A Comparative Study of Criminal Justice Major Students

The study probes the perceptions of criminal justice majors. In essence, the study aims to determine if the formal educational background of a criminal justice major is a vital factor in the shaping of an individual’s perception of the criminal justice system as compared to those who do not have any.Students from the university were sampled to serve as the respondents for the study who were divided into two groups: criminal justice majors and non majors. The study’s assumption was: there is no significant difference between the perception of the criminal justice majors and non majors.Chapter I: IntroductionOver the years, studies have been made to shed light on the issue of criminal justice as perceived by the general public and by the criminal justice majors. The perception of the general pubic and the criminal justice majors, of course, differs in a lot of aspects.Logically, non criminal justice majors or the public mainly rely on the mass media for the information th at they need while the criminal justice majors have a broader background on the issue of crime and criminal justice.Criminal justice majors are usually exposed with researches that would explain phenomena in the field of criminal justice. Thus, there is a definite difference between the perception of the criminal justice majors and the public (Tsoudis, 2000).But then, an exploratory study is needed to further back up this claim. Does the education background of the criminal justice majors has something to do with their perception of crime and criminal justice?How can this educational background of the criminal justice majors would eventually influence or affect the perception of the general public? How influential can the media be in shaping the public’s perception of crime and criminal justice?These questions are only few that have to be answered to prove that the claims of the previous studies are valid and logical.The media has also been the main source of information amon g the public. Undeniably, groups of people mainly rely their notion and perceptions over things on the information that they consume provided by the media.There have been debates over the influence of the media and its tendency to veer away from truth. Some media outfits are guilty of exaggerating news items especially those dealing with crimes for the simple reason of getting a â€Å"controversial scoop† or because they have doing it unconsciously.Nadler (2005) writes, â€Å"Such media play can undermine the public’s perception of the legitimacy of law enforcement generally.   This loss of legitimacy and distrust of the fairness of the legal system, can in turn lead to more widespread lawbreaking.†Connie McNeely (1995) writes that most of what Americans understand about law enforcement comes from what they view in the media, mainly television and movies.Aside from these media experiences, many Americans do not have the first hand knowledge of the inter-workin gs of border patrol or general law enforcement at the community level.True enough, media have the great role of shaping the minds of its audience.Because her insights are somewhat outdated in this day and age of television shows like CSI and 24, it would be interesting to carry out further study of this idea.   Still her study warrants close examination as she furthers her argument by writing:

History of Media Effects

1. Consider the history of media effects presented in Chapter 3. Choose one historical media event that has occurred in the country of your choice. How has your chosen historical media event opened up a larger discourse about a social issue? Did the issue create conversion or reinforcement of public opinion about the social issue represented in the media event? Support your answer with reference from the text. With reference to the case of Mas Selamat Kastari who was believed to be involved in the Jemaah Islamiah (JI) group in plotting terrorism activities in Singapore such as crashing a plane into Changi Airport .He was Singapore’s most wanted fugitive for more than a year after escaping from detention on 27 February 2008. Since then, it was the  largest manhunt ever carried out in Singapore, furthermore daily local newspapers, TV news report, posters also tried to raise public awareness about Mas Selamat through repeated news coverage. Hence, with the aid of mass media, Ma s Selamat was certainly the hottest topic everywhere and eventually became the historical media event that opened up a larger discourse about terrorism which was a social issue ever since 1963.In the early 80s, the government had implemented a series of measures to counter terrorism in Singapore and after 1991 Singapore has not experience any terrorism therefore resulting in the citizens letting down their guard and eventually the issue on terrorism was taken lightly. With reference to agenda setting theory which explains the powerful influence mass media have in telling us what issues are important, the case of Mas Selamat involving the massive usage of mass media had successfully trigger the fear in the minds of the citizens and the issue on terrorism(security matters) became increasingly important during that period of time.Many citizens wrote in to Straits Times claiming that the government deserved to be blamed for the escape of Mas Selamat and if terrorism will to happen in Si ngapore. Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew responded to the Straits Times: â€Å"Mas Selamat Kastari was ‘an escape artist' who had evaded arrest many times, and Singapore's security officers knew this, when you are complacent in handling a wily detainee, then you have been negligent. He also added that,† complacency sets in when people have not suffered any shock or setback for a long time and Singaporeans are being complacent when they believe that the Government will take care of all security matters. † PAP MP Lim Wee Kiak referred complacency as a ‘side-effect' of an overly successful Government and civil service. (â€Å"Straits Times†, 2008). From this historical media event, we can see the impact of media in creating conversion of the public opinion. The public’s attitude towards terrorism (security matters) changed from a dependent on the government to a self-dependent one after the escape of Mas Selamat .Furthermore, according to the public opinions on Singapore forum after the capture of Mas Selamat in 2009, although some were still debating on whether is the Government of Singapore doing enough to protect us from terrorism, but majority strongly believed that Singaporeans should not delude ourselves into thinking that our government is infallible as our government can only do so much-implementing counter terrorism measures, awareness posters and videos in train stations and public transports .Hence, the more relevant questions to ask ourselves – Are we Singaporeans doing enough to protect ourselves from terrorism? Are we coming together as one nation to do our national service in learning and protecting our country, life and property? The citizens of Singapore should not just solely rely on the government but also play our part in preventing the threat of terrorism.

