid, he told himself† (Cormier 195). Despite all the plots against him, Jerry decides to keep disturbing the universe. Unfortunately, more problems inevitably follow as Jerry becomes firm in his conviction. Jerry is made an outcast in the eyes of the students at Trinity. Archie states that nobody defines the Vigils and gets away with it (Cormier 148). As one method of punishing Jerry, the Vigils make a point of separating Jerry and turning him into an outsider. The Vigils achieve this by interfering with the chocolate sale. The Vigils rally school support for the chocolate sale and make sure every boy meets his quota of fifty boxes except for Jerry (Peck). Jerry also starts to feel that he is invisible at school. As he walks through the corridors, students give him a wide berth. Nobody brushes against him, and guys step out of his path. Jerry believes that the teachers are part of the conspiracy too. They let their eyes slide over him, looking elsewhere when Jerry tried to catch their attention. Once, he waved his hand frantically to answer a question but the teacher ignored him† (Cormier 224). At first, Jerry feels like someone is trying to obliterate him and remove all traces of his existence, but after a while he begins to enjoy his absence of identity. Jerry relaxes, feeling as if he no longer has to be on his guard. His feelings of security, however, disappear when the students drop the cold shoulder act and move on to a much worse form of punishment. Buda 4 Often, it is only a matter a time before a nonconformist faces violence. Jerry realizes that the football field becomes a place where people can abuse him unmercifully. The athletic department provides for the testing of individuals, including each one’s willingness and ability to withstand physical abuse; the football field is an arena where violence is ritualized, sanctioned, and even demanded (Carter, Harris). At football practice one day, Jerry gets viciously tackled from behind, and he wonders who attacked him (â€Å"The Chocolate War†). Emile Janza also sets out to hurt Jerry and assembles a group of kids for an attack. Emile confronts Jerry alone after football practice. Emile calls Jerry a fairy, and when Jerry returns with crude remark Emile’s band of kids emerge from their hiding places to beat up Jerry. Emile and Jerry’s battle with each other reaches its height when Archie sets them both up to participate in a boxing match in front of the entire student body. â€Å"The undercurrent of physical bullying in the school, represented by Emile Janza, encourages our expectation that the larger battle will end in a key confrontation† (Peck). Archie puts a spin on the fight; he creates a raffle that dictates the moves of the boxing match, making it practically impossible for Jerry to win. Voices overwhelmingly cry from the crowd of students for Janza to kill his opponent. Jerry is alone out there, at the mercy of the students who recently decided that he was not a revolutionary at all, but rather someone who considered himself better than them (â€Å"The Chocolate War). Artists, including musicians and painters, have recognized and addressed the hardships and isolation of nonconformists in their works. The song â€Å"Minority† by the American band Green Day exemplifies an individual’s nonconformity. The lyrics â€Å"Stepped out of the line like a sheep runs from the herd† (Metro Lyrics), imply that an individual is rebelling against a group. The word â€Å"herd† suggests a like-minded group that acts together and therefore is robbed of their Buda 5 individuality. â€Å"A face in the crowd unsung, against the mold. Without a doubt singled out the only way I know† (Metro Lyrics). These lyrics demonstrate the isolation one faces as a result of nonconformity. If someone is â€Å"Marching out of time† (Metro Lyrics), they are turned into a minority, as evident in Jerry’s case when students treat him as an outsider. The painting, â€Å"Wake up America† by American artist Jon McNaughton symbolizes going against society. The painting makes a political statement while also expressing the idea of defiance. â€Å"There are all types of people bound together by the same problem we all face: our national debt. But strangely enough, most people don’t even seem to realize what is happening to them† (McNaughton). The people in this painting are bound by the national debt just like the students at Trinity are bound by the chocolate sale. The Trinity students carry out the sale unaware of its deeper purpose of keeping authority concentrated in the hands of Brother Leon. The painting suggests that Obama is like Leon in the sense that Obama gains power from the very debt that chains American taxpayers. The man in the foreground sawing off his chain is like Jerry breaking free from the grip of