The Negative Impact of High Stakes Standardized Testing Essay -- Stand

Standardized testing is not a new concept; it has been in use since the mid to late 1990’s. However the â€Å"high stakes† focus on standardized testing is. The practices that accompany standardized testing have long been in debate. Those in favor of standardized testing will argue that the testing creates a system that increases grades and accountability among teachers, students and school districts across the country. On the other hand those that oppose standardized testing will argue the ill effects that standardized testing can have on students, teachers, and schools. There are numerous ways in which standardized testing has gravely impacted education, some of which are high stress levels of students and teachers, the hindrance on educational instruction, high monetary costs of testing as well as inadvertent discrimination and bias. Senator Paul Wellstone of Minnesota stated â€Å"Far from improving education, high-stakes testing marks a major retreat from fairness , from accuracy, from quality and from equity.† High-stakes standardized testing greatly impacts the environment in which students learn. When such a huge emphasis is placed on these tests and scoring well on them, it often creates, in excess, unnecessary anxiety and stress. In Florida alone the number of different standardized tests given to students spanned across kindergarten through 12th grade has increased to over sixteen. Often students are faced with the harsh realization that not scoring well can mean the difference from a pass and fail grade. That kind of pressure can lead to a complete shutdown of their learning. Although students are heavily impacted by the pressure and anxiety that accompanies standardized testing, they are not the only ones. Teachers not unli... ...Child Left Behind has laudable goals, but it's too narrowly focused on just test scores, To just constantly boil everything down to standardized test scores doesn't tell the whole story.† - Catherine Sullivan Works Cited Kohn, Alfie. "Standardized Testing and Its Victims." Education Week. N.p., 27 Sept. 2000. Web. 15 Jan. 2015. Moon, Tonya R., Catherine M. Brighton, Jane M. Jarvis, and Catherine J. Hall. "State Standardized Testing Programs: Their Effects on Teachers and Students." The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented. University of Connecticut, 2007. Web. 05 Feb. 2015. Steinberg, Jacques. "NATION'S SCHOOLS STRUGGLING TO FIND ENOUGH PRINCIPALS." New York Times 03 Sept. 2000: n. pag. Web. 08 Feb. 2015. Strauss, Valerie. "How Standardized Tests Are Affecting Public Schools." Washington Post 18 May 2012: n. pag. Print.

Implementation Failures

Misti Whitehead HCS/483 Week 4 IT Project Implementation Failures Jason Koller January 7, 2013 Similarities As I circle the date on my calendar of May 26, I am reminded of what needs to be done to prepare for my son’s 5th birthday party. I go over the theme of the party and figure out what activities will be played. I think about who will be invited and how many gift bags I will make. I also pick the location of the party and figure out how much money I will spend on this special occasion, even though I usually spend more than what I’m budgeting for.I plan out what foods will be served and where I will be getting the birthday cake from. I brainstorm on if I will have it outside or inside and determine issues that may arise on that certain day. I communicate with my parents to see if they will blow the balloons up before the party and help us with set up of the party decorations. Like party planning the implementation process for health care IT systems take a great deal of preparing, brainstorming, planning, budgeting, and communication to successfully implement new IT systems in a health care organization. Implementation ProcessThe implementation process is essential when adopting a new IT system into your health care organization. â€Å"Selecting the right system does not ensure user acceptance and success; the system must also be incorporated effectively into the day-to-day operations of the health care organization and adequately supported or maintained† (Wager, Lee, & Glaser, 2009, â€Å"Implementation Process†). Activities of implementing the new system includes organizing a team and identifying a system champion that is in charge of determining expectations and scope of the project and figures out a project plan.The team plans what task need to be completed, how much money should be spent on this project, how to manage the project until completion. The system champion needs to understand and recognize the needs of the organizat ion and have a passion for the new system being implemented. They should be someone who is easy to get along with and have great communication skills. They should also