Street racing: On The Inside :: essays research papers

For 19-year-old Jeff, weekends begin on a long strip of highway near Atlanta. rather than browsing the mall or going to the movies like others his age. Jeff joins a group of his comrades and spectators to witness a spectacular show of speed. As we pulled up to the meeting spot he looks over at me and says, â€Å"Welcome to the world of illegal street racing.† "We have a cruising area where all the cars go and just chill. If someone wants to race," says Jeff, "they just ask...most of our races are with people you know pretty well...we don't have the major race nights like they have in other areas." The other areas Jeff refers to are about as common as can be and can probably be found on a straightaway near you. "Motorsports has made incredible progress as a legitimate sporting event in the last decade," says Editorial Director of NHRA Publications Phil Burgess. "Corporate America has taken a keen interest in motorsports, which has led to the proliferation of not just racing teams, but racing venues, where racers and fans can go to enjoy the fast-paced excitement that the varied forms of racing have to offer. Many sanctioning bodies offer grassroots-level racing, often where families can enter a race car literally off the street and compete against similar entries." Contrary to popular belief, street racing isn't only found on the fast moving streets of the major cities, its going on all over the country. Recent articles published on MSNBC.com report on street drag racing as an increasing problems in such out of the way places as Spokane, Washington and Forth Worth, Texas; other articles found on www.abc.com report on accidents and coverage of events in Washington D.C., Boston and New York City. Los Angeles County is a big street racing scene however, was recently given a $200,000 state grant to crack down on the illegal street racing activity. Penalties for racing vary from state to state and offense to offense, but can range from a slap on the wrist ticket to arrest and impounding of the vehicle as was the case last January when police in Sylmar-Sun Valley arrested 32 people and impounded 72 vehicles after a sweep. With such heavy impending penalties why would anyone set themselves up for what seems imminent trouble? "Everyone's got a hobby," says Jeff. "And this just happens to be mine.