the chocolate sale. Like Jerry, the man escaping from the group will certainly face hostility. In fact, the woman behind him is already pointing him out to the group. For most individuals, protesting a society’s ethical and moral standards ultimately proves to be a losing battle. Even if a person fosters change among a group, it is only after facing numerous consequences. â€Å"Jerry’s protest is not easy for him to carry out, but he gains a new identity through his actions. What this idea becomes in the novel is the concept of being true to oneself and standing up to the evil that one perceives in the world. The only character that is true Buda 6 to himself in the novel is Jerry — but at a terrible price† (Peck). Individuals face conflict with the values of society or society at large as a result of an idea that they espouse or an action that they commit. Individuality may be described as the consciousness of the individual as to what he is and how he lives. The very essence of individuality is expression; the sense of dignity and independence is the soil wherein it thrives. Man’s thirst for liberation from authority and power will never be quenched despite the fact that society operates against people who refuse to conform. Consequences such as isolation, emotional damage, and violence are the price an individual must pay along his quest for freedom from every shackle. How to cite Conformity, Papers Conformity Free Essays Asch’s Study on Conformity The following essay will briefly outline Solomon Asch’s classic study on conformity (Asch, S. E. ,1956). We will write a custom essay sample on Conformity or any similar topic only for you Order Now , highlight the importance of the study in the field of psychology, ask if one gender tends to conform over another, explain the reasons why people conform to social norms and discuss the factors affecting conformity. Have you ever wondered why groups of teenagers dress and wear their hair so similarly? Or why people order the same dish as their partner at a restaurant? Or why people queue in an orderly fashion at the supermarket? These are all examples of social conformity and when you look closer at our social world, they are all around us. The aim of Solomon Asch’s conformity experiment (Baron, R. A. , Branscombe, N. R. , Byrne, D. , 2009) was to investigate the extent to which social pressure from a majority group could affect a person to conform. The experiment was conducted under laboratory conditions and involved only one real participant and 7 confederates. The real participant was unaware that there were confederates involved and was informed that it was a visual perception study. The participants had to match a standard line length to three comparison line lengths that were shown on two separate cards and announce their answer out loud. The 7 confederates were always first to answer, leaving the real participant last to act each time. On particular occasions (12 out of 18), known as clinical trials, the confederates unanimously chose a comparison line that was clearly incorrect. Each participant took part in the experiment several times. The results showed (Baron et al. , 2009) that over the course of several studies 76 % of the participants conformed with the rest of the group’s incorrect answers at least once and 37% of the participants went along with the confederate’s incorrect consensus overall. Asch also put a control group in place where adversely only 5% made such errors. In later experiments, Asch slightly varied the conditions of the experiment where one of the confederates answered correctly, agreeing with the real participant. This broke the group’s unanimity and conformity dropped to 5%. â€Å"Apparently, a single ally is all you need to â€Å"stick to your guns† and resist the pressure to conform† (Hock, R. , 2004). Further research (Morris, W. N. , Miller, R. S. , Spangenberg, S. , 1977) supports this, whereby the experiment was recreated with 1 of the confederates giving the correct answer, going against the group consensus. The researchers found that the level of conformity depended on at what stage the confederate agreed with the participant’s correct answer, early or late in the process. It now seems clear that early agreement with one’s implicit response serves to solidify or strengthen the implicit response, making conformity less likely† (Morris et al. , 1977). Further research (Asch, S. E. ,1956). , also showed that when the participant did not say his answer out loud but wrote it down, the level of conformity dropped. â€Å"Often, it appears, we follow social norms overtly but don’t actually change our private views† (Maas, A. , ; Clark, R. D. III, 1984 as cited in Social Psychology, Baron et al. ). This shows the distinction between public conformity