be a good listener and critical thinker when issues arise. Determining the scope of the project is super important and it lays out why the system is needed and how it will change the organization.Once the goals of the project are agreed on the next step of the project is to plan. Project planning includes listing tasks, estimating how much time will be spent on tasks, the sequence and coordination of tasks, and who will be performing these tasks. Evaluating the completion and success of the project has to be arranged to ensure accuracy on the project. The next step is to brainstorm on how to integrate the new system into the organization, through workflow process analysis. Making sure everyone is on the same page is essential when collaborating.Communication between groups and projects is a part of that collaboration to ensure success. Changes and setbacks need to be communicated through different groups so that everyone is aware of what concerns and issues need to be addressed. Identifying the reason for the new system is extremely important to improve workflow in your organization. Installation of hardware, software, and networks is the next step along with creating a manual for all staff to review so they have support when they cannot figure out how to work the new system.Testing the system for bugs and effectiveness is another essential process of implementation. Training staff is next and helps to ensure their understanding and of the new IT system. Training allows the trainer to â€Å"introduce fundamental or basic concepts† (Wager, Lee, & Glaser, 2009, â€Å"System Implementation & Support†) needed to operate the new system. Failed Fundamental Activities There are high rates of implementation processes fail due to not following through, evaluating, communication, or planning .This case study that I reviewed failed to organize, evaluate, determine expectations, or establish a plan for the implementation process. They lacked organization and lacked the responsibility of taking on the project. Expectations for each task were not defined and time boundaries were not evaluated after being set. The indicators that I noticed for failure of the process were organization was not ready to implement a new system, there was too much conflict within the rganization, there were unclear and unorganized projects, no one was evaluating these tasks, and concerns and issues were dismissed when brought up. If this were my organization I would have defined tasks, set deadlines, had someone evaluating success of each task, and addressed all issues in a timely manner in order to complete the implementation of the new IT system and ensure it was under budget. References Wager, K. A. , Lee, F. W. , & Glaser, J. P. (2009). Healthcare information systems: A practical approach for health care management (2nd ed. ). Retrieved from www. phoenix. com.

Unfulfilled Dreams in Lorraine Hansberrys Raisin in the Sun

What happens to a dream when it suspends in time? Does it stay suspended within a man through his lifetime, dormant, unreachable, and far away? Does its power grow and ultimately force him to act to make it happen sometime in the future-if not in his lifetime then in the future members of his kin? On the other hand, does it eat away at him, crystallizing and internally segmenting his own derived purpose and meaning of life until it is indiscernible from its original state of grandeur and grace? Those are some of the questions that Lorraine Hansberry poses for consideration in her play, A Raisin in the Sun. It is no accident that she chose Langston Hughes poem as a gateway into the incredible experience of true life, living, dreaming and†¦show more content†¦It is because, on the one hand, her dream when she first moved into that place in Chicagos Southside to buy a house, fix it up, and make herself a little garden in the backyard didnt happen (Hansberry 45). Or, as she says , didnt none of it happen (Hansberry 45). She became too busy and occupied rearing her then-young family. For her, the initial plan with her husband to save and only stay in that apartment (if one can call it that) for no more than a year became nearly a lifetime (Hansberry 44-45). And, with that the hopeless social conditions that have forced them to defer their dreams until their own strength and pride help them struggle toward opportunity, as Diana Marre says in her essay on Lorainne Hansberry (Lorainne Hansberry 453). As like the once loved pattern of the couch upholstery that now fights to show itself from under acres of crocheted doilies and couch covers [...], she now struggles to keep her dream from drying up after now experiencing acres of lifes burdens and tribulations (Hansberry 23). In many respects, it is too late in her life to enjoy the house that she has purchased because she is nearing old age and