Gender and Crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Gender and Crime - Essay Example People often view gender and crime issues using the usual stereotype of men being stronger than women and having higher tendencies to be more aggressive compared to women. This concept of masculinity and femininity requires careful scrutiny of facts and empirical data to support the idea. It has only been recently that criminologists and sociologists keenly looked into and considered studying about gender and crime. (Heidensohn, 1995). The topic has been discussed only in passing in various works such as Merton' theory of anomie and the deliquency of females are considered to be similar to those of men. A major reason for this inattention to females in crime and deviance is because of the perspective that female crime has somewhat been exclusively been dealt with by men, from regulating through to legislation, and that this has continued through into the theoretical approaches, quite often portraying what could be considered as a one-sided view, as Mannheim suggested Feminism and Criminology In Britain (Heidensohn, 1995). On the other hand, assertions have been created as justification for the invisibility of women in view of hypothetical views, for example: females have an '...apparently low level of offending' (Heidensohn, 1995); that they pose less of a social threat than their male counterparts; that their 'delinquencies tend to be of a relatively minor kind' Girls In The Youth Justice System (Heidensohn, 1995), but also because of the dread that adding women in investigative studies could intimidate or challenge theories, as Thrasher and Sutherland feared would take place with their investigations and studies. (Heidensohn, 1995). More hypotheses have been formulated, with numerous arguments adjoining the involvement and disregard of women within academic and speculative studies of crime, however, with contemporary approaches and progress in feminist studies and masculinity studies, and the claims of increases in recent years in female crime, especially that of violent crime more attention seems to be becoming of this topic. In terms of aggressiveness and given the common notion that people have for men and women, research show that females should not labeled as less aggressive than men. The degree of aggressiveness is may be similar for both genders however their means of expressing this aggressive trait are different. Males make use of physical violence to express their aggressiveness therefore it can be considered that they do it the more obvious means unlike women who express their aggressiveness in a covert and less physical means. [1] [2]. In opposition to what has been concluded in previous studies and by certain sections of the media, aggressive behaviour is not naturally evident in hypogondal men who have their testosterone replaced sufficiently to the normal range. In actuality, aggressive behaviour has been linked with hypogonadism and low testosterone levels, and it would seem as though supraphysiological, low levels of testosterone, and hypogonadism cause mood disorders and aggressive behaviour, with eugondal/normal testosterone levels being important for mental well-being. Testosterone depletion is a normal consequence of aging in men. One consequence of this is an increased risk for the development of Alzheimer's Disease. In other words, testosterone has a calming effect on men. Testosterone may not be associated with crime and aggressive be

Relation of learning styles and business training Statistics Project

Relation of learning styles and business training - Statistics Project Example This chapter presents the results of analysis of the data that have been collected through sample survey. The data have been edited and coded using Micro Soft Excel and analyzed with popular statistical package- SPSS. The analysis has been undertaken in conformity with the research objectives and hypotheses set. The chapter also discusses and justifies the proof/rebuttal of any hypotheses. The major findings of the study are also demonstrated after analysis of each relevant question. Figures are exhibited wherever appropriate to make it more readable and comprehensible for readers. The above table exhibits the number of workers employed across departments. It is clear that operations department has largest number of workers and project department has only 9 workers out of the sample 74. It is also evident that department project and operations employ no female workers and the entire female employees working with the organisation belong to support department. The Table No. 2 shows the work experience of employees. Among the sample respondents, 27 percent have got experience in between 3 and 5 years. It is also clear that of the total; only 19 percent employees have experience of more than 9 years. Employees having less than 1 year experience accounts for only 20 percent, which is backed by 16 percent with 5 to 9 years experience. Table No. 3 Employee Opinion on Training Effectiveness Response Frequency Percent Strongly Agree 13 17.6 Agree 39 52.7 Neither Agree nor Disagree 8 10.8 Disagree 8 10.8 Strongly Disagree 6 8.1 Total 74 100.0 This table depicts the employee opinion on the effectiveness of training programme undertaken by the firm. Majority of the employee support the training programme that they believe training programme is effective. Among the supporters