Functionalist Look At Society As A Whole Criminology Essay

Functionalist Look At Society As A Whole Criminology Essay Emile Durkheim, the founder of functionalism argued that a certain amount of crime in any society is inevitable. Durkheim thought that it was an integral part of all healthy societies. Durkheim thought this because not everyone has the same collective values and moral beliefs in society. Durkheim also believed that crime and deviance could be positive in society as this can help reinforce the ideas of right and wrong. The problem with deviance arises when the level of crime becomes too big, this then can threaten the stability of a society. Durkheim thought that deviance acted as a catalyst for social change, change can happen but you need change the perception, what we once thought was a deviant act is now acceptable. This is how a society can evolve, which Durkheim considered as healthy. Durkheim also thought that if crime was too low in a society it was unhealthy, this was because such societies remained static and their social attitudes remained unchallenged. Anomie was a concept devised by Durkheim; Merton further developed this. Durkheims concept of anomie explained how societies undergoing social change also experience some confusion over what the society considered right or wrong behaviour. The confusion should not be viewed as negative, as new ideas are paramount for a society as they are considered the life-blood. (socialscience, 2012) There are positive functions to crime as crime can reaffirm boundaries as when crimes are committed, they are normally publicised. This then confirms our shared values for society for example; we learn the appropriate behaviour by seeing the inappropriate behaviour punished. Tragedy or loss can also help to bring societies together it can help mend social or cultural divisions, and help strengthen our sense of belonging in the community. Cohen a prominent American criminologist believed that deviance acted as a safety valve for society, Cohen believed that releasing small amounts of anger and tension prevented the build-up of greater frustrations. This then could cause major problems in society. Cohen also believed that deviant acts could help to alert society that certain aspects of it are not working properly. Another positive aspect to crime is social progression, this happens when the people of today challenge the norms and values of society as they want to help build a better future, as a result todays deviants could be tomorrows innovators. Here is an example of how crime can change society, March 2012, when gay 24-year-old man called Daniel Zamudio was beaten so severely, this was after having swastikas carved into his skin that he died in hospital three weeks later. The brutal murder shocked Chileans and spurred the Chilean government to fast-track LGBT antidiscrimination legislation. (advocate, 2013) Crime and deviance can also create employment, if there was no deviant behaviour we would not have any police, courts or prisons, therefore Durkheim was correct is thinking that crime has a positive factor on society. Some of Durkheims theories do have a negative function to crime and deviance, especially as functionalists believe that society is based on the value consensus. In certain situations e.g. major social upheaval, the social norms and values can become confused. This is when people are not sure on how to behave or what to believe, this happens when people are freed from social control, become selfish and only look after their own interests. When anomie occurs, the crime rates soar. Downes Rock (1998) thought functionalists who refer to Durkheims work failed to consider the impact that crime and deviance had on society, especially the victims of crime. They also thought that crime maybe functional but at what cost. Robert K Merton was also inspired by Durkheims theory of anomie; Merton applied his theory to American society in the 1930s. Merton tried to explain why young working class men were most prominent in the crime statistics. This is where Merton developed the strain theory (also known as Mertonian Anomie). Merton suggested that culture, especially the United States of America was saturated with dreams of opportunity, freedom and prosperity or as Merton described it the American Dream. Most people bought into this dream and it became a very powerful cultural and psychological motivation. Merton identified five possible responses to his strain theory conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism and rebellion. Therefore, as many people responded to strain through innovation or rebellion, the nature of American dream actually created crime and deviance. Although Mertons explanation of the strain theory answers some questions to crime, it does not answer them all like crimes that are not for personal game e.g. vandalism. Mertons description on anomie was different to Durkheims. Merton thought that anomie meant dichotomy (a division) between what society expected of its citizens and what those citizens could achieve. If the social structure of opportunities is unequal, this will prevent the majority from realising the dream, this then means that some of them will turn to crime in order to realise it. Travis Hirschi (1969) realised that most sociological theories tried to explain why people committed crime; Hirschi decided that he would look at why most of society do not commit crime. His theory was called the social bond theory, which later developed into the social control theory. This theory historically has been an interesting way in approaching social problems and how they are explained, the social bond theory emphasises on the fact that there is an