death; the youth she once had is a distant past. Yet at the same time , and on the other hand, her shared subtler and greater dream with her husband of providing a better way of life and living for her family fills and moistens. Despite she and her family beingShow MoreRelatedEssay on Follow Your Dreams1914 Words   |  8 PagesDreams are aspirations that reflect a human’s wants and desires in life. They are a fundamental element that drives human beings to achieve the impossible. Dreams have the ability to motivate oneself to set goals and ideals for the future. Each person in some part of their life has had desires that they would like to accomplish. Without these desires, there is nothing to motivate one’s actions and attitude. However, most people believe that satisfaction only exists once a dream is achieved. LouisaRead MoreRacial Injustice in A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry and Sonny’s Blues, by James Baldwin1494 Words   |  6 PagesI have a dream that one day little black boys and girls will be holding hands with little white boys and girls. by Martin Luther King Jr, the dream that is still unfulfilled. White supremacy, black inferiority, Jim Crow law, segregation, racial terror, and racial inequality are the most common topics of American history. The quote of Martin Luther King Jr asserts the truth that racial injustice was in the vein of the American dream. He hopes someday that injustice, the view that African AmericansRead More Stereotypes and Identity in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun3301 Words   |  14 Pagesdiscusses the idea of unfulfilled dreams and their plausible outcomes using symbolism and imagery. He initially describes a â€Å"deferred† dream as a sun-dried raisin, depicting the dream originally as a fresh grape that now has dried up and â€Å"turned black† (Jemie 63). This idea provides Lorraine Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun with its basic foundation, for it is a play about a house full of unfulfilled dreams. As the poem go es on, Hughes depicts the idea of a deferred dream as something rotten orRead MoreDreams Deferred in Lorraine Hansberrys A Raisin in the Sun736 Words   |  3 Pages Lorraine Hansberry’s classic play, A Raisin in the Sun, culls its title from the infamous poem â€Å"Dream Deferred† by Langston Hughes, and both works discuss what happens to a person when their dreams -- their hopes, their aspirations, their lives -- are endlessly put on hold. 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Scott Fitzgerald and A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, the idea of the American Dream is portrayed evidently. The American Dream is the ideal that every US citizenRead More Lorraine Hansberrys A Raisin In The Sun Essay3889 Words   |  16 PagesLorraine Hansberrys A Raisin In The Sun A dream deferred is a dream put off to another time, much like this essay. But unlike dreams sometimes, this essay will get fulfilled and done with. Each character from A Raisin in the Sun had a deferred dream, even little Travis although his dream was not directly stated.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Their dreams become dried up like a raisin in the sun. Not just dreams are dried up though; Walter Lee and Ruth’s marriage became dried up also. Their marriage was no longer

Analyzing The Categories Of Food Oriented Retailers Using...

Introduction Food-retailing constitutes of various categories when classified using the width and depth assortment classification system. This classification system focuses on the product lines of the food-store. The conventional supermarkets have been facing challenges because of the constant growth of combination stores and the superstore stores. This presents a need for the conventional market to devise ways which will enable them to face this competition. Additionally, it is imperative for a supermarket retailer to estimate the level of market saturation of a particular location before moving into that area. Various ways of evaluating this level exist. This paper will, therefore, analyze the categories of some food-oriented retailers using the width and depth assortment classification system. It will also assess the consequences of the growth of the combination stores and food-based superstores on the conventional supermarket while providing ways which will enable the conventional supermarket to remain competitive in the market. And finally, the ways that a supermarket retailer can estimate the level of market saturation of a location will be evaluated. Part A: Box or the Limited Line Store Box or limited line stores such Aldi, have a focus on a small range of item selection and limited manufacturer brands. 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Adolescent Desires in Where Are You Going, Where Have You...

