Law - Juvenile Delinquents Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Law - Juvenile Delinquents - Essay Example In 2008, 180,100 adolescent captures were made comparable to tranquilize infringement, which comprised of 15 percent of all out adolescent captures that year (Puzzanchera, 2009). These insights further feature this is a seven percent decrease in sedate related captures somewhere in the range of 2007 and 2008. Simultaneously, sedate infringement captures spoke to 11 percent of all out adolescent captures. Most of medication related captures comprised of male violators contrasted with females. In 1994, medicate infringement with male guilty parties out of nowhere spiked, however have remained moderately consistent since 2002 with just peripheral decreases year-on-year. For female violators, medicate misuse captures have likewise remained basically consistent since 1997, after an abrupt spike in captures around 1993, with minor declines year-by-year. In 2008, the conditions of Illinois, Maryland, and Wyoming kept up the most noteworthy capture rates in the nation (Puzzanchera, 2009). Ac cording to attack captures, the volume of adolescent capture for basic ambushes perceived no expansion or lessening from 2007 (Puzzanchera, 2009). ... For guys, per 100,000 captures, straightforward attack captures were roughly totaled around 900. Regardless of male decays from 1999, 2008’s capture records delineate that basic ambushes are commanded by male adolescent guilty parties. According to add up to 2008 captures, guys more than females were the most noticeable guilty parties in all classifications of infringement, with 70 percent male and 30 percent female. Theft and murder were ruled by blacks comparable to captures made for whites and other ethnic gatherings for these infringement. The Violent Crime Index shows that blacks adolescent captures were 500 percent of white adolescent captures from 2004-2008. This has huge ramifications for the dark ethnic gathering as the whole adolescent populace in America in 2008 comprised of 78 percent white and just 16 percent dark. Asian/Pacific Islanders made up just five percent of the adolescent populace in 2008, while American Indians spoke to just a minimal one percent of the populace. With these extraordinary proportions of roughly 5:1 for fierce wrongdoing captures among blacks and whites individually, this demonstrates a potential equity standing issue or social issue with the dark populace that lone makes up 16 percent of the all out 2008 adolescent populace. Female burglary capture rates expanded 51 percent from 2002 to 2008. Simultaneously, the female exasperated ambush capture rates expanded 80 percent from 1980 to 2008, however this was a 17 percent drop from 1999 to 2008. Robbery burglary, thought about a brutal wrongdoing by the Department of Justice, demonstrated stamped increments in female adolescent guilty parties of four percent, while male adolescent partners indicated a huge 29 percent decline somewhere in the range of 1999 and 2008.

Genetically Engineered Crops Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Hereditarily Engineered Crops - Essay Example The exposition plots the hereditary building for agricultur. The U. S., British, and different governments that imagine the biotechnology segment as the rush of things to come, and as a methods for expanding their national intensity, have unequivocally bolstered the business and its endeavors to market (and standardize) these new advancements. They have committed extensive entireties of cash to biotechnology look into (Gottweis 1998), taken critical steps to deregulate the business (Wright 1994), and tried to advance the spread of U. S.- style protected innovation rights in the World Trade Organization. The U. S. government specifically has additionally advanced the spread of agrarian biotechnology in creating nations through the U. S. Office for International Development. With so much financial and political muscle driving them, it isn't astounding that GE crops hit the ground running when they went onto the scene in the mid-1990s. In any case, is astounding that the fast developmen t in GE crop arrangement has been coordinated by a similarly surprising (and maybe verifiably uncommon) multiplication of residents' voices testing the biotechnology business on monetary, ecological, social, and good grounds. Surely, some time before transgenic crops advanced toward the market, people and gatherings worried about the dispersal of these new advances were at that point scrutinizing their security, utility, and need. Advances in hereditary qualities have arrived at a phase where rearing plans would now be able to be increased with the utilization of various innovations.

Classes, musicals, teaching, research, sports, and wisdom tooth surgery.