around 18 percent strongly agree, while 53 percent agree with the present system of training. However, those who do not support the present system accounts for around 19 percent, which does not sound to be a negligible one. Table No. 4 Employee Response to Mentor Method Response Frequency Percent Strongly Agree 5 6.8 Agree 5 6.8 Neither Agree nor Disagree 22 29.7 Disagree 31 41.9 Strongly Disagree 11 14.9 Total 74 100.0 Table No. 4 is intended to present the employee response to mentor method of training. It is clear that majority of the employees do not support the innovative method. Employees who support account for a meager percent when compared to that of non-supporters. Non-supporters come to around 57 percent, while those who reluctant to opine on this is around 30 percent. Table No. 5 Employee Response to Benefits of External Training Response Frequency Percent Agree 14 18.9 Neither Agree nor Disagree 31 41.9 Disagree 18 24.3 Strongly Disagree 11 14.9 Total 74 100.0 Table No. 5 shows the response of employee to External training arranged by the firm. It is evident

Effects of Petroleum in Foods and Personal Care Products

Effects of Petroleum in Foods and Personal Care Products Cowden, 1 Dating back to ancient Egypt and Europe people everywhere would use lead filled makeup on their faces and bodies. These days, however, our government realizes the dangers and would never let us apply something so hazardous on our skin, right? Wrong. Just as lead causes memory and concentration problems, nervous system and kidney damage and high blood pressure; petroleum products can also cause health issues. American businesses consistently use petroleum derivatives in our food, drinks, and personal care products, and these additives cause diseases such as, cancer, skin dermatitis, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Petroleum consists of a liquid mix of hydrocarbons found in the depths of the earth that society refines to create fuel. The term petroleum derivatives includes different chemicals made from petroleum and that have a variety of names, concealing what the people of the world truly put on their skin and in their bodies. Some of these chemicals include, parabens, tertiary-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), petroleum jelly, and paraffinum liquidum also known as mineral oil. Americans may see these items on the ingredient list of some of their groceries, just assuming that our government will protect us; after all, why would a well trusted company insert substances in their products that could cause us harm? Many people do not know what these derivatives really consist of because with names like â€Å"mineral oil†, it seems as though a product might be made with minerals. Another misconception in todays society is the use of terms such as â€Å"all natural† or â€Å"organic†. In recent years, Americans have become more concerned with general well-being and drawn to certain trends, some American consumers resolved to buy exclusively all-natural and organic products. All terms, immediately associated with good health, but just because a product claims to be â€Å"organic† or â€Å"all-natural† on the label does not necessarily mean that it does not contain hazardous chemicals. Arsenic is an all-natural substance found in minerals; that does not mean it would be safe to ingest. However, contrary to popular belief, high levels of arsenic can be detected in American rice and there are no regulations in the USA as to how much may be found in the grain. Surpri singly, the one country that does regulate the amount of arsenic allowed in rice, is China. The requirements set by the United States Department of Agricultures (USDA) National Organic Program state that the food products portraying themselves as organic must have a percentage of at least ninety-five organic ingredients and cannot be made, grown or processed with any pesticides, antibiotics, synthetic growth hormones, synthetic ingredients, or bio chemistry, and cannot be produced or processed with irradiation meaning, a food product goes through a process using radiation in order to preserve the food. If a product has a percentage of seventy or more organic ingredients and is not produced with synthetic methods, it can be labeled as â€Å"made with organic ingredients† but the product cannot use the USDA organic seal. Products that do not qualify for the previous seals, can take advantage of a loophole. One option utilized by companies to get their food products certified as naturally grown and that certain companies also considered an easier and cheaper process wou ld be to go through certification with the help of a non-profit organization sponsored program called Certified Naturally Grown. A product with the Certified Naturally Grown label on it indicates that a farmer has inspected the product and confirms the product was made using a natural process and ingredients. However, companies do not have to go through the process of maintaining these seals in order to put â€Å"natural† on the label of a product. The label will not have the Certified Naturally Grown or the USDA Certified Organic seal, but there are no requirements for using terms such as â€Å"all-natural† or â€Å"natural† on a products label because everything comes from something and is technically natural. As a result of such, petroleum and other harmful chemicals can be used in virtually any merchandise (a company or