Friday, January 24, 2020

The Effects of Transitional Bilingual Education On Elementary Level Min

The Effects of Transitional Bilingual Education On Elementary Level Minority Students Bilingual Education has been an increasingly controversial subject throughout education systems in America. The growing numbers of bilingual students in the country have provided much debate regarding the most effective way of instructing these students in traditional American schools. Perhaps one of the newest and fastest growing methods throughout the country has become "transitional bilingual education," a program which integrates the English language into these classroom by adding more English instruction throughout the course of the lesson. It has proved to be both beneficial to the students engaged into these programs as well as the teachers who administer it. Since, the issue of Bilingual education became relevant in the United States, people have argued over the need and effectiveness of such programs in American school systems. In 1939, Ohio became the first state to adopt a bilingual education law, authorizing German-English instruction at parents’ request. By the end of the nineteenth century, about a dozen states had passed similar laws. By the turn of the century, it was estimated that at least 600,000 primary school students were receiving part, or all, of their education in the German language, that equaled approximately four percent of American children in the elementary level. These numbers add up to be more students than those students enrolled in Spanish-English programs today. It seemed, at that time, that bilingual education was becoming more prominent and successful in the United States. However, once the country entered the first world war, these educational programs seemed to collapse dramatically. Fears about the ... ...ericdigests/ed435201.html> ERIC Clearinghouse on Languages and Linguistics Washington DC. (1992). Myths and Misconceptions about Second Language Learning. ERIC Digest. <http://www.ericfacility.net/ericdigests/ed350885.html> Escamilla, K. (1989). A Brief History of Bilingual Education in Spanish. ERIC Digest <http://www.ericfacility.net/ericdigests/ed308055.html.> Illinois State Board of Education. (1999). Transitional Bilingual Education and Transitional Program of Instruction Evaluation Report, Fiscal Year 1999. <http://www.isbe.state.il.us/research/99/bilingual.html> Krashen, S. (1997). Why Bilingual Education? ERIC Digest. <http://www.ericfacility.net/ericdigests/ed403101.htm> Short, D. (200). The ESL Standards: Bridging the Academic Gap for English Language Learners. ERIC Digest. <http://www.ericfacility.net/ericdigests/ed447728.html>

Thursday, January 16, 2020

How America’s Social Structure Causes Deviance

Although many people know that deviancy is apparent in American society, few realize that it is society itself that causes deviancy. Our social structure exerts numerous pressures among people in our society to engage in non-conforming and deviant behavior to achieve the American dream. American society does this by emphasizing certain success goals, and not emphasizing the correct means to achieve these goals. In addition, deviancy is reinforced in numerous elements of American social structure through culturally defined goals, institutionalized means, societal reactions, and various forms of sanctions. Further, American society has a strong emphasis on wealth and an unreasonable demand for success. Therefore, Americans are lead to forms of innovation, deviancy, and live in a state of anomie. First, we must examine the definitions of deviance and norms. Henry defines deviance as a person who goes against the standards, expectations, and norms of their society (lecture). Further, deviancy is thought of as a personal attribute or behavior that results in social disapproval from others, or behavior that breaks the rules and norms for that society(Social Deviance 5). Norms are rules of conduct, and each norm is a statement of desirable or undesirable behavior. Examples of desirable and undesirable states of being are messages like â€Å"don’t be too fat† and â€Å"don’t be too thin† (Social Deviance 5). In addition, norms are the shared expectations and evaluations of behavior or being that the majority of society’s members agree upon. Meier states that expectations refer to how people will act or be, and evaluations are how people should act or be (Social Deviance 5). These expectations and evaluations further reinforce the standards and expectations of our society. Some sociologists previously believed that deviance was caused by biology. Sociologists once believed that deviant people were â€Å"born bad†, and that heredity, genes, and a persons body chemistry were all common denominators in deviant people. Merton contradicts this theory by noting that: With the more recent advancement of social science, this set of conceptions has undergone basic modification. For one thing, it no longer appears so obvious that man is set against society in an unceasing war between biological impulse and social restraint. For another, sociological perspectives have increasingly entered into the analysis of behavior deviating from prescribed patterns of conduct. For whatever role the biological impulses, there still remains the further question of why it is that the frequency of deviant behavior varies within different social structure and how it happens that the deviations have different shapes and pattern in different social structures. (230) Now sociologists, such as Robert