Classes, musicals, teaching, research, sports, and wisdom tooth surgery. Disclaimer: Im sorry if this post is a little incoherent. Narcotics do funny things to your brain. - On Friday, I got all four of my wisdom teeth taken out. Five minutes before the surgery, I lay in the dentist chair and looked at the window, trying to concentrate on something other than the IV sticking into my arm. I noticed a particularly lovely cherry blossom tree. Two squirrels. One oral surgeon. He whooshed into the room with a cheery hello!, pulling on a pair of gloves.  He looked bizarrely like the father of one of my best friends from High School, which freaked me out a bit. How are you doing? Well, I thought,  its the first day of my spring break, I have an IV sticking out of my arm, I will soon be able to eat nothing but baby food, and I have more work to do between now and next Sunday than I have ever had in one week, ever.   Great! I replied, flashing him my toothiest smile (to communicate HEY! I HAVE NICE TEETH. DONT MESS THEM UP.) With that, a nurse pulled a little cap over my face, explaining that I would be receiving nitrous oxide: laughing gas. This would, apparently, help to keep me calm and happy. I have no recollection of being warned that the sedative was on its way. I remember starting to giggle and then my eyes were closed and I was in a bizarre half-conscious state. Events unfolded at about ten times normal speed. I was totally aware that I was in surgery. I could hear the surgeon and the nurses talking, although it sounded like their conversation was being played on fast-forward. It felt like my teeth were rearranging themselves inside my mouth, and I remember thinking wow, this is fascinating! At the same time, I dreamed that I was running through a series of tunnels and that people I knew were holding doors open to ease my passage. And then someone asked me how I was doing. I opened my eyes, saw four identical copies of one nurse, and shut them again. The room spun for a while. Eventually, I stopped seeing quadruple and the room seemed still enough, so I rolled out of the chair and staggered into the waiting area with two ice packs strapped to my face. Lovely. Since then, Ive been on a combination of Percocet and Ibuprofen, and am proud to say that today I graduated to eating an entire stick of string cheese. Its just as well, because I need fuel for the TRULY OBSCENE AMOUNT OF WORK I HAVE TO DO OVER SPRING BREAK. This is a nice introduction to what I have going on this semester. Hold onto your hats (or your teeth whichever are more likely to detach themselves from your body) 8.04 Problem Set 8.04 is Quantum Mechanics I, usually taken by sophomore physics majors. The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, quantum tunneling, Dirac notation, probability distributionsand an exceptional teaching staff. The professor: Allan Adams. A legend. It honestly seems like there is nowhere he would rather be than in our lecture hall, filling chalkboard after chalkboard with wavefunctions. I quote: My job is to convince you that the SINGLE MOST INTERESTING THING you could do upon leaving lecture is the problem set. I also quote: fourteen invisible monkeys. He replies to every question with thats a great question! and never makes you feel stupid. My TA (recitation instructor): Adrian Liu. My TA. An astrophysicist and a post-doc who has won pretty much every teaching award available at MIT.  He gets up at 6am because he likes to swim before workIm not sure if he realizes that a significant fraction of his students are doing pretty well if they get up before class starts. His explanations are clear, and if theyre not clear, he delivers them again in a different way. At the end of each session, he has us fill out these little anonymous feedback forms, and that evening writes up detailed answers to all of our questions. His office hours are packed and  one of my friends reported that he never seems to take longer than 20 minutes to answer an e-mail. This guy is incredibly busy, but his recitation sections are high on his priority list :) 8.044 Problem Set 8.044 is Statistical Physics: an introduction to probability and statistical mechanics. Its usually taken concurrently with 8.04 by sophomore physics majors. The professor is John McGreevy, who has a toy unicorn in his office (apparently it represents a magnetic monopole: theres no good reason why it shouldnt exist, but it doesnt) and used to be in a rock band. I had a totally bizarre conversation with him earlier this week, about his research: Me: Whats your paper about? Prof. McGreevy: Oh, its about these things called strange metals [strange metals exhibit strange behaviour above superconducting temperature, and his group is trying to come up with a mathematical model for them] Me: Oh! Thats funny. I thought I saw the words event horizon in thereI thought the paper was about black holes. Guess I was mistaken. Prof. McGreevy: Oh, no, youre right, the papers about black holes. Me: HAHA! [totally joking] right. You model metals after multidimensional black holes or something? LOL! Prof. McGreevy: yup. Before I could stop myself: Me: WAAAAAAHH? He laughed. 