Christianity and Islam Essay

A few months ago, when a Vatican official announced that Catholicism was surpassed by Islam as the world’s largest faith, many news agencies around the world carried what seemed to have been a largely unnoticed issue for this present generation – religion. At least for some time, renewed debates about whether or not one should indeed consider Islam as a religion that commands world’s largest followers surfaced one after another. The issue many people think should not be dismissed is the fact that Christianity – a religion which combines an array of all its offshoots namely Roman Catholicism, Orthodox, Protestantism, Anglicanism, Evangelicals, among others – still has the largest adherents compared to any other religion, including Islam. Even if Christianity may be broken down into some larger or other smaller denominations, many people subscribe to idea that since all Christians root their belief in Christ, one must take them as belonging to a singular religion, the largest in the world to be exact. To consider Christianity as a single religion involves rounds of new separate debates. Surely, when the differences between the mainstream Christian blocks and the thousand of other minor denominations are brought into the fore, their respective beliefs will manifest diversity, resemblance, opposition, and even contradiction. Tedious as this process may appear, one may not yet consider the fact that even in the Islam religion itself there are further classifications of membership that must be taken into careful account. Again, it is legitimate to inquire whether it is proper to take Islam as a unitary religion, or they too must be broken down into their finer types. As one may correctly observe, inner divisions within the world’s largest religions – Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, etc. – appear to be a fundamentally given fact. One can perhaps inquire whether it is possible to identify a major religion with millions, if not a billion of adherents, which does not have any, or have not suffered from any inner rift at any given point of its history. It may be interesting to ask therefore, what accounts for the eventual internal fall out of world religions in history? Better yet, how must we attempt to understand what happens in a religion that has been divided into smaller aggregate types in the course of history? II. Rationale and Scope This brief study presents a case for divisions transpiring within world religions. But since the scope of studying the issue is broad (considering that there are many major world religions to cite), this research shall be restricted at tackling Christianity and Islam as chosen types. Specifically, the study shall describe the events that transpired during the Catholic-Protestant divide of the mid 1500’s for Christianity, and the Shiite-Sunni divide for Islam. To be sure, there are other identifiable divisions which can be noted in the history of Christianity. While there are small schisms involving â€Å"heretics† who refuse to accept fundamental Christian teachings, Christianity is said to have been divided into two major blocks during the 11th century. It produced the dichotomization between the Roman Catholics and the Eastern Orthodox, which until the present still exists. For the purposes of limiting this study, the Christian division which shall be discussed in this study shall dwell on the Luther-led Reformation of the 1500’s. Meanwhile, it is also insightful to note even in the Islam religion, there have been various types of smaller divisions and schisms. For the purposes of this study too, the rift between the Shiites and the Sunnis that was created in the early years of Islam religion shall be the one in focus. A short analysis and interpretation of the sample religions used shall comprise the conclusion of this study. III. Discussion Proper a. Nature of Religion Before relating the events defining the divisions that were experienced both by Christianity and Islam, it will be helpful to cite some theories to help explain the dynamics of religion. This is important since it shall provide a working perspective which is to be used later on in the analysis. Religion is a phenomenon which may be understood in many ways. Basically speaking, it refers to the common innate feeling or â€Å"belief in a Supreme Being† (McCutcheon, 2007, p. 22). Religion obviously stems from a belief that there is a higher being that must be worshiped or adored. But religion does not pertain to kind of personal belief alone. It also describes how a believer finds the need to belong to a community which shares the same belief, and thus obey a given set of rules within it. Thus, another definition for religion may also be expressed as a â€Å"unified system of belief and practices relative to sacred things† which â€Å"unites (believers) into one single moral community† (McCutcheon, 2007, p. 22). Combing both definitions enable one to fully appreciate the fact that religion pertains to both a personal ascent to God, and a commitment