and private acceptance. Asch’s study on conformity was important in the field of psychology because â€Å"the real power of social pressure to conform was demonstrated clearly and scientifically for the first time† (Hock, R. , 2004). Many researchers (Crutchfield, R. S. ,1955, Morris et al. , 1977, Mori, K. , ; Arai, M. , 2010) that have reconstructed Asch’s original study or conducted similar studies support the original findings for the most part. A very clever variation of the study was devised (Mori et al. 2010) without the use of confederates whereby the participants wore two types of polarized sunglasses during the critical trials which depending on the filtering of green or magenta at the top of the comparison lines would make the lines longer or shorter. This study used both men and women where Asch’s experiment only involved men. â€Å"The results showed that, in line with Asch’s basic f indings, the minority women participants conformed to the majority. However, the study produced two different results: While minority women conformed, minority men did not. Contrary to Asch’s findings, the frequency of conformity of minority participants was almost the same regardless of whether the majority answered unanimously or not† (Mori et al. , 2010). This asks the question whether men and women differ in their tendency to conform. Researchers (Sistrunk, F. , ; McDavid, J. W. ,1971) carried out an experiment to try and find out if one gender has a tendency to conform more than another. The researchers concluded that gender did not affect the likelihood to conform but â€Å"a disregard for particular characteristics of the ehaving male or female together with the particular nature of the judgmental tasks which have been employed in experimental studies of conformity may have contributed to artificially inflated observations of sex-determined differences† (Sistrunk et al. ) But why do people conform? Asch interviewed the participants of his experiment afterwards and asked them why they went along with the general consensus of th e group. Many of the participants simply replied because they did not want to feel stupid or embarrassed. This supports the theory (League, B. , ; Jackson, D. N. , 1964) of the connection between conformity and self-esteem. â€Å"Research in the area of conformity generally supports the hypothesis that persons with low self-value tend to be more conformant to social pressures than persons with high self-value† (League, B. , ; Jackson, D. N. , 1964). Other factors that can increase conformity are the cohesiveness of the group. There is a mounting body of evidence (Crandall, C. S. , 1988, Latane, B. , ; L’Herrou, T. 1996) that suggests that the more attracted or committed to the group you are a part of, the more likely you are to conform. Two groups of college girls in sororities were studied (Crandall, C. S. , 1988) with respect to popularity patterns and binge eating. In sorority alpha the further from the mean level of binge eating was correlated with being less popular. In sorority beta the more the women binged the more popular she was. â€Å"Most important, however, is the correlation which directly indicates social influence:  Women became more like their friends over time. (Crandall, C. S. , 1988). Another factor that can influence conformity is the size of the group. Conformity was originally thought by researchers (Gerard, H. B. , Wilhemly, R. A. , Conolley, E. S. , 1968) to increase with group size but it would seem to plateau up to three or more members. â€Å"The major hypothesis of the present study, which was not supported, was that the independent condition would show a linear increase in conformity through all group sizes† (Gerard et al. ). But later research (Bond, R. , Smith, P. B. , 1996), a meta-analysis of 133 Asch-like line judgement studies from 17 countries showed that conformity tends to increase up to 8 group members and then level off. The meta-analysis conducted by (Bond et al. , 1996) was to examine whether conformity has changed over time and whether culture plays a significant role in conformity levels. The results (focusing on analysis conducted only in the U. S. ) showed that â€Å"levels of conformity in general had steadily declined since Asch’s studies in the early 1950s† (Bond et al. , 1996). The hypothesis that conformity in collectivist cultures (China, Asia) would be higher than in individualistic cultures (US, Europe) from analyses of cultural values from studies (Hofstede, 1980,  1983,  Schwartz, 1994, Trompenaars, 1993) was confirmed. â€Å"Moreover, the impact of the cultural variables was greater than any other, including those moderator variables such as majority size typically identified as being important factors. Cultural values, it would seem, are significant