Thesis Reading

The title of the thesis that I chose for my Thesis Reading is â€Å"BARKADAHAN SA MC: Communication within Peer Groups in Miriam College and how it leads the members to commit major violations of school rules. † It was written by four authors namely, Catherine J. Macasaet, Michelle Corazon S. Robles, Alexandrea Camille C. Rodriguez, and Anna Monica T. Torres. The thesis was published on February 9, 2008 and was submitted as a partial fulfillment of the authors’ requirements in Communication Arts. The problem of the said thesis is, â€Å"Does communication within peer groups in Miriam College lead its members to commit major violations of school rules? † and with this being said, their general objective is to identify whether communication within Miriam College students affect their chances of committing school violations. According to the findings of the group members of the thesis, based on the survey that they have conducted, almost all of their respondents are part of a peer group or what they mostly call as a â€Å"barkada. † Only 3 out of a hundred responded â€Å"no† when asked if they belong to one. And with this, those who answered â€Å"yes† to the question showed some symptoms of Groupthink that lead them to committing violations of school rules. The Groupthink phenomenon allowed the students of certain peer groups to have faulty decisions causing them to do wrong actions. The group also discussed the activities that peer groups mostly do and their self-evaluation of their school performance. With this, they have also included the number of people among their respondents who have encountered committing violations and their peers’ influence on this. The Groupthink phenomenon which was stated a while ago was the most evident situation that peer groups are commonly facing when together. Three of the symptoms present were the thought that each group’s actions are always right, that they always have undisputed choices in decision-making, and lastly, that every group does not consider the beliefs of out-groups. As an analysis of the problem stated for the thesis, the authors used two theories namely, Social Identity Theory and like what was mentioned a while ago, Groupthink Theory. First off, the Social Identity Theory was developed y Henri Tajfel and John Turner in 1979. It was used to comprehend the psychological foundation of discrimination within inter-groups. The theory has three elements in it which are categorization, identification, and comparison. The categorization element comes in when a person labels his or herself and other members of a group. Identification, on the other hand, is when a person identifies his or h erself as a part of a group which allows him or her to have a more sense of worth. Lastly, comparison is when the group members already compare their positive characteristics as a whole to the characteristics of other groups. The theory also states that groups look for confidence by positively distinguishing itself from other groups. The Social Identity Theory applies in the said thesis because, before actually studying the effects of communication of peer groups in their chances of committing school violations, the researchers first studied an individual’s process of being a member of the group through the visibility of the said theory in him or her. It showed that Social Identity is what mainly occurs first because a person labels his or herself, becomes a part of the group, and then compares his or her group to others. The theory is applicable because it helped the researchers identify how the participants of their survey identify themselves as part of a peer group. Moving on with the theories used in the paper, another relevant theory is the Groupthink Theory which was stated several times a while ago. This theory was developed by Irving Janis in 1972 and was based on human social behavior in which a hypothesis—that critical thinking is used to assess the efficiency of a group’s decision-making—was developed. Groupthink is actually a way of planning used by a group when their aim of agreement overcomes their assessment of other plans of actions. The theory also involves the group’s cohesiveness wherein the group’s involvement in each other affects their decisions—the more cohesive a group, the more pressure is applied on the members to preserve such cohesiveness. Such cohesiveness is visible when group members like each other, and would want to stay within the group, thus, not wanting to be left out. With too much of this said cohesiveness, there are dangers involved like not being able to exercise independent critical thinking, thus, having irrational decisions like hoices that are incomplete and involve risks. With these said, groupthink is actually a weakening of effectiveness in thinking because it affects how the groups actually consider different plans of actions and not just what they think is right. Groupthink Theory is relevant to the thesis of the researchers because it allows them to look at the process of decision-making by a group which is relevant in understanding how communication within p eer groups leads to commit school violations. The theory was used when the authors analyzed how each member of a group develops confidence and then starts to meet the terms of her whole group’s actions and choices. It is also applicable when the researchers were able to identify that the theory is the most apparent communication pattern within peer groups of Miriam College in such a way that after going through a phase of Social Identity which was stated a while ago, peer groups then tend to apply Groupthink which involves pressure within their group members to comply with the unanimous decision of the group as a whole. With having the thought that the group’s decision is what is right, they then tend to become confident with their actions which are sometimes, are already the violations of school rules. Because of faulty decision-making, peer groups are lead to disobedience of school policies. These are what the researchers have found out with the use of the Groupthink Theory of Irving Janis. With the help of Social Identity Theory and Groupthink Theory, authors of the said thesis were able to understand the effects that communication within the â€Å"barkadas† of Miriam College have on each of the members. The theories were actually very relevant in helping them find the results for their problem and were able to give answers to the questions that they have objectives of responding to. Both were able to help the researchers because having a thesis on peer groups, the theories also being about groups helped in defining the problem stated. Reference: Littlejohn, S. W. (2008). Theories of human communication 9th ed. Belmont, California: Wadsworth.