organization wishes). Labels reveal the shocking truth of what popular snack foods contain and what consumers may have eaten their whole life. TBHQ, for instance, can be found in snack foods such as American Reeses peanut butter cups, Butterfingers, Nestle Crunch, Little Debbie, CHEEZ-Its, MMs, numerous brands of (microwave) popcorn, and Wrigleys gum. Other products that use TBHQ include the popular breakfast foods such as Pop Tarts, Wheat Thins, Kelloggs frozen waffles, certain restaurant foods from McDonalds, KFC, Red Robin, Olive Garden and Taco Bell, certain brands of cooking oil, certain brands of peanut butter, personal care products, pet foods, and much more. Paraffinum liquidum (mineral oil) can be found in the popular gummy candies Swedish Fish and Life Savers, and the petroleum derivative can also be found in baby oil, moisturizers, makeup, and hair products. Parabens, are mainly found in makeup but companies also utilize them in toothpaste, tooth whitening, shampoo and conditioner and a number of styling gels and creams. Parabens and TBHQ are used as preservatives and Paraffinum Liquidum is mainly used as a film former and emollient but is also used as a cleaner and solvent for inks used in fine art printmaking. It can be used to cool electric components and as a lubricant and fuel. When companies use mineral oil in foods, they use the chemical as a glazing agent. Companies use these chemicals to preserve foods because they cost less than the alternatives and to satisfy consumers wanting cheaper products, but what is the ultimate cost? Parabens have been shown in multiple studies to be oestrogenic meaning that parabens can effect female hormones in a negative way. Of course some people do believe that it has not been proven that parabens are the definitive cause of breast cancer, and that there are other harmful chemicals in products that could also be the cause. Dr. Phillipa Darbre, an associate professor at the school of biological sciences and a program adviser for biochemistry, who for around 26 years worked on the role of estrogen in breast cancer at the cellular level, claims â€Å"There are plenty of other chemicals in these pots [of cosmetics] apart from parabens which are also oestrogenic and we have to ask questions about additive effects. We are not exposed to a chemical, we are exposed to a mixture (Mellowship pg. 77).† This statement has truth in it, nevertheless, some types of parabens have been found in the breast tissue of women diagnosed with breast cancer including a high concentration of methyl-paraben which, along with n-propyl paraben, has been discovered in human urine. In a study conducted in Denmark, twenty-six volunteers in good health applied cosmetic creams containing the ingredient butyl-paraben all over their skin and the chemical was detected in their blood stream in one hour. TBHQ, an antioxidant extracted from petroleum and the main ingredient in lighter fluid, can cause an array of health problems. According to reports from American citizens, the problems reported include, night terrors and anxiety, asthma, swollen lymph nodes, body rash, diarrhea, irritable bowl syndrome, and anaphylatic shock as well as some other serious problems. A toxic reaction may occur if only a gram of THBQ is ingested. The amount of TBHQ allowed in a product cannot exceed 0.02% of the fat and oil in the food, (this includes any essential oil in the food). ADHD has become increasingly more common in recent decades. Although reasons for this remain classified as unknown, perhaps the reason for this is that companies manufacturing their products do not want consumers to know that those items contain the possible cause. The Feingold Association has executed research and have discovered that the use of more than one additive at one time has a synergistic interaction and damages nerve cells. The Feingold Association, which researches the connection between a childs diet and any disorders the child may have, recommends removing additives and food colorings containing petroleum. Legal guardians that have followed the associations suggestions report that their childs symptoms have disappeared or significantly decreased. Another idea suggests that artificial additives act as counterfeit neurotransmitters admitting false excitable signals. Children possess a higher risk of developing negative affects from heavy metals due to processed foods cons istently removing the calcium, iron and zinc which provide a childs body with the ability to clear out heavy metals. A child has an inadequate amount of essential vitamins and minerals making processed foods a possible factor of aggressive behavior. Petroleum derivatives, mainly parabens and mineral oil, can also cause various skin rashes and reactions. Contact dermatitis, is a type of skin inflammation that has symptoms comparable to those of eczema. According to statistics, five to nine percent of men have been affected by contact dermatitis and thirteen to fifteen percent of women have been affected. Irritant contact dermatitis occurs when substances come into direct contact with a persons skin causing inflammation and irritation; irritant contact dermatitis maintains the role of the most common type of contact dermatitis. It usually causes itching, swelling, oozing, dryness and crusting. A case of allergic contact dermatitis takes place when the immune system becomes provoked after repeated exposure to a