to a community, a set of rules and a specific set rituals. When seen under the lenses of scientific inquiry (e. g. anthropology, sociology, philosophy, etc. ) religion reveals patterns and dynamism consistent with human belief system, knowledge, interest and relationships. This means that religion is molded into the belief system of the believers. For instance, if Christians hold that Christ in his lifetime was compassionate to the poor, it follows that they too, since they follow Christ, must do something good for their less fortunate brethren. Or if Moslems take Mohammad as their example, and Mohammad was a deeply spiritual man, they too must not take spirituality lightly in their lives. Religious mindset is committed to certain courses of action (Slater, 1978, p. 6); and these actions are meaningful only because believers draw their identities from a person or a belief system they embrace – be it the Lordship of Christ, or the greatness of the Prophet Muhammad (Slater, 1978, p. 82). This is one of the primary reasons why religions possess their â€Å"continuing identities† (Slater, 1978, p. 82). So long as a group of Christians identify themselves to the teachings of their religion, say Catholic Church, they will remain to be Catholics. As indeed, so long as a group of Moslems identify themselves to the teachings of their religion, say Shiite group, they will remain to be identified with it. What explains the shift in a belief system is when one cannot anymore identify either with a teaching, or specific religious structures. It is a general rule that key to a religion’s perpetuity is establishing an identity. When people start to feel alienated with what they used to hold or believe it, it can explain why a group of believers create their own groups to accommodate their otherwise alienated belief system. To help establish the point, it may be good to lay down two glaring examples. b. The Shiite-Sunnis Divide Islam was born at least five hundred years after Christianity was already an institutionalized religion. But what started out only as a small community following Muhammad, Islam grew in exponential proportion in just a short span of time. Within the rapid growth came bitter disputes and eventual breakaways. Although Islam is a religion which does not readily recognize that there are divisions within them, scholars are almost unanimous in agreeing that some factions already broke from within the Moslem community dating back to the days when the religion itself was merely beginning to be established. In a sense, Islam is a religion broken down into at least two major divisions even before it got to be formally established as a religious phenomenon. It all started when a certain man named Muhammad, who by the way was born in 570 to a very poor family, begun to attract followers after experiencing visions and revelations (Renard, 1998, p. 7). His reputation spread in neighboring places, and soon found himself at odds with ruling empires for the large number of followers he had gathered. After this increasingly expanding community finally settled in Mecca in 630, Muhammad would die two years after (Renard, 1998, p. 7). His death would then see his community figure in a prolonged tug-of-war for rightful succession, and would officially begin the drift within the newly established religious community. One group claimed that Muhammad chose his rightful successor in the person of his son named Ali before he died. The other group contested the claim and said, no instructions were made by the Prophet whatsoever. Instead, they held that it was appropriate for to appoint leaders themselves, and eventually chose Abu Bakr, Muhammad’s father-in-law, as the first of the four caliphs (meaning head), to rule the Islam community. Those who embraced the leadership of Ali were eventually known as the Shiites, while the followers who believed Abu Bakr’s caliphate eventually came to be known as Sunnis. As such, the neat separation within the just-emerging Islamic religion has been established. Since it exists up until today, it can be described as the â€Å"largest institutional division within the Muslim community† so far (Renard, 1998, p. 13; Ayoub, 2004, 72). c. The Catholic-Protestant Divide The era that colored the Catholic-Protestant divide was a Church marred with controversies, silent disenchantment and an ever growing discontent among Christian faithful. As history would show, it was through and because of Martin Luther – and his whole ebb generating protests against the Church – that the radical break from Catholicism was to be established. But hundreds of years before the supposed break, there had already been numerous events that point to the restlessness within the membership of the Church which it tried to quell. What were the controversies about? As early as the 1300’s, roughly two hundred years before Luther was born, an ordained priest by the name of John Wycliffe started to publish series of attacks against some of the major teachings and traditions of the Church. In 1372, he was summoned