mediators of response in group pressure experiments† (Bond et al. , 1996) To summarise, Asch’s study on conformity (Asch, S. E. , 1956) shows that social pressure from a majority group can affect a person to conform. Asch and others (Morris et al. 1977) also show that if the unanimity of the group is broken, conformity decreases and (Maas et al. , 1984) distinguishes between public commitment and private acceptance. There have been conflicting studies (Mori et al. , 2010, Sistrunk et al. 1971) on whether one gender conforms more than another. Research suggests that there are many reasons for conformity; if one has low self-esteem (League et al. 1964), the cohesiveness of the group (Crandall et al. , 1988, Latane et al. , 1996), the size of the group (although there is conflicting research) (Gerard et al. , 1968, Bond et al. , 1996). To conclude, there is research (Bond et al. , 1996) to suggest that conformity in the U. S. has decreased since Asch’s original study and that in collectivistic cultures there are higher levels of conformity than in individualistic ones. References Asch, S. E. (1956). Studies of independence and conformity: I. A minority of one against a unanimous majority. Psychological Monographs: General And Applied,  70(9), 1-70. doi:10. 1037/h0093718 Baron, R. A. , Branscombe, N. R. , ; Byrne, D. (2009). Social Psychology  (12th ed. ). Boston, MA: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon. Bond, R. , ; Smith, P. B. (1996). Culture and conformity: A meta-analysis of studies using Asch’s (1952b, 1956) line judgment task. Psychological Bulletin,  119(1), 111-137. doi:10. 1037/0033-2909. 119. 1. 111 Crandall, C. S. (1988). Social contagion of binge eating. Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology,  55(4), 588-598. doi:10. 1037/0022-3514. 55. 4. 88 Crutchfield, R. S. (1955). Conformity and character. American Psychologist,  10(5), 191-198. doi:10. 1037/h0040237 Gerard, H. B. , Wilhemly, R. A. , Conolley, E. S. (1968). Conformity And Group Size. Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology,  8(11), 79-82. doi:10. 1037/h0025325 Hock, Roger R. (2004). Forty Studies that Changed Psychology  : Explorations into the History of Psychological Research ( 5th Edition). Prentice Hall. ISBN  0-13-114729-3. Hofstede, G. (1980). Cultures consequences:  International differences in work-related values. Beverly Hills, CA:  Sage. As cited in Bond, R. , Smith, P. B. (1996) Latane, B. , L’Herrou, T. (1996). Spatial clustering in the conformity game: Dynamic social impact in electronic groups. Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology,  70(6), 1218-1230. doi:10. 1037/0022-3514. 70. 6. 1218 League, B. , ; Jackson, D. N. (1964). Conformity, veridicality, and self-esteem. The Journal Of Abnormal And Social Psychology,  68(1), 113-115. doi:10. 1037/h0047230 Maas, A. , ; Clark, R. D. III, (1984). Hidden Impact of Minorities: Fifteen Years of Minority Influence Research. Psychology Bulletin, 95, 233-243 as cited in Social Psychology Mori, K. , ; Arai, M. (2010). No need to fake it: Reproduction of the Asch experiment without confederates. International Journal Of Psychology,  45(5), 390-397. doi:10. 1080/00207591003774485 Morris, W. N. , Miller, R. S. , ; Spangenberg, S. (1977). The effects of dissenter position and task difficulty on conformity and response conflict. Journal Of Personality,  45(2), 251-266. doi:10. 1111/j. 1467-6494. 1977. tb00150. x Sistrunk, F. , ; McDavid, J. W. (1971). Sex variable in conforming behavior. Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology,  17(2), 200-207. doi:10. 1037/h0030382 Schwartz, S. H. (1994). Cultural dimensions of values:  Towards an understanding of national differences. In U. Kim H. C. Triandis C. Kagitcibasi S. C. Choi ; G. Yoon (Eds. ),  Individualism and collectivism:  Theory, method and applications  (pp. 85–119). Thousand Oaks, CA:  Sage. As cited in Bond, R. , ; Smith, P. B. (1996) Trompenaars, F. (1993). Riding the waves of culture. London:  Economist Books. As cited in Bond, R. , ; Smith, P. B. (1996) How to cite Conformity, Essay examples Conformity Free Essays One of society popular issues – conformity, is the act of one individual likely to change his or her thoughts, behaviors, and attitudes in order to fit in a group or to follow social norms. Norms are understood as unspoken, invisible rules appeared by a group of people then spread out to the whole community. Conformity occurs in various environment and situations, which fashion trends, plastic surgery, and tattooed people are some typical examples (depends on the case). We will write a custom essay sample on Conformity or any similar topic only for you Order Now Furthermore, when talking about the place where conformity rules over, is which we are