K. Merton, have new insight into the theory that deviancy is caused by the society in which we live, not biology or body chemistry. This theory of deviance is also backed up by the belief that American society leads an individual to want the American dream, but does not afford them with the means to achieve them (Fanning). As members of a society obsessed with television and media, we have pressures that reinforce the popular belief that material possessions and wealth are extremely important in American society. Therefore, it is reasonable to believe that if we can locate certain groups subject to the pressures of achieving the American dream, we should expect to find high rates of deviancy in its members. In addition, some social classes do not have equal opportunity to achieve goals. Due to discrimination, members of lower classes, and certain racial and ethnic minorities, all suffer from blocked opportunities. The stress and strain that results from blocked opportunities causes the individual to question the legitimacy of traditional and institutionalized means (Fanning). In effect, these members of society begin to think of other, often illegal, ways to succeed. Furthermore, when this occurs, respect for the traditionally accepted means of achieving goals crumble, norms weaken, and society is no longer able to regulate the methods its members use to obtain success. Therefore, high crime among lower classes can be attributed to the stresses caused by American society. If a person is born into a poor family, they might be forced to work while going to high school, and may not be able to focus on school work, like other classmates. Therefore, due to life chances, they might not have the opportunity to go to college due to bad grades or unaffordability. While constantly struggling to make ends meet, they decide to commit a crime to be able to have material possessions, since they believe that they will never be able to save up to buy anything through traditional work. This new social theory states that deviancy is people simply responding normally to the social situation in which they are in. Furthermore, Merton states that â€Å"some social structures exert definite pressures upon certain persons in the society to engage in nonconforming, rather than conforming conduct† (230). In addition, deviance varies culture to culture. What we consider to be deviant is different than what other societies consider deviant. Deviant definitions also change rapidly. American society used to think that women who wore short skirts, or smoked cigarettes were deviant. Now, the same acts are not considered to still be deviant. In addition, Merton notes that â€Å"some social structures exert a definite pressure upon certain persons in society† (230). American society is a perfect example of a society that exerts unreasonable pressures, and therefore leads some of its members to deviant behavior. This social theory is proven further by Merton’s theory of social structure. In American society, Merton believes that there are two elements of social structure; culturally defined goals, and institutionalized means. Culturally defined goals are integrated into society, involving various degrees of value and significance. Culturally defined goals are what society thinks its members should strive for, such as financial success. Institutionalized means are the regulations and norms that are the acceptable way of achieving the culturally defined goal (234). An example of a culturally defined goal is a good education, and a good job. Our society gives a strong social reaction to those who deviate its norms. Societal reactions embrace the ways in which society responds to the individuals, their acts, or suspected deviance. Forms of societal reactions are sanctions and formal sanctions. Sanctions are â€Å"punishments usually designed to control suspect or actual deviance† (Social Deviance 5). Formal sanctions are the punishments administered by the state or other form of legal authority. Examples of formal sanction are fines or imprisonment. Most often these formal sanctions have a negative stigma attached to them. Furthermore, sanctions are the ultimate measuring rod for identifying deviancy and deviant acts. An example would be a person given the formal sanction of a prison sentence being labeled a â€Å"ex-con†. Informal sanctions are sanctions from less official sources, such as family, peers and friends. Examples of informal sanctions are ridicule, peer disapproval, and criticism (Social Deviance 5). The next point to discuss is the common types of deviance that result from the pressures that American society puts on its members. Merton says that members of American society are sometimes forced to innovate to reach the goals society prescribes for them. First, goals are internalized and thought of as important, such as wanting a nice car, money, and a home. These people conform to the expectations society gives them, and therefore try to achieve the goals. The person who wants a car to be accepted in society, so they conform by going to college to get a good job, to be able to buy the car. The problem occurs when members want these things, but may not have access to them. Thus, this leads persons to have to innovate to achieve these goals (Merton 233). An innovator may be a person who is unable or unwilling to go to college to get a god job, so they rob a bank to be able to buy the home and car, and therefore can fit in to societies material demands. Deviancy is also caused by the numerous contradictions and