and reprimanded by Church authorities for his teachings that dwelled on the following: his denial of the doctrine of transubstantiation (a belief that the bread and wine used in celebrating the Eucharist is transformed into the real body and blood of Christ), attacks on the authority of the Pope as the head of the Church, corrupt practices within the Church, and emphasis on preaching and the use of Scriptures for teaching the doctrines of the Church (Cook, 2008, p. 95). Wycliffe probably represented the first courageous voices which tried to confront what’s wrong with the Church. In fact, he did try to raise legitimate concerns about both the divisive doctrines and lamentable discipline which the Church at that time practiced. Years after, Luther would pick up from where his predecessors had left out. In 1517, he released his Ninety-Five Theses to the public – a collection of ninety-five protests against many Church teachings – both doctrinal and moral – and Church practices, such as indulgences (spiritual merits obtained in return for monetary donations), celibacy (the promise for priests not to marry), Eucharist, among others (Cook, 2008, p. 100). Since the general religious atmosphere at that time was already ripe for reforms, his ninety-five theses were easily duplicated and spread throughout the German empire – a testament, as it were, to a huge popular support he enjoyed for the risks he took. Luther’s break from the Church was formally established when he burned the Papal bull Exsurge Domine (a decree which threatened him of excommunication if he did not recant his protests) in front of many people in a public square (Cook, 2008, 101). After which, he did subsequently ask the authorities of the German kingdom to support his cause for Church reform. Luther is remembered as a man who broke the Catholic Church apart. True enough, even before he died, he already saw the far reaching effects of his call for reforms he perhaps initially did not intended to jumpstart. Thanks to Luther, Christianity would never be the same again. The â€Å"Germany after (the) Reformation† movement in the mid 1500’s became a home to a new breed of Christians who came to be branded as Lutherans, Calvinist, Reformers, or even Protestants (Pennock, 2007, p. 168). In principle, Luther earned the reputation of being an agent of division within the Christian religion. IV. Conclusion To be sure, Christianity and Islam are not the only major religions in the world which had suffered a kind of break-up from within. Religious divisions are commonplace, and that variations sprouting from within large communities may be brought about by various factors. When divisions occur, one normally observes that differences pertaining to a host of issues including (but not limited to) doctrines, practices, or even recognized leadership become patent. As earlier mentioned, the dynamics of religion may help explain why a feeling of alienation (or a loss of identity) can push a believer or a group to break-away from mainstream religion to form their own set of practices and norms independently. Christianity and Islam were taken as exemplifications. In the points that were developed, it was seen that they share a history with lots of bitter disputes, which in turn led to an eventual division. But both religions suffered from internal rifts quite differently as well. Islam’s division was more political in nature, as two major factions with their respective claims to rightful succession to their now-dead Prophet-leader tore the emerging community apart – thus, the Sunnis and the Shiites. Christianity on the other hand, after experiencing many breakaway groups in the course of history, had to suffer yet another major blow from internal disputes led by Martin Luther in the 1500’s on account of doctrine and practices. What followed was a Christian religion torn once again, which ushered the creation of a big faction named Protestants. Religious divisions can be put under rigorous inquiry. There are viewpoints that consider these divisions as something that separate one group after another, while there are those who propose to see the same divisions as something that merely distinguish (but not separate). While the two viewpoints may be valid in their respective senses, this study places much interest not on their â€Å"distinguishability† or â€Å"separability†, but on the fact that, truly, religious divisions from within happen. References Ayoub, M. (2004). Islam. Faith and History. Oxford: Oneworld. Cook, C.. (2008) The Routledge Companion to Christian History. New York: Routledge. McCutcheon, R. (2007). Studying Religion. An Introduction. London: Equinox. Pennock, M. (2007) This is Our Church. A History of Catholicism. Notre Dame, Indiana: Ave Maria Press. Renard, J. (1998)101 Questions and Answers on Islam. New York: Paulist Press. Slater, P. (1978). The Dynamics of Religion. Meaning and Change in Religious Traditions. San Francisco: Harper and Row. (Also consulted) http://ca. news. yahoo. com/s/capress/080330/world/vatican_muslims