Connie is like the average American girl who has just hit adolescence. She cant seem to walk past a mirror without examining herself in it first, she is at war with her mother, and thinks about boys round-the-clock. It is a hot summer in the sixties and many teens have little to do so they spend their time out and about at the local shops. The high temperatures send Connie and her friends to do the same. One night while in the street a random man makes a comment towards Connie and she thinks nothing of it. Days later, while alone in her family home the same man shows up at her door. He asks her to join him but she refuses. After a few brash threats she complies and joins the strange man for a ride in his gold car. In the short story, Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? by author Joyce Carol Oates the protagonist Connie is conflicted by her desires, adolescent females from all decades can relate to the desires synonymous with adulthood. In the present day many adolescence fall victim when experiencing adolescent desires for attention, some excitement, and the ideas of freedom. When Connie first opens her front door to the familiar stranger it seems innocentÍ ¾ a man pursuing his crush. After a few minutes of chatting Connie realizes that the stranger, named Arnold Friend, is much older than her. Arnold use the fact that she is young to manipulate her, and he â€Å"insinuates himself into her thinking, attempting to persuade her that hes her lover.†. He is trying to beShow MoreRelated Critical Analysis of Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?857 Words   |  4 PagesIn Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? the author, Joyce Carol Oates, essentially asserts that the nuances of ones personality are not generated from within, but rather shaped by external circumstances. This is an argument whose justification is abundantly clear in the inner conflict of Connie, the protagonist of the book. 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Connie is a troubled teen who finds herself the center a man, Arnold Friend. He first meets her when she went to a drive in restaurant with her friends. On sunday arnold came to her house an d tried to get her to take a ride with him. As she became scared and tried to get him to go away, heRead MoreWhere Are You Going? Where Have You Been?2044 Words   |  9 Pagesstory â€Å"Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?† both characters, Connie and Arnold, suffer from having dual identities. Connie is an individual who acts completely different outside her home, where she tries to portray an image of being sexually appealing. However, she is the complete opposite within her home, where she hides her sexuality and acts more like the adolescent she really is. Arnold is a mature man, something Connie is looking for in life and this intrigues her. 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Jimmy quickly realizes thathe must bend to his mother’s moods and learns to find ways of getting her attention.More than anything, he seeks to get any reaction out of her, even if it is negative.Jimmy’s common adolescent attention-getting behavior underscores his mother’sneglectful parenting style, eliciting readers’ sympathy for Jimmy. Jimmy mourns his mother throughout the rest of the novel. At first, his feelingsconfuse him because his mother was not typicallyRead MoreFundamentals of Hrm263904 Words   |  1056 Pagesmultiple study paths, to self-assessment, to a wealth of interactive visual and audio resources, WileyPLUS gives you everything you need to personalize the teaching and learning experience.  » F i n d o u t h ow t o M A K E I T YO U R S  » www.wileyplus.com ALL THE HELP, RESOURCES, AND PERSONAL SUPPORT YOU AND YOUR STUDENTS NEED! 2-Minute Tutorials and all of the resources you your students need to get started www.wileyplus.com/firstday Student support from an experienced student user

Homelessness in Canada-Free-Sample for Students-Myassignmenthelp

Questions: Write a paper that discusses the relationship between private property, homelessness, and human rights. Specifically, what is the relationship between market forces, government regulation, and the courts when it comes to the right to adequate housing? Answers: Introduction The global economy and social patterns have experienced huge dynamics with time and have changed significantly with respect to economic growth, development, and social welfare parameters. Over the years, few countries have emerged as prominent players in the global economy and have shown significantly impressive traits in terms of progress in economic, social, political as well as human welfare domains. Canada has been one such country (Schneider pp. 5-7). In the recent few decades, Canada has shown significant progress in the overall framework and currently ranks tenth in the world in terms of nominal