substance causing an allergic reaction which could take place around two days after exposure. Contact urticaria takes place immediately after contact with an irritable substance, causing extremely itchy welts. Contact urtica ria can be an irritant or an allergic reaction, be that as it may, an allergic reaction can follow an irritant reaction. Chronic cumulative irritancy occurs most of the time through repeated contact with mild cleansing agents such as detergents and soaps. Research that took place between 1972 and 1983 discovered that facial makeup, skin and hair care products caused the bulk of contact dermatitis reactions in the volunteers observed. The most common causes of contact dermatitis in the participants studied in order were fragrances and parabens. Due to the fact that petroleum products stand as such harmful chemicals, several countries including Norway, Finland, Australia and France have all set laws banning at least one type of petroleum based food coloring. Most certified food colorings possess petroleum bases; the differences between American foods that contain food coloring and European foods that use healthier options are drastic. The Center for Science and Public Interest (CSPI) is a non-profit group that specializes in innovative research on health and nutrition to equip consumers with valuable information about health and well being. The CSPI organization took a trip to Britain in 2008 and unearthed the variations of food coloring use. CSPI discovered that a McDonalds strawberry sundae receives its color from strawberries in Europe, whereas in America the sundae gets its color from red dye number forty. They also discovered that the European Fanta orange soda, unlike the American version which gets its color from the dyes yellow number six and red number forty, gets its orange hue from pumpkin and carrot juice. Barbara Brenner, the executive director of Breast Cancer Action, an education and advocacy organization working to cure breast cancer, said â€Å"I think it would be really interesting for people in the U.S. to learn what is being done in Europe. Because, here in America, there is something that amounts to hubris. To the extent that short-term profits are valued over life, there is a tragic flaw. Capitalism is killing us. The truth is that making our products safer is really in industrys interest, because the people who use the products would live longer, but nobody is taking a long term view (Schwartz-Nobel, 117).† The well-known cosmetics company Avon, claims to be involved in breast cancer research. It seems like a conflict of interest for cosmetic companies to be involved in the breast cancer field considering the chemicals they use, nevertheless, it seems to be a popular marketing strategy. Avon, like many other cosmetic companies, uses dangerous and untrusted chemicals and has continued to do so since 1886. Pharmaceutical companies that also use harmful chemicals, perform breast cancer research as well. But to actually discover a cure or learn how to prevent the disease would be against their financial interest. The same people that make a living treating these illnesses fund many of the health advocacy movements as well. The previously mentioned organization Breast Cancer Action decided to try and have Avon remove some of the harsh additives from their makeup, specifically parabens. Eighty-two of Avons products contain parabens. After purchasing one share of Avon and becoming a share holder, Breast Cancer Action approached three larger share holders and convinced them to hold a shareholder resolution requesting Avon to remove parabens completely from their products or using a nonestrogenic substitute. Avon replied soon after their request saying, â€Å"We believe that discontinuation of the use of parabens and replacement with an inferior preservative would present a potential health risk to our consumers that is neither necessary nor warranted (Schwartz-Nobel, 118).† This statement from the board of directors at Avon persuaded the other shareholders to vote against the proposal to remove parabens. The company Avalon, which markets the Alba, Avalon Organics, and UN-Petroleum brands of personal care products, went through a difficult but altogether rewarding process complying with the campaign for safe cosmetics toxic free pledge. They called this newly found objective, â€Å"consciousness in cosmetics†. Under new ownership at the time, the company struggled at the start. Morris Shriftman, senior vice president of marketing for Avalon, asked himself this question, â€Å"What do you do when you learn about something that can be dangerous, problematic and expensive? We had a rude awakening (Baker, 97).† After removing any additives that the European government has banned, the companys next step was eliminating any non renewable petroleum based ingredients. He goes on to say that, â€Å"We found a deeper value in what we do. And the world of consciousness in cosmetics has been very good from a business point of view (Baker, 98).