most familiar with: the school. First of all, we can possibly see that school managers, staffs and teachers are the ones who directly apply conformity on students. Rules and punishments which are thought to organize and unite everyone but the reality is reverse. These excessive and unreasonable ones constrain student from freedom, that later on make them afraid Of schools, studying, and conform hopelessly although their brain are opposing. Plus, the approach of rigid and severe educating nowadays leads to reducing curiosity and creativity in students. This problem happens in not one but many different countries, hence takes art in declining the developing education. Besides, there is still a minority of teachers who are stubborn enough to reject any students’ new innovative resolutions so as to protect their ego. Yet another outcome of the conformity doctrine is standardized examinations. â€Å"Future of the humanity’ should be tested on their personalized and specific abilities to prepare for life, not just narrow and impractical plain papers to figuratively test our memory – which then disappears like it never happens! It may be exaggerated but somehow, schools have made us involved in either a batch or flow production, waiting or an acceptable diploma to apply for ordinary jobs with and expectation of getting average income†¦ In another aspect, students ourselves are conformist as well. From observation, there are mainly three considerable reasons why students conform, and one of them is lacking of knowledge. In a group work or class period, those who are not as clever as others usually listen to everything discussed or lecture assuming they are all correct. They make themselves lower than their friends, follow orders when doing a project, or obey the rules unconditionally. The second type are whom we can sibyl call â€Å"trend followers†. These individuals are the one who would buy a pair of shoes that has similar brand to other majorities in school; put on sweaters in a boiling temperature of 35 ‘C because fashion icons in Russia wear them; or even mimic the same tattoo as their idols’. Their needs of affection and admiration from others resulting in conformity that they want to mimic everything from the loved ones! Finally, the third and also why students conform is that they are yearning to be protected: they would avoid any action leads to disagreement or making them an outcast. Anything that mess harmful is always on their black-list including arguments, bullying, criticism therefore they ignore their individuality to make themselves be like the majority. We can find these kind of students everywhere: agree on every decision made despite of having different opinion; suddenly draw back their arms after seeing no one raises theirs up; or more unintelligible like one claiming he or she has not finish the assignment – which is supposed to be done already, just because there are few people have completed the task. Overall, how conformity affects education – beneficially or contrary, is still beatable. To consider in a positive way, the fact that conformity provides cooperation and acceptance is undeniable. It keeps students from engaging in anti-social acts for fear of isolation plus ensures security. Conformity is metaphorically like an established path for us to follow without deliberation and therefore make a great assistance since we are not capable of everything. Moreover, besides self-completing, it also maintains social norms, discipline, and easily operates school via ‘obedient kids’. However, many argue that conformity brings up more draw backs than its advantages. Taking as an example: the school bell. When it rings, the whole school jointly moves to another location to start another activity as now it is controlled by an audio signal. Clearly, there are logistical issues to consider if we are to safely and effectively manage a volatile school population of over SHOO young people, but are there any less militaristic ways to operate? When will we see schools acting less like prisons or military bases, and more like places where learning can actually be enjoyed? It is clear that schools should be founded on diversity not on conformity. Yet to achieve this involves not only a strong consideration of the development of individuals and their specific abilities, but also on the need for each school to create its own distinct identity within its community. It is not only the school’s duty to apply conformity properly but also our accurate perception that does. Do you want to become one of a mass chain of approximate dolls that people always see you as one tiny part of a group, or a distinct star shining in the dark sky? Whether good or not, remember that being yourself is the best! How to cite Conformity, Papers