GDP. The real estate industry being the most dominant sector, the country also is one of the largest exporters of natural gas and petroleum on one hand and also has a flourishing manufacturing sector on the other hand (Gilpin). However, the country, in the last few decades has been experiencing a critical issue of lack of affordable housing facilities and a resulting problem of homelessness. Much of this can be attributed to the economic prosperity of the country and a consequent increase in the population as well as standard of living of the residents of the country in general, which in turn has lead to increase in the demand for housing (Gaetz, Gulliver and Richter). The essay tries to shed light on this issue of immense concern in the scenario of Canada, emphasizing on the aspects of government regulation, market forces and the legal framework in the domain of adequate housing. Homelessness in Canada One of the primary social issues faced by the governing authorities of Canada is the consistently increasing problem of homelessness in the country. According to the empirical evidences, in the current periods, more than 200,000 residents in the country have to face homelessness and at least 150,000 of the residents are compelled to use homeless shelters at any given point of time (Patrick). There is also another complicated phenomenon occurring in this country, which can be termed as Hidden Homelessness. This, by the definition of the term, refers to those Canadians who cannot afford to have their own homes and have to stay with their relatives or friends. In this aspect it is important to emphasize on the statistics regarding the homelessness in the country which is elaborated in the following section (Crawley et al. pp. 674-680). Degree of homelessness Homelessness being one of the most chronic problems in the country as a whole, the problem is however, more acute in case of certain sectors of the population, specifically in case of single adults lying in the age group of 25 to 55 years, who account for nearly 47.5% of the total homelessness in the country. 20% of all the homeless people in the country comprises of youth, with the problem being more acute in the cases of transgender and different sexually oriented people. The aboriginals of the country are also highly vulnerable to this issue of homelessness, with their problem expanding even more with time (Evenson and Carolann). Homelessness in the country, however, is of different types, depending upon the nature, tenure and extent of homelessness, which, with respect to the scenario in Canada, can be elaborated as follows: Chronic Homelessness- This type of homelessness refers to the problem of long term lack of shelter, which accounts for homelessness of nearly 4000 to 8000 people in the country. Episodic Homelessness- The residents in the country who move in and out of the shelters in the country multiple times in a year, which comprises of nearly 6000 to 22000 people in the country (Gaetz et al.). Transitional Homelessness- In general, transitional homelessness is a type of short-term homelessness in which the people stay homeless for less than a month. This type of homelessness comprises of the biggest share of the homeless population in the country (176,000 to 188,000). Causes of homelessness in Canada As can be seen from the above discussion, homelessness is one of the most acute crises of concern in the country. Canada being one of the most prospering nations in the world, the problem of homelessness comes as a huge concern for the governing authorities of the country (Sylvestre and Bellot). There may be various causes for the continuous and persistent problem of homelessness in Canada, the significant ones being discussed in the following sections: a) Poverty- One of the main contributing factors, which result in the increase in the homelessness in the country, is the presence of poverty in the country, which in turn results in lack of affordability of housing in the country. The magnitude of this problem has increased even more, in the recent years, with the country progressing hugely in terms of economic growth, which in contributed in making the country a lucrative place for staying in terms of employment opportunities, higher standard of living and others (Saddichha et al.). This has resulted in even higher demand for housing, thereby making housing even less affordable. b) Lack of supply- Along with the presence of a higher demand in the housing market of the country already, the lack of supply of affordable housing in Canada has aggravated the crisis even more. Due to the presence of excess demand in the market, the supplies of housing, especially the private sector profit-maximizing ones have increased the price of their housing facilities, which in turn has contributed significantly to the already existing problems of homelessness in the