absence of social attachments among juvenile delinquents. Hirschi thought that One of the most critical times in our lives is adolescence, during this critical time we need strong positive social ties. On the other hand, if the ties we share in our lives are negative and criminal-like it is most likely that negative results will occur. Hirschi believed there were four basic elements to the social bond theory they are attachment, commitment, involvement and belief. Attachment is described as the level of values and or norms that an individual holds in society. Commitment the personal investments we have in our lives, involvement the amount of free time we have and belief our commitment to the rules and goals of our society, Hirschi thought the greater our bonds of attachment the lower the level of crime. In conclusion, functionalist accept the official statistics without any question, therefore functionalist see crimes are committed by the working class, and they have ignored corporate or white collar crime. They also do not take into consideration the thoughts or feelings of deviants, they assume that all working class people respond to society in the same way and everyone shares exactly the same cultural goals. (criminology, 2012) Karl Marx, the founder of Marxism saw crime and deviance as the ruling class (bourgeoisie) keeping social control over the working class (proletariat) if you did not conform you would be punished. Marx believed that Institutions such as the police, the justice system, prisons and schools are there to encourage you to conform. Marxists argue that white-collar crimes, which tend to be committed by the bourgeoisie are ignored, while crimes committed by the proletariat such as burglary and street crime are seen as more serious. Marxists also argued that different social classes are policed differently, with the working class heavily policed in the expectation that they will be more criminal. Marxists such as Milton Mankoff, Frank Pearce and Laureen Snider see power as largely being held by the bourgeoisie who own the means of production. Marxists believe the laws reflect the interests of the bourgeoisie. They are then passed by a bourgeois parliament, then enforced by the Police and supported by right-wing sections of an increasingly powerful media. Marxists also argue that crime is widespread in all social strata, Snider (1993) said, many of the most serious anti-social and predatory acts committed in modern industrial countries are corporate crimes. Snider also said corporate crime does more harm than the street crimes, such as burglary, robbery and murder which are usually seen as the most serious types of crime. (historylearningsite, 2012) The corporate crime Snider referred to included examples such as the Zeebruge ferry disaster and the Hatfield train crash, the enquiries found that the companies had put profit before safety. In the UK, the crime of corporate manslaughter was introduced. This was to cover such events with boards of directors being put in the firing line if similar tragedies occurred again. David Gordon (1976) stated that the values of capitalism encouraged crime in all of the social classes, the frustration of being on the bottom rung of the ladder encourages crimes like violence, sex and drugs and vandalism. Does capitalism cause crime? Possibly not, because crime is still present in communist societies , and some capitalist countries like Switzerland have a very low crime rate. It is also very unlikely that working class crime can be the cause of resistance and rebellion, most of the victims of working class crime are in fact working class themselves. Other aspects of this argument could be that some would say the working class criminals are making excuses for the behaviour, by showing a Robin Hood type of example. It is very unlikely that the law favours the bourgeoisie, as there are some laws that favour the proletariats for example welfare laws. Pierce (1976) had views on corporate crime, he said, Prosecutions for corporate crime are rare otherwise, society would have to rethink its view that crime is a working class pursuit, which would create a crisis for the ruling classes. In addition, are illegal and immoral practices normal under capitalism? Some of the lowest paid jobs with the most appalling working conditions are under communist regimes. (moodle, 2013) Internationalism is the second major sociological perspective after functionalism. Internationalism considers three things Phenomenology, Symbolic Interaction and Ethnomethodology. Interactionists focus on the way that individuals act rather than react to social stimulation, and the way in which different social groups interpret the behaviour of others is significant, as this helps to understand the way the world is socially constructed. An example of social construction would be, imagine you are sitting at a set of traffic lights, a car drives straight through the red lights. You could interpret that behaviour as wrong and illegal. However under the same circumstances, if the car went through the red light with blue flashing lights and a siren you could consider that as understandable. Howard Becker (1973) said, Social groups create deviance by making the rules whose infraction constitutes deviance, and by applying those rules to particular people and labelling them as outsidersthe deviant is one to whom that label has successfully been applied. Labelling is a social judgement and is based on social reaction, the labels that we give people can define their future, and this is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Unfortunately the people that we label can become social outsiders. Therefore, labelling can be considered as social