8.282 Problem Set 8.282 is Introduction to Astronomy: a survey of galaxies, stars, planets, all that good stuff. The professor is Anna Frebel, who arrived this year from Harvard. Shes also my UROP supervisor UROP (Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program)   With Anna Frebel, Im studying metal-poor stars: because most of the heavier elements were produced in supernovae, metal-poor stars are usually the oldest stars in the universe. However, we have to distinguish between stars that are metal-poor because of their age, and stars that are metal-poor because theyve been shedding off metal to a neighbor. Right now, were in phase one: Im looking at stellar spectra and measuring the wavelength shift of hydrogen, sodium, calcium, and magnesium. Based on that, I calculate the radial velocity of the star. Calculate the radial velocity of the star! By looking at its spectra, which live on my computer. A real star. AHHHHH ITS SO COOL. 16.68 Research Paper 16.68 is Modern Space Science and Engineering: a 6-unit seminar in the Aero/Astro department. One of the professors is Jeff Hoffman, an ex-astronaut. I confess that I spend a borderline-creepy amount of lecture time looking at him and thinking WOAH. THAT GUY WAS IN SPACE. The class hosts a different lecturer every week, to present on topics ranging from neuroscience  (sleep patterns and circadian rhythms, as relevant to astronauts) to chemical propulsion to GPS systems to extravehicular activity (EVA). This break, I have a big paper to write for the class. We were allowed to pick any topic we wanted, and I chose papillary edemas: basically, astronauts often suffer visual problems due to folding retinas. I have a book called Neuroscience in Space to use. Neuroscience in space. SPACE AND BRAINS! My two favorite things. 21L.703 Paper Revision(s) 21L.703 is Studies in Drama: Stoppard and Company. Its a CI-M in the literature department, which means that it teaches the specific forms of communication common to the fields professional and academic culture. In other words, we do a lot of oral and written work. In addition to essays, we take turns leading discussion sections and delivering presentations on topics relevant to the play at hand (ex. Karl Marx, feminism in Britain under Margaret Thatcher). The class is sort of a broad sweep of politics, history, and art, which I appreciate one emerges feeling like a better human being. Memorize my lines for the musical Yeah, Im doing another musical. See what can come from being a little spontaneous? This semester, the Musical Theatre Guild is putting on Urinetown. For those of you that are familiar with it, Im playing Little Sally. Lesson plan for an Introduction to Cosmology class My friend Eric G. 14 and I are teaching an Introduction to Cosmology class for High School kids through MITs Educational Studies Program: it lasts for two hours every Saturday over eight weeks. Weve talked about redshifts, expansion, grand unification, fundamental forces, metrics and geodesics, but by far my favorite session was when we introduced them to Quantum Mechanics. One of them yelled AHHH MY MIND IS BLOWN!!!! Its refreshing to introduce concepts to kids concepts that might be old news to us and watch their understanding of the world be totally transformed. Schedule the Intramural Ultimate Frisbee season MIT has a healthy active intramural sports program, which I should really write an entire blog post about at some point. This spring, options range from Ultimate Frisbee to tennis to bowling to octathon to waterpolo to unihoc. Im the manager for the Ultimate Frisbee leagues (YAY ULTIMATE FRISBEE!) which means that I get all the captains on board with what they need to do, schedule games, and troubleshoot when things go wrong. Figure out the most efficient way to respond to a gajillion small children The MIT Museum runs a program called The Curiosity Challenge. In a nutshell, kids submit questions or essays or drawings expressing what they are curious about.  I met with the lady who runs the program, and found out that none of the kids get answers to their fabulous questions (ex. why are wood fires red and gas fires blue? how many cells are in a panda? why do dogs chase cats? why do people make mistakes? if there is other life out there, would they call us aliens?) I was horrified, and asked for the opportunity to compose responses. The MIT Museum staff delivered the entries to my dorm, and I now have three GIGANTIC bags sitting in my room, filled to the brim with submissions. There are easily five hundred of them. Im a little intimidated, but am determined to make this happen. Itll happen, whether it means I have to clump all the entries together into broader topics, or digitize all of them and get people to respond online. Itll happen, because it has to happen, because it would be a travesty for these kids to send their questions off and never receive responses. Itll happen, just like all this other work will happen, because it has to. I will get this all done. I will also be able to eat solid food soon, because, lets be honest, this whole diet-of-soup-and-apple-sauce thing is pretty lame. Deep breaths. I got this.