variations American society has on what avenues are thought of as acceptable ways of achieving the goals. In addition, our society also has many double standards about what is seen as acceptable. Some cheat the system, but may be thought of as being crafty, or smart. On the other hand, some equally dishonest acts have punishments, and are looked down upon by members of our society. An example of this is when a business owner price fixes. Even thought the business owner is being exploitative, he is thought of as a business genius, and intelligent. People who cheat on their taxes, or get paid under the table are dishonest and using morally wrong ways of attaining money. However, these lawbreakers are not criticized, looked down upon, or thought of as criminals. An example of this double standard is when we find an illegal act with the absence of social disapproval. Without social disapproval, an illegal act is not considered to be truly deviant (Fanning). An everyday occurrence of this discrepancy is when someone is caught speeding. The act of speeding is illegal and punished with formal sanctions, such as fines, tickets, or license suspension, but is accepted in our society. We have police officers that are paid to regulate the highways, but no negative stigma attached to the act of speeding, or the punishment given by legal authority. The demand for success in American society is overwhelming. Success has become constructed as â€Å"winning the game† rather than â€Å"winning under the rules of the game. Through the same process, tension generated by the desire to win in a poker game is relieved by a successful dealing one’s self four aces, or when shuffling the cards in a game of solitaire. Merton states that â€Å"cultural (or idiosyncratic) exaggeration of the success – goals leads men to withdraw emotional support from the rules† (232-233). On the other hand, a person who robs a bank to attain money is labeled a criminal, and given punishments. People who mug, rob, and burglarize are feared and hated in our society, but cheaters, plagiarizers, and perjurers are not. These double standards create confusion, and lead members of our society to feel as if they are without guidance or clear morals. The next argument proving how American society causes deviance is due to American society putting too much emphasis on goals, and not enough value attached the correct means to achieve these goals. Merton states that â€Å"American culture continues to be characterized by a heavy emphasis on wealth as a basic symbol of success, without a corresponding emphasis upon the legitimate avenues on which to march toward this goal† (Social Structure 235). Due to this lack of clear guidance, strong social pressure to achieve, and inadequate ways to achieve the pressures society inflicts causes members to be deviant to attain acceptable status in our society. Merton further emphasizes that: Of the types of societies that result from independent variations of cultural goals and institutionalized means, we shall primarily be concerned with the first – a society in which there is an exceptionally strong emphasis upon specific goals without corresponding emphasis upon institutional procedures. No society lacks norms governing conduct. But societies do differ in the degree in which the folkways, mores, and institutional controls are effectively integrated with the goals which stand high in the hierarchy if cultural values. The culture may be such as to lead individuals to center their emotional convictions upon the complex of culturally acclaimed ends, with far less emotional support for the prescribed methods of reaching out to these ends. As this process continues, the society becomes unstable and there develops what Durkheim called â€Å"anomie,† or normlessness. Anomie is caused by a society without clear norms, such as American society. Being without institutionalized structure, expectations, and regulations, leads people to become disorientated. Capitalist societies, such as America, are perfect examples of anomic societies. Through ruthless competition and lack of morals and values, capitalists strive for money. Therefore, our social order becomes upset and people lose their way in pursuit of wealth without real regulation. In addition, money in our society is thought of as more important than honesty, morals, family, and happiness. As Merton states â€Å"in some large measure, money has been consecrated as a value in itself, over and above its expenditure for articles of consumption and or its use for enhancement of power. â€Å"Money† is a peculiarly well adapted to become a symbol of prestige† (233). Money can buy class, power and status, all of which are highly regarded in American society. Simmel emphasizes that money is highly abstract and impersonal. However acquired, fraudulently or institutionally, money can be used to purchase the same goods and services (Illuminating Social Life 84). Therefore, it doesn’t really matter how one gets money; it just matters that one has money. The next argument as to why American society leads its members to be deviant is because our society puts a tremendous emphasis on wealth and success. Merton states that the United States has three cultural axioms. The first axiom is that everyone should strive for the American dream, which are wealth, success and independence. The second axiom states that present failure is only a slight setback; third, the only real failure is personal failure, and the withdrawal of ambition (235). This social structure puts tremendous amounts of