constructed. Becker developed his theory of labelling in 1963 in a book called the outsiders, Becker studied the theory during a period of social and political power at a college campus. Becker adjusted Lemerts labelling theory and its symbolic interaction background during this liberal movement. (moodle, 2013) Beckers labelling theory had five stages, the first stage was where an individual was labelled as deviant, and the second stage is where the deviant is then rejected by their family, friends and employers. Next, because the individual has been rejected they return to the deviant behaviour, this is the start of their criminal career. Fourth the individual then looks for social acceptance, this normally will be by a deviant group, and fifth a deviant subculture develops. Beckers book Outsiders (1963) used two cases to illustrate his approach to the labelling theory. Becker studied marijuana laws in the United States, and the recreational use of the drug. Becker had chosen to analyse marijuana because the progression of use could be observed. The first time user of marijuana finds the experience as somewhat unpleasant, but as the user imitates peers he/she learns to perceive the effects of marijuana as enjoyable. Becker found that if someone breaks the rules not all of society would find the act deviant, someone needs to enforce or draw attention to the rules. Only when an individual has been successfully been labelled do certain consequences follow, and the individual may take the label as a master status. Jock Young (1971) also did a study on marijuana, but this time the study was in Notting Hill, London. Young found that most marijuana users called it a peripheral activity. Young also found that once the stigma of the label had been made, the deviant behaviour and use of marijuana increased, the users then started to lose their jobs and social network. As this happened the users became more dependent on marijuana and some used it as a source of income, Young realised that labelling leads to the increase of deviant behaviour. There are problems with labelling, as this assumes that deviants are normal people until they have been given a label. Liazos (1972) said, that the labelling theory is a study of nuts, sluts and perverts. The labelling theory does criticises the groups that come up with the labels, it also fails to look at the benefits groups get from being labelled, it also doesnt explain where primary deviance (the initial act) comes from. Stan Cohen (1964) studied the social reaction especially in the mass media towards the clashes between the mods and rockers culture. Cohen actually witnessed the clashes on Brighton beach, he realised that the media were reporting things that actually had not happened. As a result this caused moral panic, the mods and rockers were being singled out and being called folk devils, as a result society thought their behaviour was a threat to the social order. How everyone in society reacts to actions and behaviour and the judgements we make contribute to the social construction of crime, the media is an area in society that visually contributes to constructing crime and deviance, Internationalists might argue that police are another such group in society. Police statistics are the main way in which the police can socially construct crime, there are other ways in which crime can be socially constructed, and this could be by changing legislation, interpretation or moral values. (moodle, 2013) Since the early 1980s a number of sociologists have developed a perspective on crime and deviance this is usually referred to as Left Realism. The supporters of this perspective are Jock Young, John Lea, Roger Matthews and Richard Kinsey. Left realism originated in Britain, but has started to influence other criminologists in other countries. Left realists feel that longer sentences and more prisons are the answer to crime, but they also oppose the views from left idealists, people like Marxists, Neo-Marxists and radical Feminists. Politically, left realists tend to see their approach as being close to the position of the British Labour Party, Lea and Young (1984) describe themselves as socialists and support the reform of society. One of the views of a left realist is that crimes other than white-collar crimes are a serious problem; Jock Young (1993) argues there has been a significant increase in street crime. Young thought criminology had undergone an aetiological crisis (crisis of explanation), resulting from the increase in officially recorded street crime. Lea and Young (1984) pointed out that the chances of being the victim of street crime are minimal; however, some groups face a higher risk. It is not the rich who are the targets of muggers or thieves, but the poor. Left realists have carried out a considerable amount of victimization studies, examining such issues as the extent of crime and attitudes towards crime. Lea and Young began to develop an approach to explaining criminality. They saw crime as rooted in social conditions and argue that crime is closely connected to deprivation. However, they reject those views that suggest factors such as poverty and unemployment can be seen as directly responsible for crime, they did accept that the problem went beyond poverty. (historylearningsite, 2012) The values of a criminal are not too different from capitalist values: they are aggressive, greedy and selfish. In addition, it is not poverty and deprivation that are important, or in the way that it is perceived, it is how people respond to it. Left realist developed the square of crime; they thought that to tackle crime four elements needed to be dealt with the state, the offender, society and the victim. Left