country. c) Increase in inflow of new immigrants- One of the primary reasons behind the increase in the problem of homelessness in the country can be the recent trend of increased immigration in the country from other parts of the world. Canada, in the last few years, have developed immensely in terms of economic and industrial aspects and the country currently boasts of its robust industrial, service and export sectors, which in turn attracts a lot of potential workers from all over the world, for a better standard of living. Apart from the employment sector, the education sector of the country is also one of the primary attractions in the country. Canada has some of the finest universities in the world, which attracts huge number of students from across the country, which in turn increases the demand for housing in the country, thereby increasing their prices. d) Drug and alcohol abuse- One of the contributing reasons behind homelessness in the country, which is very subjective to Canada itself is the presence of the problem of drug, substance and alcohol abuse, which is typically high in the country and is itself separately a cause of concern for the governing authorities of Canada. The problem of drug and alcohol abuse, brings the problem of domestic violence and separation from family which in turn increases the problem of acuteness in the country. e) System failure- The problems of homelessness is not restricted to the demand side only. There is also presence of system failure in the country, which increase the vulnerability of homelessness in the country. The system failures in the residential sector of the country includes lack of supports for the immigrants and the refugees, inappropriate planning for those with mental health issues and addiction to substances and drugs and others. The government of the country, apart from this, has also failed to prevent the illegal activities of tax evasion and political lobbying by the influential classes, which in turn has made the magnitude of the crisis even high (Embleton et al. pp. 435-444). f) Housing investments- In the recent periods, housing facilities are also seen as an alternative and fruitful investment opportunity for the investors as well as households in the country. This in turn has led to the practice of the upper income Canadians to invest in this sector, thereby decreasing the availability and affordability of the middle and lower class even more (Spinello pp. 12-22). Apart from the above-mentioned factors, there also remain other contributing reasons, which cumulatively cause the current problem of homelessness in Canada, in the recent years. Right to Adequate Housing in Canada In Canada, with overall high progress in the economy, the government of the country works effectively as a whole in the domain of social welfare of the residents of the country and has a robust framework of public policies, in order to increase the overall welfare of the people living in the country. In this aspect, adequate housing, in terms of international law, can be defined as the right of the citizens of the country, especially the women, men, children and youth to receive a peaceful residential facility in the community (Norman and Pauly pp. 136-151). In this context, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, along with the protection of other economic and social privileges of the citizens, is also bestowed with the responsibility of ensuring the right of adequate housing of the citizens in the country. The Article 11, especially focuses on this aspect and on the continuous improvement of the living conditions of the people. The Human Rights Declaration also focuses on the same rights in their Article 25(1) (Hovenkamp). However, in the domain of adequate housing, apart from just providing the facility of housing to the residents, there also are certain facilities, which are included: Tenure Security- The residents need protection from forced eviction, intimidations and harassments (Gold pp. 185-198) Availability of infrastructure- The presence of only a physical structure is not sufficient. Under adequate housing, the provisions of safe drinking water, sanitation, electricity and other emergency services should also be made available Affordability- The housing should be available at affordable prices for all strata in the society Location- Adequate housing should be provided to the citizens at convenient locations so as to make working and doing other regular daily activities. However, in spite of the presence of legal framework for facilitating adequate housing in the country, for the residents of the concerned country, irrespective of their income level, affordability and social status, there exists huge lack of housing facilities in the country. This is especially true in case of the middle and lowers income classes as well as the immigrants as well