pressure on all individuals in American society. Our society looks down upon members who do not have wealth or success. Furthermore, there is a negative attitude towards people who do not wish to achieve the â€Å"American Dream. † Some members of our society are satisfied with what they have, and do not strive for raises, promotions, or anything greater. These people are thought of as lazy, lacking ambition and work ethic, and put down in our society for simply being content with what they have. In conclusion, many people think that money will solve all of their problems, and give them happiness. On the contrary, many wealthy people are miserable, and their money has created numerous problems for them. Merton notes that when he was an observer of a community in which the common annual was in the six figures. He witnessed one victim of the American Dream saying, â€Å"in this town, I’m snubbed socially because I only get a thousand a week. That hurts† (233). Competition among neighbors, community, co-workers, and club members is overwhelming. Even after achieving monetary success, it seems as is there is no stopping point to the amount of money some strive for. Merton states that â€Å"in the American Dream there is no final stopping point. The measure of â€Å"monetary success† is conveniently indefinite and relative† (232). No matter how much money one has, it is never enough. No one can be â€Å"too rich† in America. Durkheim states that â€Å"to pursue a goal that is unattainable is to condemn ones self to a state of perpetual unhappiness. Our passions must first be limited by a moral force† (Suicide 229). Since we put pressure on ourselves to reach unattainable goals, we are therefore always dissatisfied with our lives. These social pressures that are reinforced in almost every aspect of American society can further explain deviance. Merton states that: To say that the goal of monetary success is entrenched in American culture is to say that Americans are bombarded on every side by precepts which affirm the right or, often, the duty of retaining the goal even in the face of repeated frustration. Prestigeful representatives of the society reinforce the cultural emphasis. The family, the school, and the workplace- the major agencies shaping the personality structure and goal formation of America- join to provide the intensive discipline required if an individual is to retain intact a goal that remains elusively beyond reach. (233) One of the major agencies that shape young Americans morals and values is our education system. Our education system places great emphasis on grades, test scores, and grade point averages. It seems that achieving these things is more important than really learning and retaining information. Therefore, this leads to cheating on tests, bribing professors, and altering transcripts, and all of which are forms of dishonesty and deviance. Durkheim believes that once our society brings back morals and values we will begin to establish more acceptable and reinforced ways of achieving goals (Anomie 79). We must set achievable goals for ourselves and put more emphasis on attaining happiness, not monetary success.

Wednesday, January 8, 2020

Cosmetic Testing on Animal Essay - 702 Words

Cosmetic Testing on Animals Every year, millions of animals suffer and die in painful tests to determine the safety of cosmetics. Substances such as eye shadow and soap are tested on rabbits, rats, guinea pigs, dogs, and other animals, despite the fact that the test results don’t help prevent or treat human illness or injury. Cosmetics are not required to be tested on animals and since non-animal alternatives exist, it’s hard to understand why some companies still continue to conduct these tests. Cosmetic companies kill millions of animals every year to try to make a profit. According to the companies that perform these tests, they are done to establish the safety of a product and the ingredients. However, the Food and Drug†¦show more content†¦Acute toxicity tests, commonly called lethal dose or poisoning tests, determine the amount of a substance that will kill a percentage, even up to one-hundred percent, of a group of test animals. In these tests, a substance is forced by tube into the animals stomach or through holes cut in their throats. Experimenters observe the animals reactions which can include convulsions, labored breathing, malnutrition, skin eruptions, and bleeding from the eyes, nose, or mouth. The test was developed in 1927 and the testing continues until at least fifty percent of the animals die (usually takes 2-4 weeks). Like eye irritancy tests, lethal dose tests are unreliable and have too many variables to have a constant result. Skin irritancy tests are conducted on rabbits, guinea pigs and other animals. The process involves placing chemicals on the animals raw, shaved skin and covering the skin with adhesive plaster. The animals are immobilized in restraining devices to prevent them from struggling. Meanwhile, laboratory workers apply the chemicals which burn into the animals skin. Alternatives to cosmetic testing are less expensive and generally more reliable to perform. Animals have different biological systems than humans therefore the tests can’t be as accurate as the current tests. Some alternatives include cell cultures, tissue cultures, corneas from eye banks,Show MoreRelatedAnimal Testing For Cosmetic Products Essay2037 Words   |  9 Pagesbans on animal testing for cosmetic products in several countries, including India, Israel, Norway, the European union and mostly recently, New Zealand, the United states, Canada, and Australia are among the countries who have yet to ban this ethically wrong practice and allow it to occur. Animal testing can be dated back to the ancient times of the Greeks and Romans, but many people still believe that the old-fashioned practice of animal testing for cosmetics died years ago. Typically, animal testsRead MoreAnimal Testing For The Sake Of Cosmetics2007 Words   |  9 Pagesâ€Å"According to the view that an animal s moral claim is equivalent to a moral right, any action that fails to treat the animal as a being with inherent worth would violate that animal s right and is thus morally objectionable (Gruen).