† The companys sales skyrocketed up to forty million dollars. When the company announced it was being taken over by Hain Celestial group, a natural and organic food and personal care conglomerate, for twenty million dollars in 2006, Shriftman and his partners proved that even if cosmetic companies do not realize it, these companies gain no finances by using hazardous additives in their merchandise. And, that taking these chemicals out of products provides ethical as well as financial returns. On some occasions companies list petroleum products on the label, but companies only have to list an ingredient if it qualifies as a major allergen and companies do not have to declare ingredients that do not qualify as major allergens. Therefore, many companies that do not list all the ingredients used in their products for marketing purposes, hope that the potential customers that know the dangers of consuming petroleum will at least not know that their products contain it. Consumers must educate themselves on different chemicals, which products contain those chemicals, and whether the foods and products being used by them are truly safe. The consistent use of petroleum in foods and personal care products causes Americans various health issues such as anxiety and ADHD, skin irritations, reactions, rashes and cancer. Research proves that companies that have cut out petroleum derivatives from their products have an increased profit margin, yet most companies still ignore the fact that there is no long term value in using petroleum in food, makeup or personal care products as well. The American governments job is to protect the United States of America from all threats foreign and domestic; several organizations have proven that petroleum is a threat to society when consumed or applied to the skin. America should follow the example of other countries and should ban petroleum in food and skin products. At the very least, it should be law for companies to list specifically all added ingredients so that consumers have a choice as to what they use and consume every day.

Effects of Modernity Essay -- essays research papers

The old-traditional way of life has vanished for ever. Today only villages and some small towns remind us of this kind of life, and as time passes, more people choose to abandon traditional way of life, to move to the â€Å"big city†. Modern way of life has nothing in common with the traditional one. Human habits, values, norms have changed. The most important of these social changes can be observed in human relationships, family economy, education, government, health, and religion. To be able to examine these changes, one has to compare traditional and modern way of life. In traditional societies, to begin with, there is a strong fellow-feeling; everybody is considered a friend and is expected to act this way, in case of personal or family crisis. In every-day life one would be happy to lend his neighbour anything he is asked without expecting anything in return. This fellow-feeling does not exist in modern cities, where the general rule taught to city-people when they are still children is: trust no one. The size and density of population, anonymity and high rate of criminality may be responsible for this kind of behaviour. Despite the fact that each city group chooses to behave this way for different reasons, the result will always be the same (Gans: 235-237). In addition to the change in human behaviour towards people outside his family, there is change in family life as well. The extended family providing all means of socialization and economic production, became nuclear, ...

Child Called It Paper Essay

Uri Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Model does a great job of helping to display that child abuse is not an issue that is isolated to the home, but rather a problem that can be confronted on multiple levels. Through his use of a â€Å"target-like† diagram, he is able to show that each systems builds on each other and are interrelated. Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Model consists of five, linked systems, the Chronosystem, the Macrosystem, the Exosystem, the  Mesosystem, and the Microsystem. To better understand Bronfenbrenner’s model, a walk through each layer of the model using explanations and examples from Dave Pelzer’s memoir, A Child Called â€Å"It†(Pelzer, 1995) is necessary. With the Chronosystem, Bronfenbrenner introduces the idea and understanding that a child’s development would be effected by any major life event that happens to or around the victim that would effect their livelihood and well-being long-term. For an example of this in A Child Called â€Å"It† (Pelzer, 1995), a Chronosystem would be when Dave’s Father no longer stood as Dave’s protector, this is most blatantly seen around the time that Dave’s Mother stabbed him. Dave’s Father had grown â€Å"blind† and desensitized to the actions his wife was taking on their child. Around this same time, Dave’s Father began to not only back away from the issues and problems associated with Dave, but Dave’s Father began to bow out of the issues concerning the entire family. Dave’s Father spent more nights and days away from the house, packing â€Å"overnight† bags, even when Dave knew his Father wasn’t working that nigh t. The actions that his Father took at this crucial time would set Dave up for unending beating and lashings from his Mother. He would no longer be able to find a safe haven in his Father’s arms or ease in the fact that his Father was just down the hallway. Dave’s protector was gone and Dave’s Mother had lost her love and idea of harboring a perfect family. In the Macrosystem, Bronfenbrenner displays a community’s overarching beliefs, attitudes, and values toward the growth and development of a child. In Pelzer’s memoir, this system can best be seen through Dave’s Mother’s own beliefs and attitude toward family. In the chapter, Good Times, from the book (Pelzer, 1995), Dave recalled once living in an extremely loving household with a loving Mother and a terrific Father. Dave’s Mother would often cry, stating how happy she was that she finally had a real family. From this information, it can be inferred that Dave’s Mother came from an unloving household. She may have grown up not truly knowing the meaning of unconditional love and family. She wanted so much for her own family to be perfect, that one negative â€Å"slip-up† would send her on a violent rage.  