realists believed that the only way you could reduce crime was to reduce inequality, improve community facilities and build the relationship between the police and the community. Although the left realists have the square theory, they tend to focus more on the victims of crime. It is very difficult to use the concept of relative deprivation to explain crimes like rape and assault, and they still do not explain corporate crime. Two key features to left realism are they emphasise on the social causes of crime, and they are concerned with the effect of crime on individuals and communities. Left realists do have long-term goals; they would like changes in the social structure and promote social justice and remove the reduction of inequality. Right realists assume and take a more realistic view on the causes of crime and deviance, right realists believe that crime and deviance are a real social problem that requires practical solutions. It is said that right realists devised moral panic as a way of swaying the public to agree with their views, e.g. the media claims elderly people are scared of being attacked when they leave the safety of their home, but in reality crimes against OAPs are minimal. Right realists believe that official statistics often underreport crime. However, they believe they are able to paint a more realistic picture of crime and deviance in the UK. They also believe that crime is a growing social problem and is largely committed by lower working class males and juveniles, who are often black, and live in inner city areas. Marsland (1988) stated that crime and deviancy is linked to the breakdown in the moral fabric of society. Schools and religion have become less effective in social control and the moral glue of society has gone. Marsland believes that this has led to a decline in morality and as a result, crime has increased. Right realists do not believe that poverty causes crime, in the 1960s an affluent time in the UK the crime rate grew faster than any other time that century. Murrays (1994) theory stated that the welfare state was a factor in criminal behaviour, the problem was that it did encourage dependency and a lack of motivation that seemed to be handed down the generations. Murray said the welfare state saps moral fibre, erodes Christian ethics and threatens family values. Marsland (1992) agreed and said, The nanny state removes individual choice and desire to work. (historylearningsite, 2012) Right realists have blamed a decline in respect for authority, and the rise of fatherless families where young males are denied an appropriate role model, along with a decline in family values with the lack of discipline both inside and outside the family home. Right realists also believe that you have a choice and you do not need to become deviant, Wilson and Kelling (1982) devised the broken window theory, they believed that if just one window is broken and is not repaired that soon other windows in the property will become broken. They also believed that a tolerance in crime is the downfall of the community. A solution to this would be to have a zero tolerance on any deviant behaviour or crime, with harsher sentences and a lot closer surveillance. The right realist approach does have some flaws, it ignores white-collar crime, they place a lot of ownership on the victim, and they forget that crime can be a result of emotions, rather than calculations. Finally right realists believe in Situational Crime Prevention, a crime prevention strategy that looks at crimes and then by designing and manipulating the environment in a way that increases the risk to the offender, whilst reducing the offenders reward for committing the crime, making the offender stop and think to see if the reward outweighs the risk. (moodle, 2012) Left and right realists do share some common beliefs on crime, they accept the reality of situations and the problems in trying to promote solutions. Left realists think we are responsible for ourselves, where the right realists think everyone is responsible for each other. They also agree that the police can only do so much and that the community and individuals should work with the police to keep crime under control, Left realists and their social deprivation theory and right realists and the choice of the individual. If both sides worked together and everyone took an active part in trying to reduce crime and not just the police then it could work, the opportunities for an individual to commit a crime would drastically be reduced as a result, we would live in a safer and a more enriched society. Reference Advocate, (2013) twelve crimes that changed the LGBT world [online]. Available from: http://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/advocate-45/2012/05/07/12-crimes-changed-lgbt-world-0 [Accessed 16th January 2013]. Criminology, (2012) social theory [online]. Available from: http://www.criminology.fsu.edu/crimtheory/hirschi.htm [Accessed 17th January 2013]. Historylearningsite, (2012) Left Realism and Crime [online]. Available from: http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/left_realism_crime.htm [Accessed 17th January 2013]. Historylearningsite, (2012) Marx and crime [online]. Available from: http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/marxism_crime.htm [Accessed 17th January 2013]. Historylearningsite, (2012) Right Realism on Crime [online]. Available from: http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/right_realism_crime.htm [Accessed 17th January 2013]. Socialscience, (2012) Functionalist perspective on crime and deviance [online]. Available from: http://socialscience.stow.ac.uk/criminology/criminology_notes/functionalism.htm [Accessed 16th January 2013].