as the refugees in the country, for whom finding a housing matching their requirement as well as their purchasing power (Taylor pp. 255-273). Potential Measures to prevent homelessness in Canada As can be asserted from the above discussion, homelessness is one of the primary issues of concern in Canada and the problem has been continuously increasing with time and increase in the population in the country. The government of Canada has taken considerable steps in this regard to facilitate affordable housings for the residents of the country. However, in spite of these policies, there remains sufficient lack in this aspect, for which the following steps can be taken by the concerned governing authorities: a) Limiting foreign ownership of local lands- One of the main way of increasing housing facilities for the residents of the country is to restrict the buying of land in the country by the foreign individuals for non-residential purpose and restricting this facility to only those who live in the country and are tax payers in Canada only (Daly). b) Restricting tax evasion- The problem of tax evasion is one of the chronic issues in this sector of the country, which in turn illegally helps a sector of the population to acquire residential facilities, depriving a large section of the population. This problem can be mitigated to a considerable extent by implementation of stricter tax policies in this aspect (Waldbrook). c) Housing first strategy- Housing sector has to be prioritized by the governing authorities. Provision of homes should be kept even before drug addiction and mental health problems (Gaetz, Scott and Gulliver). d) Increasing supply of affordable housing- The shortages of affordable housing can be decreased to a considerable extent by the municipality and the governing authorities by increasing the supply of the same and making them more affordable to the residents. Conclusion From the above discussion, it can be concluded that though Canada has emerged as one of the influential economies in the world, however, the economy is still struggling in several aspects, one f which is the increasing issue of homelessness of the residents of the country. Though the government of the country has taken impressive steps to combat the situation, there remain scopes of improvement in this aspect, which if properly implemented and planned can reduce the problem of homelessness in Canada to a considerable extent. References Crawley, J., et al. "Needs of the hidden homelessno longer hidden: a pilot study."Public Health127.7 (2013): 674-680. Daly, Gerald.Homeless: Policies, strategies and lives on the streets. Routledge, 2013. Embleton, Lonnie, et al. "Causes of child and youth homelessness in developed and developing countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis."JAMA pediatrics170.5 (2016): 435-444. Evenson, Jeff, and Carolann Barr. "Youth Homelessness in Canada." (2013). Gaetz, Stephen, et al. "Youth homelessness in Canada: Implications for policy and practice." (2013). Gaetz, Stephen, Fiona Scott, and Tanya Gulliver. "Housing First in Canada: Supporting communities to end homelessness." (2013). Gaetz, Stephen, Tanya Gulliver, and Tim Richter.The state of homelessness in Canada 2014. Canadian Homelessness Research Network, 2014. Gilpin, Robert.The political economy of international relations. Princeton University Press, 2016. Gold, E. Richard. "Patents and human rights: A heterodox analysis."The Journal of Law, Medicine Ethics41.1 (2013): 185-198. Hovenkamp, Herbert.IP and antitrust: an analysis of antitrust principles applied to intellectual property law. Vol. 1. Wolters Kluwer Law Business, 2016. Norman, Trudy, and Bernadette Pauly. "Including people who experience homelessness: A scoping review of the literature."International journal of sociology and social policy33.3/4 (2013): 136-151. Patrick, Caryl.Aboriginal homelessness in Canada: A literature review. Canadian Homelessness Research Network, 2014. Saddichha, Sahoo, et al. "Homeless and incarcerated: An epidemiological study from Canada."International Journal of Social Psychiatry60.8 (2014): 795-800. Schneider, Friedrich. "Size and development of the shadow economy of 31 European and 5 other OECD countries from 2003 to 2013: a further decline."Johannes Kepler Universitt, Linz(2013): 5-7. Spinello, Richard A. "Intellectual property rights."Library hi tech25.1 (2007): 12-22. Sylvestre, Marie-Eve, and Cline Bellot. "Challenging discriminatory and punitive responses to homelessness in Canada." (2014). Taylor, Susannah. "Structural violence, oppression, and the place-based marginality of homelessness."Canadian Social Work Review/Revue canadienne de service social(2013): 255-273. Waldbrook, Natalie. "Exploring opportunities for healthy aging among older persons with a history of homelessness in Toronto, Canada."Social Science Medicine128 (2015): 126-133.