Perhaps, if Dave’s Mother had grown up under and around a healthy family relationship, Dave’s early, elementary life c ould have been much different. Through the Exosystem, Bronfenbrenner includes the economic system, political system, education system, government system, religious system, neighbors, social services, and mass media into the mix of systems that can influence a child’s development and can be held responsible for a child’s upbringing. In Dave’s memoir, there are many examples of this part of Bronfenbrenner’s model, one example of a neighbor that could have offered aide to Dave would have been Dave’s Boy Scout Den Mother. It would have been clear to the Den Mother that Dave was in utter distress and torment when he ran up to her door to explain why he could not make it to the troop meeting. However, the Den Mother did not seem phased by Dave’s appearance and simply told him she would see him at the next meeting. Another example of this part of the model can be demonstrated through the educators and teachers of Dave’s elementary school when Dave’s mother comes to meet with the professionals of the school to talk about Dave’s wounds and bruises. Dave’s Mother explains to them that Dave had made up these stories with his imagination and was hurting himself because he was trying to gain his parents attention after Dave’s Mother gave birth to her most recent child, making Dave no longer the â€Å"baby† of the family. Instead of sending Dave’s Mother for further questioning, the education professionals took Dave’s Mother’s word for it and dropped the case. In the second to last portion of Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Model, Bronfenbrenner forms a link between the Exosystem and the Microsystem; linking of religion, school, and/or healthcare with the family home life. This all occurs in the Mesosystem. An example of this system is demonstrated by the fact that Dave’s principal does not confront Dave’s mother about his concerns and Dave’s injuries anymore. In his memoir, Dave recalls a time that his principal did, in fact, confront Dave’s mother about Daveà ¢â‚¬â„¢s injuries, however after doing so, Dave went home and came back to school the next day with wounds and bruises that were even worse than the ones that the principal had originally called to confront Dave’s Mother about. Ever since then, Dave’s principal did not try to contact Dave’s mother about his increasing amount of injuries. Last, but not least, is Bronfenbrenner’s section on the Microsystem, he works to  involve the family, peers, school, workplace, church, and/or health services in the development and assessment of child abuse outside the home. For this, there are many examples within Dave’s memoir, such as, when Dave’s peers at school reject and ridicule him based on the way he dresses, looks, and smells, instead of sensing that something was terribly wrong. Of course, the children in Dave’s class were young, like him, and may not have fully understood Dave’s situation, however, a substitute teacher, one day, in one of Dave’s classrooms, joined the other children in the humiliation of Dave. She fanned her nose and held out his assignment at arms length. The teacher should have known better and should have been trained to spot the warning signs of abuse. Another good example of a Microsystem working in Dave’s story would be when Dave’s brothers walked past Dave standing and staring at himself in the mirror, reciting, â€Å"I’m a bad boy!† over and over again. Instead of saying something to their Father or Mother, they shrugged off the action and continued to play as normal. As the brothers grew, they continued not to intervene when Dave’s Mother would beat Dave. In fact, there were some instances when they would even make the situation worse for Dave. Dave understood that they were probably just trying to save their own skin from their Mother’s wrath, but as the children grew, they should have known better. Together they would have been able to team up and get the help to their Mother that she truly needed. All in all, Uri Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Model does a wonderful job of displaying the systems of child abuse in a way that helps one to understand that child abuse is not just isolated to the home, but is instead a problem that can effect and needs to be confronted on many different levels. His model does so by having each larger system build on and link to the systems below. This shows that every link is interrelated and each issue/problem builds on one another. When a community works together to notice and bring attention to a child that is suffering abuse, that is when true progress can be made to get that child and family the help that they need. Reference: Pelzer, D. (1995). A Child Called â€Å"It†. Health Communications, Incorporated.

Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Model Paper

As a child develops, the surroundings and people they interact with can have an impact in their development. Bronfenbrenner is a developmental psychologist who created the bioecological model of human development. The purpose of Bronfenbrenner’s model is to analyze the different connections humans make in the process of socialization. The bioecological model consists of four main areas â€Å"in which relationships and interactions take place to form patterns that affect human development† (Berns, 2013, 2010). The patterns that are formed from the relationships an interactions being created can be either positive or negative influences that can affect human development. The first system is the microsystem; in this system children are directly affected by the interactions they encounter â€Å"in a particular small setting† (Berns, 2013, 2010). For instance, family, school, peers, media, and their community are part of a child’s microsystem. The second system is the mesosystem; in this system the mesosystem is reflected in the microsystem due to the connections it creates with the child’s small settings. An example of this can be the child’s community collaborations which influences the child’s development. The third system is the exosystem; in this system the settings in which the child is not directly involve, yet the child is still affected in their microsystem. For instance, the child’s parents’ work can affect the child do to financial problems or stressed. The fourth system is the macrosystem; in this system â€Å"the society and subculture to which the developing person belongs, with particular reference to the belief system, lifestyles, patterns of social interaction, and life changes (Berns, 2013, 2010). For example, being part of a religion influences your life and therefore your human development as well. Indeed, Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model depicts the human development in these four basic structures. This essay will explain my own reflection of my childhood and the influences from each of the ecological systems. Microsystem: As Berns states, â€Å"the family is the setting that provides nurturance, affection, and a variety of opportunities†¦the primary socializer of the child in that it has the most significant impact on the child’s development † (Berns, 2013, 2010). In my case, my biological mother was not able to provide â€Å"nurturance, affection, and a variety of opportunities† and therefore affected my development. My mother’s inability to provide these essential elements affected my stability in my life. Berns explains that â€Å"this early disadvantage will persist and even worsen as the child progresses through school unless intervention, such as that provided by some quality child-care programs, can modify the opportunities at home and in school† (Berns, 2013, 2010). My personal stability worsen as I developed, but it was able to get modified at some point in my life do to my adoption. My adopted parents were able to provide those essential elements and therefore helped me established a normal stable life. Further, Bern claims that â€Å"teachers encouraged the development of various skills and behaviors by being role models and by providing motivation for children to succeed in learning† (Berns, 2013, 2010). My ninth grade teacher, Miss. Dotson influenced my life directly. She was able to provide motivation in my life in the sense of being able to succeed in my learning in order to attend college and receive good grades. She became my role model and I wanted to be just like her, a teacher. I began to realize that having an education was essential as my life developed because without one, my life would be a disappointment. Due to her support and motivation, I was able to become the student that I am today. Moreover, Bern states that â€Å"the community, or neighborhood on a smaller scale, is the main setting in which children learn by doing† (Berns, 2013, 2010). Growing up, I did not live in the safest community which influenced my views of where I lived. I remember that the only thing I wanted to do was to move to a safer place. The noises of sirens and police caused feared in me and I did not want to conform to continue leaving in an environment like that. As I grew older, I knew that I wanted to move away as soon as I was able to. When I had the chance to do so, I did and I was able to experience a safer community and a better life. From this, I learned that the communities we reside in can have significant influences in our lives. Mesosystem: Schools ability to bring forward guest speakers can have influences in the students. For instance, while attending an ASB camp, I was able to meet this great guest speaker who influenced my own life. I may not remember his name, but I do remember the words he said that inspired me to change my life around. He was the product of abusive parents and although he went through some hardships while growing up, he decided to change his life around and not end up in drugs, gangs, or any kind of trouble. His speech thought me that although I was abused; I had the chance and power to change my life around too. I was able to become a successful young woman in my academic development and I am still striving for the best. What I learned from this experience was that guest speakers and schools connection to my life was very influential in my development. Having the opportunity to attend my fifth grade field trip-science camp, I realized that it had an impact in my development. Being away from home for a couple of days, made me realized how important the care of my family was at that time. Going to school for a couple of hours a day was different than being away from home