Night World : Spellbinder Chapter 16

Thea started to let go of Eric. She could still try to save him. But he wouldn't let go. And her own instincts told her to hold on to him. They stood up together, holding each other, facing the Inner Circle as a unit. â€Å"Well,† Mother Cybele said, blinking rapidly. â€Å"Aradia brought us here thinking you might need help. But you've taken care of things yourselves. We saw the end, very impressive.† â€Å"I saw it, too,† Aradia said. Her face was turned toward Thea, the faintest trace of a smile on her lips. â€Å"You did a good job, Thea Harman. You're a true Hearth-Woman.† â€Å"Yes, and where did that last invocation come from?† Gran said, shifting her weight to the cane Rhys gave her. â€Å"I've never in my life heard of anybody calling on their own power as a daughter of Hellewise.† She said it in a grumbling way, but Thea had the strange feeling that she was almost pleased. Thea faced them all. Maiden, Mother, and Crone of the Inner Circle. She was still holding Eric. â€Å"I don't know where it came from,† she said, and was glad to hear that her voice wasn't shaking too badly. â€Å"It just†¦ came.† â€Å"And what about you? What's your name, young man?† Gran said. â€Å"Eric Ross.† Thea was proud of the way he said it, quiet and respectful, but not cowed. Gran looked from him to Thea. And back again. â€Å"You're in this with my granddaughter?† â€Å"He doesn't know anything. ,. .† Thea began, but of course that was hopeless. And ridiculous. â€Å"I know I love Thea,† Eric said, cutting her off. â€Å"And she loves me. And if there's some rule that says we can't be together, it's a stupid rule.† He sounded terribly brave and terribly young. Thea felt a wave of dizziness. Her fingers tightened on his until both their hands were shaking from the pressure. She realized for the first time that her right hand was fairly seriously burned. â€Å"Please let him go, Grandma,† she whispered. And then, as Gran stood silent, â€Å"Please†¦ I won't ever see him again and he won't ever tell. All he's done is try to help me, try to save lives. Please don't punish him for what's my fault.† Warmth pooled in her eyes and spilled over. â€Å"He tried to uphold the law,† Aradia said. â€Å"At least, I think so.† Thea wasn't sure she'd heard right. Gran didn't seem to be, either. She said, â€Å"How's that?† â€Å"Hellewise said it's forbidden for witches to kill humans, didn't she?† Aradia asked, her face serene. â€Å"Well, that spirit was a witch who'd already killed a human-and who wanted to kill more. And he helped send her back. He helped Thea undo the forbidden spell, and he helped prevent witch law from being broken again.† Rhys muttered, â€Å"Neatly put,† but Thea couldn't tell whether that meant he agreed or not. Gran shuffled a step forward, looking at Eric. â€Å"And just what did you do to help, young man?† â€Å"I don't know if I did help,† Eric said in his quiet, straightforward way. â€Å"Mainly I just tried to keep her from killing me-â€Å" â€Å"When did you light the fires?† Thea asked in an undertone, still clutching his hands. He glanced at her. One side of his mouth quirked slightly. â€Å"Nine o'clock,† he said. â€Å"Even though I wasn't there.† Thea's voice was just slightly louder now. â€Å"And you knew Suzanne would come and try to get you, and you didn't have any magic to fight her. So why did you do it?† He looked at her, then at Gran. Then at her. â€Å"You know why. Because otherwise she'd have gone over to the party.† â€Å"And killed more people.† Thea looked at Gran. Gran was staring at Eric, her dark old eyes very keen. â€Å"So you saved lives.† â€Å"I don't know,† Eric said again, maddeningly honest. â€Å"But I didn't want to take the chance.† â€Å"He saved my life, too,† Thea said. â€Å"Suzanne tried to kill me. And I could never have gotten through the spell to send her back if he hadn't kept her distracted.† â€Å"That's nice, but I'm not sure it's enough,† Old Bob said, running a hand over his stubbly chin. His weathered face was quizzical. â€Å"There's nothing that says upholding one law makes up for breaking another. Especially Night World law. We could get in a mess of trouble fooling with that.† Gran and Mother Cybele looked at each other. Then Gran turned to Old Bob. â€Å"I changed your diapers-don't tell me you know more about Night World law,† she snapped. â€Å"I'm not about to let a bunch of bloodthirsty vampires dictate to me.† She looked at the others. â€Å"We need to take this somewhere private. Let's go back to my place.† Somewhere private. Hope kept racing giddily through Thea as the jeep bounced and rattled home. Eric was driving, and Thea was in the backseat, so they couldn't talk. Aunt Ursula was in the front beside Eric. Gran's fighting for me. And Aradia, and maybe even Mother Cybele. They don't want me to die. I don't think they even want Eric to die. But reality kept trying to push the hope away. What can they do? They can't condone a witch and a human being together. They can't risk war with the rest of the Night World, not even to save me. There's no solution. The little caravan pulled up the back alley behind Gran's store. And then Thea was in the workshop again, in the circle of chairs. Creon and Belfana had been waiting. So had Blaise and Dani, who were both sitting down. â€Å"Are you okay?