Elderly Abuse And The Elderly - 2410 Words

Abstract The elderly abuse dates in institutions date back to many years. The elderly persons have experienced many forms of abuse. The abuse ranges from physical to emotional and psychological abuse. The perpetrators in most cases conduct the abuse unintentionally. However, the fact remains that elderly abuse is a vice that needs to be rooted out in the elderly institutions. This paper makes an incisive analysis of elderly abuse with particular regard to the types and forms of the particular abuse. Nonetheless, in this paper, it is important to indicate that information on the extent of abuse in the elderly population is scant, and hence, it is not easy to validate the extent and severity of the cases of elderly abuse in the relevant institutions. Finally, the paper concludes with appropriate recommendations on how elderly abuse can be prevented and even managed. Elderly abuse in Institutions Introduction There has been a changing demographic trend towards an increasingly older population. This trend presents many challenges for the healthcare systems. Over the past few years, the main challenges have been the neglect and abuse of the elderly in institutions and care facilities. Neglect and abuse can occur in various ways and forms which range from financial abuse to self-neglect. These forms are mostly present in the rubrics of domestic violence; they occur with greater intensity and frequency in the institutional settings. However, it is imperative to indicateShow MoreRelatedElderly Abuse And Neglect Of The Elderly2651 Words   |  11 PagesIntroduction: Elderly abuse is no longer the â€Å"quite as kept† family secret. Due to the economic pressures of families reuniting to make ends-meat and the medical treatment with improved diets, which adds to the length of life contributes to family stressors. These stresses may present themselves in the form of sexual, physical, psychological, emotional and fiscal abuse. This paper will give exposure to many known causes and treatment, analyze current and past data outlining the potential rise in abuse ofRead MoreElderly Abuse Issues1420 Words   |  6 PagesProtecting Canada’s Seniors Act, which increased awareness on the issues facing the elderly population of 65 years and above (Sibbal Holroyd-Leduc, 2012). This paper will examine three contemporary challenges facing the cohort, including elderly abuse, dementia, and polypharmacy, while preventative strategies and recommendations addressing these issues will be offered. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines abuse towards seniors as, a single, or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurringRead MoreEssay on Elderly Abuse1518 Words   |  7 Pagestreats the elderly with passion and love, but I now know that I was wrong. The elderly people have been treated just as badly, if not worse then, in Japan. How could this be? The elderly are so innocent, loving, and have nothing but care for most people. How could anyone harm such a loving soul? These questions are more than likely going through many minds as I am writing this paper. In the United States most of the abuse has came from nursing homes, but in Japan more than likely the abuse is comingRead MoreThe Treatment Of Elderly Abuse1520 Words   |  7 Pages Treatment of Elderly abuse The types of treatment available to the victims of abuse will vary depending on each individual situation and type of abuse received; some of the most common forms of abuse come in the form of verbal and mental abuse. According to Martin (2014) working with adult victims remains very unpopular therefore treatment present a challenge in the human services field, some of the recommended intervention strategies included but are not limited to are the following. 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The nurses there have simply ignored her requests for attention, or even worse, they mocked her for her pain and suffering. Our elders are a huge part of who we are today. They helped paved the road for our presentRead MoreSexual Elderly Abuse And Mistreatment1412 Words   |  6 Pages Sexual Elderly Abuse Mistreatment When I first started the research on sexual elderly abuse I know that it happens but didn’t know the extent of the finding until now how much emotional, physical, sexual, and financial mistreatment and potential neglect that our elderly endure. Elder sexual abuse is understudied and rarely understood. It is difficult to seek justice for elderly sexual abuse because the victims are over the age of 60 and frequently have medical conditions such as loss of memoryRead MoreA Shocking Case Of Elderly Abuse1250 Words   |  5 Pagessummer, local headlines read, Authorities raid Alzheimer’s personal care home and More Than a Dozen in Custody Following Elder Abuse Investigation. A shocking case of elderly abuse occurred in my own backyard; in a small town just minutes down the road. In the end, the owner and twenty employees of the Alzheimer s Care of Commerce were arrested. Some of the alleged abuse included patients being tied down with bed sheets, being double diapered so that they would not have to be changed as oftenRead MoreAnnotated Bibliography Elderly Abuse1476 Words   |  6 PagesRetrieved May 1, 2009. The author of this article, David McKie a CBC crew member describes the situation of nursing homes in Canada. He talks about abuse from the staff and from the seniors. This article specifically refers to two examples in Canada of this abuse and it also states that about seventy percent of nursing homes are a dumping place for elderly who are â€Å"mentally unstable†. McKie states that it is difficult to know exactly what is going on in nursing homes because the staff are aware whenRead MoreEssay on Elderly Abuse and Neglect1387 Words   |  6 PagesWhen discussing abuse and neglect we often think of children first. That being said, children are not the only ones who will be abused and/or neglected. In fact, this happens to some elderly as well. While some elderly may be productive enough to care for themselves, others are not. The end result is a complete (or close to complete) dependency on someone else for their needs. In addition, just like with children, this depend ency can lead to abuse and/or neglect. There has been an increase