The First Wave Of Feminism - 767 Words

Sociology – Unit 4 Assignment Unit 4 Assignment is worth 50 points Assignment – What is feminism? Describe how it has evolved in the United States and include the three phases. The belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities organized activity in support of woman s rights and interests The first wave of feminism took place in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, emerging out of an environment of urban industrialism and liberal, socialist politics. The goal of this wave was to open up opportunities for women, with a focus on the right to vote. The wave formally began at the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 when three hundred men and women rallied to the cause of equality for women. Elizabeth†¦show more content†¦The third wave of feminism began in the mid-90 s and was informed by post-colonial and post-modern thinking. In this phase many constructs were destabilized, including the notions of universal womanhood, body, gender, sexuality and â€Å"heteronormativity the belief that people fall into distinct and complementary genders (man and woman) with natural roles in life.) An aspect of third wave feminism that mystified the mothers of the earlier feminist movement was the re adoption by young feminists of the very lip-stick, high-heels, and cleavage proudly exposed by low cut necklines that the first two phases of the movement identified with male oppression. Pink floor expressed this new position when she said that it s possible to have a push-up bra and a brain at the same time. The fourth wave of feminism is still a captivating silhouette. A writer for Elle Magazin recently interviewed me about the waves of feminism and asked if the second and third waves may have â€Å"failed or dialed down† because the social and economic gains had been mostly sparkle, little substance, and whether at some point women substituted equal rights for career and for ones self. I replied that the second wave of feminism ought not be characterized as having failed, nor was glitter all that it generated. Quite the contrary; many goals of the second wave were met: more women in

Body Image Representations Essay - 1111 Words

The phenomenon of dress and bodily adornment has always been a matter of conflict. It seems that society is constantly trying to repress the notion of aesthetics being a priority in any sense. Generally speaking, we are taught from a young age that looks are not important and we should not use them to make judgements of people. This is then contradicted by the notion of a doting mother always concerned about their child’s appearance, a nervous girl on a first date spending hours attempting to find something to wear, beauty pageants, wearing your best for a job interview even if the job’s uniform consists of a store shirt and khaki pants, and the like. This discord between what we say and how we actually feel creates some problems in the†¦show more content†¦As I have worked in the service industry since I have been old enough to work, the art of people watching and people reading has become an activity I like to think I have mastered. At the moment, I work at a bar in Atlantic Station where people come to be seen. Because of my experiences in the service industry, Turner’s article has only further validated my belief that what we put on is more important to us than we think. As far as fashion goes, there are two types of people who exist. People who are wearing their outfits and those whose outfits are wearing them. I have noticed that women who are â€Å"wearing their outfits† so to speak, exude way more confidence than women whose outfits are â€Å"wearing them†. It may be the confidence, but it seems that these ‘confident’ women are usually wearing outfits that seem to be congruent with their personality. By that I mean wearing something they are genuinely comfortable in, almost with an air of â€Å"this outfit was made for me and no one else.† On the other hand, there are those women who look as if their clothes are holding them hostage. It is as if the clothes are not correctly communicating t o the rest of society who they feel they really are. A perfect example of this is a woman who frequents my bar often. She is quite friendly and always willingShow MoreRelatedThe impact of medias representation of ideal body size on attitudes towards own body image952 Words   |  4 Pagesoverwhelming representation of thinness has a large contributing factor towards young women’s attitudes of their own body weight dissatisfaction (Jacobi Cash‚ 1994). This dissatisfaction stems from discrepancies between the accepted standard of female body image repeatedly shown in today’s media and their own bodies leading to the formation of attitudes that their own weight is not adequate. For example, a meta-analysis comparing the results of 25 studies that presented media images of thin modelsRead MoreMedia s Representation Of Body Image1532 Words   |  7 Pagesinfluence by the media is body image, large number of young women and girls look up to people in the media and a re influenced by the way they look. Now days you’re appraised