† Dani began, standing–and then she shut up. She was looking at Eric, her dark, velvety eyes huge. A human in the Circle. â€Å"We put Suzanne back,† Thea said simply. She took Eric's hand again. The Inner Circle re-formed around the two of them, witch and human, standing centered. â€Å"We have a situation,† Gran said. And she explained even though most of them already understood the problem. She did it thoroughly, looking at each of the Circle members in turn. Aradia and Mother Cybele sat on either side of her, occasionally putting in a thoughtful remark. Thea figured it out in a few minutes. Gran was recruiting each of them, appealing to them-and showing that the Mother and Maiden both agreed with her. She was working them all over to her side. â€Å"And the end result is, we've got these two,† she said at last. â€Å"And we have to decide what to do with them. This is a decision for the Inner Circle, for the daughters and sons of Hellewise. Not for the Night World Council,† she added, looking at Old Bob. He ran a hand through rough gray hair and muttered, â€Å"The Council might not see it just that way,† But he smiled. â€Å"There was a time,† Gran said, â€Å"when witches and humans got along better than they do now. I'm sure anybody who's gone far enough back with their family tree knows that.† Eric looked at Thea, who shook her head and looked at Blaise. â€Å"She means,† Mother Cybele put in, â€Å"that we used to take human husbands, a long time ago. To make up for the fact that there have never been enough witch men. That was back in the days when there was still the third Circle, Circle Daybreak. The one that tried to teach magic to humans.† â€Å"Until humans started burning us,† Belfana said, her freckled face grave under its coil of deep red hair. â€Å"Well, this one isn't likely to burn anybody,† Aunt Ursula said acidly. At that moment, Thea loved her. â€Å"Nobody is arguing that the laws should be changed,† Mother Cybele said, putting her plump fingers together. â€Å"We can't go back to those days, and we all know the danger from humans now. The question is, is there any way to make an exception in this one case?† â€Å"I don't see how,† Rhys said slowly. â€Å"Not without all of us ending up accused of treason.† â€Å"It'll be the Night Wars all over again,† Nana Bur-uku added. â€Å"Each race of Night People against the others.† â€Å"I don't wish them harm,† Creon said from his wheelchair, his cracked voice barely audible. â€Å"But they can't live in our world, and they can't live in the human world.† And that, Thea thought, sums it up perfectly. There is no place for us. Not while one of us is witch and the other is human†¦. The idea came in a single flash, like the lightning from the balefire. So simple. And yet so terrifying. It might work†¦. But if it did, could I stand it? Would you give up everything? Everything-including Gran and Blaise. Dani and Lawai'a and Cousin Celestyn. Uncle Galen, Aunt Ger-deth. Aunt Ursula†¦ Selene and Vivienne, everybody at Circle Twilight. The smell of herbs, lavender mixed with rose petals. The kiss of cool stones in her palm. Every chant, every invocation†¦ all the spells she'd learned. The feel of magic flowing through her fingertips. Even the memory of Hellewise†¦ Hellewise in her white shift, in the dark forest†¦ Would you give up everything†¦ for peace? For Eric? This time the inner voice was her own. She found herself looking at Eric and knowing she already had her answer. He was so good, so dear. Tender but intense. Smart and brave and honest and insightful†¦ and loving. He loves me. He was willing to die for me. He'd give up everything. Eric was watching her, his gray-flecked eyes concerned. He could tell that something was going on with her. Thea smiled at him. And was so proud to see that even now, surrounded by people who must seem like figures from some horrible legend to him, he could give her a wry half-smile back. â€Å"I have an idea,† she said to Gran and the Inner Circle. â€Å"The Cup of Lethe.† There was a silence. People looked at each other. Gran was startled. â€Å"Not just for him,† Thea said. â€Å"For me.† Long breaths quietly drawn in the silence. Gran shut her eyes. â€Å"If I drank enough, I'd forget everything,† Thea forged on, talking to all the grave faces. â€Å"Everything about the Night World. I wouldn't be a witch anymore, because I wouldn't remember who I am.† â€Å"You'd become a lost witch,† Aradia said. Her lovely face was calm, not appalled. â€Å"Like the psychics who don't know their heritage. And lost witches can live with humans.† â€Å"And neither of us would remember about the Night World,† Thea said. â€Å"So how could we be breaking any laws?† â€Å"The law would be satisfied,† Aradia said. Eric's hand tightened on Thea's. â€Å"But-â€Å" She looked at him. â€Å"It's the only way for us to be together.† He shut his mouth. This silence was very long. Then Blaise, who had been standing with crossed arms, watching, said, â€Å"She told me they were soulmates.† For an instant, Thea thought she was saying it spitefully, to harm. But Gran was turning in surprise. â€Å"Soulmates. That's a notion I haven't heard in a while.† â€Å"An archaic myth,† Rhys said, shifting in his lab coat. â€Å"Maybe not,† Mother Cybele said softly. â€Å"Maybe the old powers are waking up again. Maybe they're trying to tell us something.