† This quote relates to a serious matter in that the use of animals in the testing of cosmetics is inhumane. Animal testing for the sake of cosmetics is a cruel, unethical and an unnecessary method of practice. There is debate among the companies in this practice (asRead MoreAnimal Testing On Cosmetics : Its Not Necessary1620 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"100,000-200,000 animals suffer and die just for cosmetics every year around the world.†(Humanesociety.org). Majority of these innocent animals ends up dying for no absolute reason at all also. Animal testing in cosmetics is a problem all around the world, but especially in the US. These animals need our help. Animal testing on cosmetics is nothing new in the US; animals have been getting tested on since the beginning of t ime. What’s different about cosmetics testing is that it’s not necessary. There’sRead MoreEssay on Cosmetics Testing on Animals, Is It Necessary?547 Words   |  3 PagesWhy should animals have to die, just for humans to have cosmetics? It is understandable if you want to cover up a scar on your face, but to just wear makeup because you think you need it, or because you feel like you cannot live without it, is ridiculous. Animals should not be dyeing for our insecurities on how we look, or on how society judges us. If society sees someone who is not Barbie or Ken perfect they judge us, so we put makeup on, it is not right for society to do that. Because of theirRead MoreThe Evils of Cosmetic Animal Testing Essay2159 Words   |  9 PagesA lot of people buy cosmetic products being ignorant to the fact that, that one product has killed a lot of animals. How would you like being sprayed with poisonous liquids, taking poisonous eye drops?, or being fed toxic subst ances? Cosmetic factories have been doing these inhumane things and more to innocent animals for years. According to PETA, every year, millions of animals are poisoned and killed in barbaric tests that were crudely developed as long ago as the 1920s to evaluate the toxicityRead MoreBanning Cosmetic Animal Testing Should Not Be Banned2375 Words   |  10 PagesBanning Cosmetic Animal Testing â€Å"If you want to test cosmetics, why do it on some poor animal who hasn t done anything? They should use prisoners who have been convicted of murder or rape instead. So, rather than seeing if perfume irritates a bunny rabbit s eye, they should throw it in Charles Manson s eyes and ask him if it hurts† (Ellen DeGeneres). Animal testing has been dated back to the Greeks in the 2nd and 4th centuries BCE, but cosmetic animal testing did not beginRead MoreCosmetic Testing On Animals And Animals1632 Words   |  7 Pages000,000 animals are killed annually throughout the United States (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). In America alone, over 11,000 research facilities partake in experimenting with cosmetic chemicals on animals (Collins). The number of animals used for cosmetic testing is alarming. Animals and humans differ from one another biologically in many significant ways. Statistics display irrefutably that cosmetic chemical preclinical testing on animals are unreliable. Animal testing is not onlyRead MoreCosmetic Animal Testing2215 Words   |  9 PagesMeadows English 101 4/1/2012 Cosmetic Animal Testing: Scientifically and Unethically Inaccurate Animal testing is still done by cosmetic companies even though it is unethical and scientifically inaccurate. The various tests carried out on animals is not a guarantee for using cosmetics on our skin since animals react differently to certain chemicals as compared to humans. Cosmetics companies kill millions of animals every year in pursuit of profit. The animals that suffer and die in these laboratoriesRead MoreAnimal Testing : Cosmetic Manufacturers1375 Words   |  6 PagesMany products that we use on a daily routine have been part of animal testing. Throughout the years this has become a problem that millions of people have been raising awareness for and trying to find a solution to end this cruel act. But is this enough? One of the most notorious users of animal testing is cosmetic manufacturers. Throughout the year s many cosmetic companies have been trying to transition into using cruelty-free products. For example, Marla Donato from the Chicago Tribune statesRead MoreAnima l Testing in Cosmetics Essay1033 Words   |  5 Pageshousehold items such as lotions, shampoos and cosmetics aren’t very expensive and are within reach for the public, yet the public is not knowledgeable of the fact that the products that they use everyday are put through a series of tests which involve the use of harmless animals. Several large commercial companies do not make products for animals; they decide that using these harmless creatures for the testing of their products, could be cause to be harmful to animals still go forward with these types of