on your attractiveness, the way you look, the way you dress, and especially how thin you are. The media’s representation of body image has contributed to the social trend of an unhealthy lifestyle. Women and young girls today are fixated on trying modify the way they look to achieve the perfect body image set by the standards ofRead MoreRepresentation Of The Body Image And The Mass Media Essay3221 Words   |  13 PagesREPRESENTATION OF HOW MEDIA PROMOTE EXCERSISE IN NEW ZEALAND MEDIA AND HOW IT AFFECTS FEMALES Female Body Image and the Mass Media: Perspectives on How Women Internalize the Ideal Beauty Standard Representation of women in the media can change the way that the people of New Zealander’s think of themselves. Media has a powerful ability to reach many people and to influence and direct attitudes of our country’s behaviours and knowledge. 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In each year group, one-third of the girls will be placed in different experimental conditions: traditional Caucasian Barbie doll, Mattel’s new line of Barbie dolls, and no exposure to the doll. Stimulus Material In order to expose girls to different images of traditional Barbie dolls, Mattel’s new line of Barbie dolls, or neutral images, three commercial videosRead MoreThe Negative Effects Of The Mass Media And Body Image998 Words   |  4 Pagesindividual’s body image. The media distorts reality, promotes weight-teasing, and with the lack of diversity, it leads to body dissatisfaction, that would be a person’s negative thoughts about their body, and can inevitably lead to eating disorders. Also, media distorting reality can lead to mental illness and a low self esteem. The body image of many people does not reflect who they are but it rather reflects what the media portrays. Introduction What is body image? It is the internal representation ofRead More Body Image Essay1153 Words   |  5 Pagesunder the image, along with the subtopics â€Å"Magic Moves that Work Your Whole Core,† â€Å"Superfoods for a Sexy Stomach,† and â€Å"4 Ab Mistakes Everyone Makes.† It is no secret that modern American culture gives great importance to body image, namely to having a â€Å"perfect† physique, although a vast majority of the population is far from attaining said physique. I struggled for years to â€Å"make peace† with my own body and obtain a positive body image, hence why I have chosen to research body image and the mediaRead MoreThe Effect Of Media On Womens Body Image1247 Words   |  5 Pagesrole of media affects how women perceive body image. I was interested in knowing the ways in which the media influenced the ways in which they perceive themselves and their beauty. 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Participants included 130 femaleRead MoreThe Impact Of Media On Self Esteem1732 Words   |  7 Pagesto realize, even before reaching puberty that this is what their bodies should look like. Older children see celebrities constantly flaunting their sculpted figures, which they magically attained effortlessly. The media broadcasts the thin ideal in almost every way possible. As a result, eating disorders have become more prominent throughout communities because of the unrealistic expectations we hold for our appearances. Body dissatisfaction, or one not feeling content with one’s physical appearance

A Study on Consumer Perception on Nokia Free Essays

A study on consumer perception on nokia phone in Kanyakumari district Introduction:- Nokia phone is the biggest brand company industry globally. it is most chepaest which gave more Features. Nokia provide the cheapest rates according to other competitors and well known for the lowest price all over the price. We will write a custom essay sample on A Study on Consumer Perception on Nokia or any similar topic only for you Order Now People are ready to pay extra but want the good back from the usage of the mobile and want that and expact for the long time time usage from the mobile. The biggest benefit of the nokia mobile phones are that they are good in resold price ,a less loss can be expected as to others mobile phones. the nokia was awarded and continously on the first price for the best mobile from the last 5 years. The first camera on the mobile was invented by the nokia mobiles phones ever in the market and it blust all the market and taken the place ,which put the others in a big trouble for not seling there mobiles phones. The nokia was the changing its features day by the as the first camera and the tourch light music nd radio in it . Most of the time now mobiles phones are using as for the business purposes. The camera was best in the battery timings and still known well for the battery timings its battery works more then the one day and the lower class always appriciate the nokia for the best battery providing in the mobiles phones with the lowest price. Acheivements of nokia:- The achevements of nokia is that they are trying to provide the best mobiles prices and well satisfaction to there user . the nokia always focuses on the goals how to improve to get the attention of there there user who appriciate the nokia and day by day there for they bringign