† Gran looked down at the floor. When she looked back at Thea, there were tears in her fierce dark eyes. And for the first time since Thea had known her, those eyes looked truly old. â€Å"If we did let you do this,† she said, â€Å"if we let you renounce your heritage and walk away from us†¦ where would you go?† It was Eric who answered. â€Å"With me,† he said simply. â€Å"My mom and my sister already love her. And my mom knows she's an orphan. If I tell her Thea can't stay here anymore-well, she'd take her in, no questions.† â€Å"I see,† Gran said. Eric hadn't mentioned that his mom already thought Thea was living in an unstable home with an unbalanced old lady, but Thea had the feeling Gran knew. Another pause, as Gran looked around the Circle. Finally, she nodded and let out a breath. â€Å"I think the girl's given us a way out,† she said. â€Å"Does anybody disagree?† No one spoke. Most of the faces were pitying. They think it's a fate worse than death, Thea realized. Blaise said suddenly, â€Å"I'll get the Cup.† She clashed through the bead curtain. Good. It's good to get it over with, Thea thought. Her heart was pounding wildly. She and Eric were holding hands so tightly that her burned fingers stung. â€Å"It won't hurt,† she whispered to him. â€Å"We'll be sort of confused†¦ but it should come back to us†¦ except anything about magic.† â€Å"You can transfer into zoology,† he said. â€Å"And go to Davis.† He was smiling, but his eyes were full. Dani stepped forward. â€Å"Can I†¦ I'd just like to say good-bye.† She got through that much steadily. Then she choked and threw herself into Thea's arms. Thea hugged back. â€Å"I'm sorry I got you in trouble,† she whispered. â€Å"You didn't-you told them it wasn't my fault. They're not going to do anything to me. But it's going to be so lonely at school without you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Dani stepped away, shaking her head, trying not to cry. â€Å"Blessed be.† Blaise was back, little bells ringing. She had a pewter chalice in one hand and a bottle in the other. Just seeing the bottle sent a shiver through Thea. The glass was so dark with age she couldn't tell what color it had been originally, and so misshapen it was hard to know if it was meant to be round or square. There was wax over the cork and all sorts of seals and ribbons. Gran broke through the seals, pulled off the ribbons. She tried to twist the cork out of the wax, but Blaise had to help. Then she tipped the bottle above the cup Blaise held. Brownish liquid ran out. Gran poured until the cup was half full. â€Å"When you drink this,† Gran said to Thea, â€Å"you'll forget me. You won't know anyone here. But we won't forget you.† She spoke formally, an announcement before the Circle. â€Å"Thea Sophia Harman, let the record show that you are a true daughter of Hellewise.† She shuffled forward and kissed Thea's cheek. Thea hugged her, feeling the fragile old body for the last time. â€Å"Good-bye, Gran. I love you.† Then Blaise came, offering the cup in both hands. She looked wild and beautiful, her hair a cataract of black tumbling around her, her hands pale around the chalice. â€Å"Good-bye,† Thea said, and took it from her. Blaise smiled. Now, Thea told herself. Don't hesitate. Don't think about it. She lifted the cup to her lips and drank. And choked slightly on the first swallow. It was- it tasted like†¦ Her eyes went to Blaise's. Which were large and gray and luminous. They looked at her steadily. So steadily that it was a warning. Thea kept drinking. Tea. Watered-down iced tea. That was what the Cup of Lethe tasted like. That bottle was sealed-she didn't have time- there was wax on the cork†¦ Thea's mind was churning. But she had enough sense to do one thing-she drank a lot of whatever was in the cup, so there wouldn't be any left over for the Circle to examine when Eric was done. And she kept her face blank as Blaise took the chalice from her and gave it to Eric. Eric drank, looked slightly surprised, and kept drinking. â€Å"Finish it allll,† Blaise said. Her eyes were still on Thea's. And that was when Thea knew for sure. You did it before, when you were first talking about giving human boys the Cup of Lethe after spilling their blood at the Homecoming dance. You poured it out and stashed it somewhere and put in tea and redid all those seals-of course you could reproduce them with molds. And now†¦ and now†¦ As Blaise took the chalice back from Eric, it hit Thea in a wave that almost made her hysterical. This is never going to work. They're never going to believe it. But†¦ Thea took Eric's hand and sank her nails into his palm. She didn't dare say a word to him, didn't dare even look at him. But she was thinking, don't speak, don't do anything, just follow my lead. She made her face as blank as a wax doll. Eric was just standing there. He didn't know what to expect, but he obviously felt Thea's nails. And he proved how smart he was by not speaking. â€Å"We stand adjourned,† Gran said tersely. â€Å"Blaise, take them out while they're still confused. They should be able to get home on their own.† She turned away without looking at Thea. â€Å"No problem,† Blaise said. Aradia said, â€Å"I'll go with you.†

Ethical dilemma Essay