The use and importance of official crime statistics Research Paper Example

The use and importance of official crime statistics Paper This paper will consider which activities are officially counted as crime and feature in the official crime statistics, opening with a view as to why some activities do, whilst others, quite clearly and equally criminal, do not figure amongst these official statistics. This approach acknowledges that not all crimes, for whatever reasons, are reported to or acted upon by the police. We will consider serious and dangerous activities that some may deem equally criminal but which never find their way into the official statistics as a result of what Steven Box identifies as ideological mystification. Having examined this paradoxical situation, we will consider the futility of using crime statistics in the tracking of crimes, and in the implementation of measures against them. Before addressing this question, it would be helpful to be aware of what official criminal statistics represent in reality, and what they can actually tell us. Given this understanding, it seems that we can never be completely sure that the data, which represent certain activities as crime, fully reflects the true extent to which crime is being committed. There are many variables that need to be taken account of, such as the number of pursuits legally counted as crimes that are actually being reported to, and recorded by, the police. The most important issue here is the requirement for consistency in recording; yet the discretion that we know to be open to, and exercised by, the police affords them the freedom to manipulate the records in order to suit some hidden agenda or ulterior motive (e. g. he need for the police to meet Key Performance Indicators; or attempts to show crime as being higher or lower than the figures would in actual fact suggest), thus allowing the statistics to be constructed in such a way as to mislead and misinform politicians and the general public about the level of crime in our society. We will write a custom essay sample on The use and importance of official crime statistics specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The use and importance of official crime statistics specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The use and importance of official crime statistics specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Therefore, if we do not have a clear picture from true and accurate statistics, it would appear to be futile to rely on these for the purposes of tracking crime or, indeed, in applying the measures taken against it. The dark figure of crime (unrecorded crimes) is not represented within the official criminal statistics. These unrecorded crimes can include anything from the pilfering of property in the workplace, to vandalism and the violent abuse of women and children within the home, (Muncie, J. 1998). These are crimes more usually picked up in self-reports or victimisation studies conducted by the British Crime Study (BCS) and which can be said to illustrate something of the disparity existent between the official statistics and peoples life experience of crimes. In 1982 and 1984, the BCS suggested that only about half of known crime is reported to the police. Since this is the case, and given the fact that very little is known about the bulk of criminal activity in Britain, the official crime statistics are far from representative of the reality of crime in Britain and so are of very little use in informing policy measures taken against it; although it could be argued that they may be of some use to certain politicians wishing to embark upon a law and order campaign. It could also be argued that these statistics may be used to point the finger at certain sections of the populace for purely political reasons. Steven Box (1981), poses the powerful argument, for example, that criminal laws are little more than ideological constructions representing the interests of an influential ruling elite. Box argues that laws tend to focus on those victimizing behaviours that are considered more serious and given greater prominence in the public perception, as constituting the most serious of social problems and deserving of no less serious responses. Crimes such as murder, rape, robbery and burglary are clearly reflected within the official crime statistics as perpetrated by predominantly young men of low socio-economic status. Amongst these, the uneducated, unemployed and ethnic minorities are over-represented and form the bulk of the prison population. This apparently tells us that particular sections of the populace are the most likely perpetrators of crime and criminal activity within society. However, statistics such as these do not tell us that, as Box indicates, far more serious crimes and criminality occur on a regular basis yet go unnoticed. A large number of these offences are crimes committed by the rich and powerful, which are carried out on the relatively powerless; real people who suffer avoidable death and serious injury for want of the proper implementation of current health and safety regulations at work and elsewhere. Criminal law also excludes from protection consumers who have been sold faulty products through the malpractices of manufacturers, or shareholders that incur losses resulting from the deliberate mismanagement of a company by its directors or senior management. (Box, 1981). Thus, the official criminal statistics would appear actually to hide the crimes of the more powerful, wealthy and privileged individuals within society whilst simultaneously serving to overemphasize and overstate those criminal activities of the weak. This effectively distorts and renders unreliable the official picture of crime as portrayed by the state. In relation to our question, it would appear then that the official crime statistics are far from representative of the true extent and reality of crime in our society, and although the vast majority of people wish to be protected from the very real crimes featured in the official statistics, they are notoriously unreliable indicators of the incidence of crime or, indeed, of the types of crime being committed in contemporary Britain. Therefore, the remainder of the question seems to be a fruitless pursuit unless we wish to advocate various conspiracy theories and speak in terms of the official crime statistics serving purposes such as controlling targeted sections of the populace by tracking their particular activities and informing the measures taken in combating these, whilst simultaneously serving to cover up the crimes of the rich and powerful elite and distract attention from their activities. In point of fact, that line of argument would result in the assertion that the official crime statistics actually serve to help maintain this particular, current, status quo.