the changes in the mobiles phones due to the greediness of the smart phones the nokia has lost its importance in the market becouse it does not follow the same conidion as the other. Nokia market:- The nokia is now getting the weak in the market but still only the low class people use this mobile phone as they can afford and its too strong in even physically as well . the first mobile was 3310 which made the huge market of the this set and then after like 1112,1110 and so on. The blast in market was also when the nokia introduce the n71 ,n91 n8 and many others like this becouse the memory card and built in memory was introduce by the nokia mobile phones The nokia starting inventions:- The nokia mobiles phones were the biggest phones becouse there there size was too large and the customers feel ord to use this phones as of the size is the big but later when it convert and change it into the small and like the mobiles they 3310 then people appricaite it. Now the mobile charger are also available in the market in as they are called as usb charger it is easy to use even the car while travelling you can use it for the cahrging and now more comfortable is that thses chargers are also availble in the sort of bluetooth. How to cite A Study on Consumer Perception on Nokia, Essay examples

Self Reflection/Reflection Project Essay Example

Self Reflection/Reflection Project Essay Given the complexities of the social environment in which we currently live, there are a myriad of issues which divide society for one reason or another.   Among these, the issue of sexism, or more precisely heterosexism, is prevalent in American society today, whether one realizes it or not.   In an effort to identify and better understand heterosexism requires additional research and discussion, which will be presented in this essay through the use of several sources, including literature and film. To begin, one must fully understand exactly what is meant by heterosexuality as well as how the concept of identifying and separating sexual preferences came about.   While there is proof from the beginnings of recorded history of individuals whose sexual preference ranged from the opposite gender to same gender to either gender, the societal differentiation of sexual preferences truly started to emerge in the Victorian era of the 19th century when the concept of sexuality began to be discussed in the mainstream, in a sense coming out from behind the closed doors of the bedrooms of the era (Rothenberg, 2007).   At that point, there began to form within â€Å"popular culture†, as it existed at that time, a variation between the heterosexual-one who has an erotic/romantic interest in the opposite gender and the homosexual-one who has the same kinds of interests, albeit for the same gender as they.   Also, the concept of the bisexual individual came to being-one who has an interest in their same gender and the opposite gender as well.   At this point, along with those defined differences, came the accompanying social divides along the lines of sexual preference-and the advent of homophobia, which is to say the opposition to, or even hatred of, homosexuality and homosexuals themselves. We will write a custom essay sample on Self Reflection/Reflection Project specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Self Reflection/Reflection Project specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Self Reflection/Reflection Project specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The reasons for homophobia, while in many cases widely speculative, can be explained to a certain extent because of the fact that homosexuality goes against the norms that society determines for the genders.   Taking this concept back to a most basic level, one needs to understand how conventional society places people into gender roles quite literally from the day of one’s birth.   In most cases, based upon whether the biological designation of a human being is male or female, by the dictates of society, the genders are dressed a certain way, led to prefer games, toys and habits based on their gender, and are treated in vastly different ways as well (Pharr, 1988). Along with the development of the young person’s gender identity, they are also indoctrinated with belief systems that teach them that any other people who do not behave as their gender roles dictate are somehow less important and are acceptable in terms of being able to be openly ridiculed and persecuted (Pharr, 1988).   Although the whole of society, when asked, would say that the use of insulting names or unfair treatment of homosexuals is morally wrong, there also seems to be a sort of unwritten tolerance of what can be called heterosexism, or the belief system and associated preconceptions and behaviors that simultaneously promote the idea of heterosexuality as a superior way of life and homosexuality as inferior and unacceptable in popular society (Rothenberg, 2007). Within American society, the promotion of heterosexism appears to be widespread, and continuing to be as such with the evolution of society and the continuing increase in the complexity of everyday life.   