In the following, ethical dilemma has been discussed and identified from the given case study. The background for the ethical dilemma has been explained. How the consultant has handled the situation of ethical dilemma and how a learner would have handled it differently, has been given below. ? Ethical Dilemma â€Å"Ethical dilemmas, also known as a moral dilemmas, are situations in which there are two choices to be made, neither of which resolves the situation in an ethically acceptable fashion. In such cases, societal and personal ethical guidelines can provide no satisfactory outcome or the chooser. Ethical dilemmas assume that the chooser will abide by societal norms, such as codes of law or religious teachings, in order to make the choice ethically impossible. † In the given case study, Kindred Todd is also in a situation which is an ethical dilemma. She had just finished her master degree and got a very company to join in. But she did not realize that she had been introduced as an expert on CQI to the potential clients which she discovers by the end of the meeting with the potential clients. She discussed with her boss about the need of the CQI expert but he did not give it an importance and indirectly pushed her to do what the company says. She has now a conflict between her own values(may be religious) which insist her on quitting the job and her personal materialistic needs which do not allow to leave such a good company for her career. Background for Ethical Dilemma â€Å"In a perfect world, businesses and their employees would always do the right thing. Unfortunately, in the real world, ethical dilemmas are a common occurrence in the orkplace. According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, dilemmas are situations or problems where a person has to make a difficult choice; an ethical dilemma is a problem where a person has to choose between a moral and an immoral act. Employees must deal with pressures to perform and help the company succeed as well as personal temptations to take the easy way out. In the end, workers will likely face many dilemmas in their careers; companies should provide training and information to assist them in making the right decision. † There are many reasons which make the background or the reasons for the ethical dilemma. Employees in organizations undergo in such a situation when they are sometimes under the pressure from management . When they are particularly asked to do something which is un ethical but it goes in the company’s favor. In some cases, some employees become quite ambitious and want to succeed in their life at any cost without considering the concept of being ethical or un-ethical. They just do what akes them towards promotions or higher career. â€Å"Though diversity is an important part of business, some people may not be comfortable with people from different backgrounds and possibly be reluctant to treat them fairly. This kind of discrimination is not only un ethical but illegal and still remains common. † â€Å"Negotiators may also try to bribe their way to a good deal.  While this is illegal in the U. S. , it still sometimes happens; in other nations, it is more common, and sometimes even expected, which can put negotiators in a difficult position. † This means in organizations negotiating tactics are sometimes also the cause of ethical dilemma. ? How the Consultant Handled the Situation from Ethic View Point The consultant raised an objection before the president of the company instead of remaining uiet on the issue that why she had been introduced wrongly as a CQI expert. Moreover, she passed on the exact evaluation of her meeting about the potential clients and stress on the need of an CQI expert in order to deal with the clients. At least, in order to secure the job, she did not pretend that she can do anything they want. The best part was that she did her best to help the clients in the area of quality improvement by going through books and consulting her friends, so much so that she had a consultant behind her, unseen, to help sort out CQI issues. After the assigned work got over, she resigned the company, as she could’t trust the company for future. A View of How the Learner would have Handled the Situation Differently I would have not been, probably so daring to ask the president for the actual requirement of the clients or might not have resigned the job. ? Conclusion In a workplace, ethical dilemmas are quite common. There are different reasons for a worker to become ethical or un ethical. So, the important thing how you win the war between your values and materialistic needs.

Analysis Of The Book Heart Of Darkness By Chinua Achebe

In Chinua Achebe’s essay, â€Å"An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad s Heart of Darkness,† Achebe purports that Joseph Conrad’s short story, Heart of Darkness, should not be taught due to it’s racist caricature of Africa and African culture. In Conrad’s book, Marlow, a sea captain, is tasked with venturing into the center of the Congo, otherwise known as the Heart of Darkness, to retrieve a mentally unstable ivory trader named Kurtz. Marlow narrates his adventures with a tinge of apathy for the enslaved Congolese who are repressed beneath the foot of the colonizing Belgians. In Heart of Darkness, the Africans are reduced to â€Å"savages† and cannibals with little or no moral values. It is Achebe’s argument that due to these characterizations, it is an abomination that Heart of Darkness be continued to be taught. 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