for a couple of days. The interrelationship between my family, the school, and the field trip was interesting because I did not know how it felt to be away from my family. The realization of this instigated me to appreciate both my family and my school more than I thought I did. As Bern states, â€Å"the more numerous the qualitative links or interrelationships between the child’s microsystems, the more impact they have on socialization† (Berns, 2013, 2010). Therefore, the impact of appreciation of my microsystem also made an impact in my socialization skills as to what situations to appreciate at certain times. After leaving my house for college, I had to move in with one of my aunts in San Diego. Although I was no longer living at home, I still visit my family. During this change, I had to cope with two different life styles. For instance, living with my aunt I had different duties and responsibilities that I did not have at home. However, when both families got together I knew how to behave in both scenarios. This experienced helped me understand behavior in my life. I no longer behave one certain way because I developed ew behaviors depending on the setting I was in. Exosystem: As Berns states, â€Å"the exosystem refers to settings in which children are not active participants, but that affect them in one of their microsystems† (Berns, 2013, 2010). In my case, my father’s job was something that affected me. For instance, his stress level was always high and therefore he tended to be upset most of the time. Also, he did not have enough play time with me like I would of like to. Although I never went to his job, it still affected my development. I remember while growing up, my sister and I tended to avoid my father since we did not have that connection with him like we did with our mother because she was a homestay wife. As seen, parent’s jobs can have major impacts in a child’s microsystem. Another example that also affected my microsystem was school budget cuts. Although I was not directly involved with the school board, their decisions affected my microsystem. For instance, my freshman and sophomore year of high school the school did not hired a professional cheer coach due to budget cuts. This affected our ability to learn new techniques and therefore compete. During this time, we had to teach ourselves what we knew and the overall performance of our squad was not to the standards of a high school cheerleading team. From this, I learned that outside decisions of our school board really had an impact in our school, but most importantly us, the students. Furthermore, social services impacted my life in the sense of the process of my adoption. For instance, having to go through the hardships of getting adopted was already a struggle, but the process itself was even harder. In addition, I remember just wanting to have a family to love and care for me, yet I had them in front of me and I could not be with them. Social services were not something I directly had a connection with, yet they still impacted my development throughout those years. During that time, my emotions were unstable because I knew the family that was trying to adopt me loved me, but the process was too long to wait for. Macrosystem: Berns explains that â€Å"the fourth basic structure is viewed as patterns, or sets of instructions, for exosystems, mesosystems, and microsystems† (Berns, 2013, 2010). For instance, when I started my freshman year of college, I was persuaded into joining a sorority on campus. When experiencing the different things that one has to do in order to be part of their subculture, I notice that I was beginning to develop new beliefs, different social interactions, different lifestyle, and most importantly my life was changing dramatically. These changes were beginning to affect my other systems. The person I was becoming was someone I did not expect to be and therefore, I decided to drop out of it and enjoy the person that I truly am. Another example that was part of my exosystem was when I was part of my high school cheerleading squad. Being part of this subculture I developed a whole new lifestyle. I remember saying that cheer was what I woke up to, did most of the day, and dreamed all night about. It sure was not easy being a cheerleader since I also had to manage my academic achievement and my role as a daughter. At times, cheerleading affected my ability to communicate with my parents because I would leave early in the morning and did not get back home till about eight or nine o’clock at night. As seen, our macrosystem can have significant influences in our other systems due to its connection it creates. As a Latino woman, we identify ourselves with our race and culture. We share similar characteristics and beliefs that other races and cultures don’t. Due to this, being Latino is part of my macrosystem. Growing up I knew my family was different than some of my classmate’s families. For instance, some of my classmates did not speak Spanish and did not eat the same things that I did. Also, they did not celebrate the same things I did. For this reason, my race made me different and I learned to appreciate who my family and I were. Conclusion: Indeed, Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model depicts the four systems that help our human development. Overall, I learned that depending on the child’s life, their socialized abilities can either be broken or created, but at the end each interaction they make affects the socialization skills they develop throughout their lives. Reflecting upon the different systems and how they directly impact one’s life, has changed my views in the way socialization takes part in our lives and how I develop new interactions with others in my development as a human being.