While it would be convenient to simply dismiss this as outright prejudice, it in fact goes much deeper than that.   For all of the talk of homophobia being based old fashioned hatred, it also appears to have some roots in fear, which is to say that in the case of heterosexual men, for example, homophobia comes from the fear of the stability of their own masculinity, more than just a resentment of those whose lifestyles differ from theirs (Pharr, 1988). The struggle between heterosexism and homosexuality in American society is also reflected by art that imitates life, such as in modern film.   One key example of this is the 1988 film â€Å"Torch Song Trilogy†, which is relevant not only because of the outright plot of the film, but also for the underlying social themes of the film itself. To briefly summarize the plot of the film, a modern day drag queen deals with life offstage, particularly in the areas of romantic/sexual situations with men and the complicated relationship which he has with his overbearing and emotionally intense mother.   On the romantic front, Arnold, the main character/drag queen, finds himself confronted with a romantic interest in a man who proves to be possibly more interested in women than in men.   Because of this conflict in the romantic feelings of Arnold’s partner for him, Arnold is greatly conflicted and goes through what can best be called a period of self discovery, trying to understand his lover, himself, and how all of this can be put together to make some sense in a world which seems at this point to make no sense at all.   Adding to the confusion and tumult is Arnold’s mother, whose main purpose in Arnold’s life seems at least on the surface to be to antagonize him and to make him feel even more confused and inadequate (Bogart, 1988).   However, by looking beneath the surface of the issues and interpersonal relationships and their associated complications in the film, we can see a certain measure of social commentary in â€Å"Torch Light Trilogy†. Overall, what we see in Arnold is someone who must confront their own sexuality and grasp the reality that his sexuality, indeed him being â€Å"just the way he is†, goes against the norms of society, but at the same time, he cannot simply change they way he is in the way that one would change their hairstyle or wardrobe as an example.   Further, Arnold is perplexed; it seems as to how his partner can so easily switch his sexuality on and off, while Arnold seems trapped in his for better or for worse.   Also, in his mother, Arnold sees a heterosexual person who does not exactly appear to be the happiest individual in the world.   Overall, what can be seen in â€Å"Trilogy† is the complex nature of homosexuality in modern America and the effect that it has on those close to the homosexual individual. The research conducted and conclusions drawn in considering the intertwined issues of heterosexism and homosexuality have led to a few key points; first, for all of the efforts of society to compartmentalize individuals into sexuality roles based on their biological designation at birth, the physiology of the individual often forms their roles and can overpower what society says is the proper way to conduct one’s sexuality.   Moreover, it also appears clear that those who so vehemently hate homosexuals do so because of the fear of something that they do not understand, rather than opposing something that they think they do understand.   For the families of homosexuals, there also exists an often confusing dynamic which society basically uses to compel these individuals to discriminate against homosexuals even within their own families.   The challenge from this point is for society to come to the realization that gender roles are more biological than motivational in natu re, are in fact more related to nature than nurture, and that the proliferation of heterosexism is only a thinly veiled version of homosexual hatred.   With these points in mind, perhaps society can better respect gender differences and be the better for it. PART II- â€Å"Reflection Project Essay† This course has led me to a great deal of reflection and introspection; through the analysis of my own life, social influences in my life, and the social norms that I have witnessed, and continue to witness, for better or worse, have led me to view many of the challenges that I face in my life much like a birdcage; this cage is constructed of very specific bars and serves a very specific purpose. First, I should explain the validity of my birdcage analogy; I see myself as a bird who, given my druthers, would be able to freely fly about, wherever the wind and my own ambition would take me, all the while singing the sweet song that can only come from the complete peace that comes from total freedom.   However, this freedom is made impossible by the birdcage which holds me in place and keeps me from soaring into the clouds. This birdcage, as was previously mentioned, is made solid by bars that have been specifically constructed and placed in such a way as to make freedom impossible.   The first of these bars, indeed one of the largest and hardest bars is made of racial intolerance.   