American University and the Best Realization of the Desires Essay

American University and the Best Realization of the Desires - Essay Example In process of my study at AU, I also want to take part in AU abroad activities which will allow me to study in China during my undergraduate program. AU also will give me a good ability to study customs and traditions of other nations, especially China – it will help me understand deep economic, social and cultural processes taking place in China and in the rest of the world. I am also going to graduate from American University with honours. After graduation from AU, I am going to obtain a Chinese Law degree, and I suppose that American University will give me a great ability for my professional development. American University will expand my educational and personal horizons and help wide my real-world learning experiences. American University will also give me the ability to become a part of the generation of highly educated leaders who have gone through such intensive, prestigious and useful educational institution as American University. In addition to that, I have some pr ofessional and personal traits which will help me achieve success in my study at AU and make an appropriate career in the fields of my interest. I am a steady and stable person, and I know my goals and purposes rather well. In addition to that, I am rather thoughtful and concentrated for my educational and professional goals, and American University will provide the best realization of my desires. I want to take part in the China Project. After graduation, I also plan to return to the USA to pursue a Masters in Law degree.

The International Committee of the Red Cross Research Paper

The International Committee of the Red Cross - Research Paper Example The ICRC runs operates by depending on donations from well-wishers, governments, Private corporations and the societies that operate under the umbrella of the ICRC. The ICRC in made up of the Red Crescent Movement and many national Red Cross Societies from different parts of the world. These partners are usually contacted to assist in cases of conflict and disasters. Though the ICRC has the permanent international mandate to conduct its activities due to the Geneva Conventions, it still is a private organization operating under the Swiss law The ICRC offers monetary assistance to its member organizations to assist them in their day to day operations and for humanitarian work. The best performing societies are also awarded as recognition of their hard work so as to motivate them to keep up the good work. Organizational Structure The ICRC structure comprises of an Assembly, an Assembly Council and a Directorate. The Council has specifically delegated powers with regard to specific matt ers concerning the ICRC. The Directorate acts as the executive body of the ICRC. The Assembly is made up of 25 members who are of Swiss nationality. The organization is currently chaired by Jakob Kellenberger, Ph.D. It also has two vice presidents to who assist the chair. The Directorate is made up of five members. The Directorate is headed by a Director-General. International advisors are usually appointed by the ICRC to serve for a period of four years. Their work is to advise the ICRC on policy issues and decision making. They help the organization to deal with political and humanitarian issues encountered in a professional manner in accordance with internationally accepted conventions. Apart from the top administrators, the ICRC has a network of national Red Cross societies that are headed by national executive directors. These directors coordinate the societies on behalf of the umbrella body to facilitate smooth operation of the organization. Operations The ICRC dedicates itsel f to alleviation and prevention of any form of human suffering as a result of war or natural disasters such as epidemics and floods. The organization is divided into subgroups to ensure proper distribution of manpower. It consists of the ICRC, the IFRC, the national Red Cross societies present in186 nations and the Red Crescent Societies. All these organizations work under the umbrella body that is the International Committee of the Red Cross. The ICRC main mission is to protect human lives during armed conflicts and other violent occasions and provide necessary aid to the victims. It serves to look after the interests of the most vulnerable and alleviate their suffering. The societies that operate at the national level are meant to assist their respective governments when a crisis situation arises. Their mandate is to provide social programs, health services where necessary and also assist in disaster relief. In the event of war, they should assist civilians and at the same time ca ter for the armed forces. For any national society to be part of the movement, it must seek permission from the ICRC after which it can be counted as a member of the International Federation.