As an African-American, I learned from a very early age that I would not always be viewed as an equal to my Caucasian counterparts, and in many situations, would be regarded as being much less than an equal in fact.   Because of the fact that my skin is of a much darker color than many other African –Americans, discrimination on racial lines has been all the more acute for me than many others.   In my mind’s eye, I can travel back to a recollection when, as a young child, I attended a birthday party for another child, and being the only African-American at the party, let alone having very dark skin, I was ridiculed by the other children, making me feel inferior.   As I grew older, this racial differe nce led me to the belief that I was not as attractive as I could be to the opposite sex, only adding to the discomfort I felt from a racial point of view.   Ã‚  Hence, the first bar of my birdcage was solidly forged and locked into place. The second bar of my birdcage is formed by socioeconomic factors; while I did in fact grow up in a middle class which afforded me many benefits that others in lower classes did not have, such as access to solid education, stable housing, food, clothing and so forth, there was also the feeling that I was in the middle of the â€Å"haves and have nots† which led to a certain level of tension and wondering as to where I would eventually end up as an adult.   This, in fact, placed another bar firmly in my cage. The â€Å"isms† eventually made up another bar in the birdcage which surrounds me; what is meant by this are such social ills as racism, classism and sexism, which have many far reaching unfavorable consequences for modern society.   Personally, also as a woman, the â€Å"isms† have at one time or another led to my being outcast from certain areas/opportunities, ridicule as in the case of my childhood experiences that were earlier related, verbal abuse from others in many segments of society, and physical abuse.   Also, the â€Å"isms† have led me to the assertion, whether accurate or not, that I could someday actually be imprisoned because of my racial and gender differences, thereby taking away my literal freedom as well as my perception of freedom. Classism has in some respects made me feel guilty for the level of economic status I have in society, while others do not possess such a level.   These factors have formed yet another bar in the birdcage. My gender, whether I have taken the time to realize it or not, has seemed to have formed a bar in my birdcage.   Because of the mere fact that I am a female, the reality is that society in many instances can look on me as less than favorable in comparison to a male in terms of access to employment opportunities, education, and the like.   Even in the 21st century, there are those of narrow mind in society that feel that women should automatically take a subordinate role to that of men, and as such, automatically force women into a role of submission regardless of their qualifications, redeeming qualities, and so forth.   Therefore, my gender role has in fact led to yet another bar in the cage that holds me inside. My birdcage is not in effect a â€Å"life sentence†, lest I give that impression; rather, in looking at ways to break free from the cage, it seems that there are certain bars that can be somewhat bent, thereby allowing me to be able to fly free, wherever I may wish.   The first bar that can be bent to facilitate an escape of sorts is that of racial intolerance.   While it is unlikely that I, as one individual, can eradicate racial intolerance from the face of the earth, I can wage an individual battle against it, by starting with my own circumstances.   The people that would hold me back because of my race have no right to do so; with this in mind, I will refuse to submit to these bigoted individuals.   As an example, if they close one door of opportunity to me, I will try to enter another door.   Ultimately, as a result of my persistence and inner strength, I will be able to achieve my own personal victory against this social scourge. Once the first bar is bent, others will surely follow; specifically, the bar that represents socioeconomic factors can be pushed aside; once again, while I cannot change my past socioeconomic factors, through hard work and achievement, I can overcome the socioeconomics of my past and provide a more stable future for myself, and possible future generations of my family, which will make an essential difference for countless people long after my life’s journey is complete. Lastly, while daunting to say the least, I may also be able to bend the bar of â€Å"isms†; indeed, this is the most solid of all of the bars, but the leverage from the bending of the other bars may make this possible. Reflecting back on me, what the birdcage analogy means to me personally is that I can either view past obstacles as something that will keep me confined for life, or challenges to strive for changing to improve my life, my world, and that of others.   Ultimately, if every individual sought to do this, the sweeping social change that makes the world a better place could become more of a reality.