Land Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 5

Land Law - Essay Example Secondly, it must be a right that is capable of being transferred under the force of law and in this case, a right that comes with conditions could be limited where the conditions are not met3. Finally, the right to a given piece of land must last over a reasonable number of time and must not be one that changes frequently4. In the case of National Provincial Bank Ltd V Ainsworth, it was held that a deserted wifes rights to property she was occupying was not enough be recognised in English Law. Although she fulfilled some conditions, her right to land was not granted in the case. However, in other instances, equity generated by proprietary estoppel is recognised as a property right capable of binding third parties. This paper will critically discuss the case of the â€Å"deserted wifes equity† in the case above and the position of proprietary estoppel. They will all be examined and evaluated on the basis of their components and their merits in relation to UK land law. This will provide the basis for the explanation and justification of the legal worth and power of the two concepts in UK land law. In the case at hand, Mr. and Mrs. Ainsworth lived in Sussex. The land was registered in the name of Mr. Ainsworth. Mr. Ainsworth however moved out in 1957. Mrs. Ainsworth occupied the property and remained in charge whilst Mr. Ainsworth was living away from the house. In 1958, Mr. Ainsworth borrowed  £1,000 from the National Provincial Bank and used their Sussex house as the charge or collateral for the loan. In 1962, Mr. Ainsworth fell back in the repayment of the loan to the bank. The bank moved to take possession of the house. Mrs. Ainsworth refused to leave the house. The bank sought a possession order. This is because Mrs. Ainsworths right to the property was based on the equitable right to control the bank. The banks claim was to seek an order for specific performance meant to equitably dispossess Mrs. Ainsworth of the property. On the other hand, Mrs.

DB2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

DB2 - Essay Example The walls of this building are light colored. This building was constructed to replace the temple of the goddess Athena (Boardman, 1996). The look and feel of the building represent the religious and mythical feeling typical to Greek Art. The The Roman Arch of Constantine is in fact a symbol of victory for the Romans. Constantine won the battle of Milvian bridge in 312 CE and this building was constructed as a triumphal arch of Romans. It is one of the latest existing arches which fall in this category (Henderson and Beard, 2001). Both of these pieces of art are objective and represent a great achievement or cultural attitude of the time of construction. The Arch is a typical rectangular building which has sharp edges. The Greek Temple building is also rectangular but it is more aesthetically pleasing. The first building represents a very important religious aspect of Greeks. The Greeks believed in goddess of Athena and to make her happy, they replaced the earlier temple with this ne wer and grander one. It represents the closeness of Greeks with their gods and mythology. The artists who have worked on this piece of art have tried to convey the religious aspects of Greek life and have done that successfully. The second building is a symbol of victory (Henderson and Beard, 2001). It has the specific toughness. The look of this building can be easily related to a grand military victory.