Identification of Finger Prints, Blood and DNA

Identification of Finger Prints, Blood and DNA INTRODUCTION Forensic science is widely used in the service of the justice system (Jackson). It has helped in solving cases by providing important clues and evidences. The usage of forensics in solving crime cases is inevitable. Forensic sciences is used in various areas like fingerprinting, DNA profiling, blood stain detection and many more. From the early days of complicated body measurements to todays sophisticated biometric devices, the identification of individuals by their bodies has been a mainstay of government and law enforcement. Computerized databases like AFIS now make it possible to compare thousands, or in the case of the FBI, millions of fingerprints in minutes. With the advancements in DNA detecting mechanisms, blood stains in the scenes of crimes have also become one of the most important evidences. After a homicide or an assault has been committed, police investigators usually find blood at the scene of the crime. This gives them clues as to what happened during that incident. The bloods texture and shape and how it is distributed around the victim often help investigators determine when and how the crime was committed. A number of techniques have been developed for the identification of fingerprints and blood stains in the crime scene. EVOLUTION IN FINGERPRINTING TECHNIQUES: In the mid-1950s fingerprinting was done using the dangerous mercury-based white powder, a coarse graphite-based black powder and squirrel-hair brushes. With a burst of innovation concerning fingerprint evidence as part of the crime investigation, ninhydrin test was developed. This method is extremely efficient on paper items, especially if the stock solution is added to fluorisol, which prevents writing on the paper from smudging. Ninhydrin reacts with the amino acids in perspiration, producing red, brown, or purple imprints; this is a most successful method of investigating check fraud. During the last decade, other techniques for discovering latent imprints have been developed. These include Super Glue, physical developer, small particle reagent, lasers, metal deposition, Sudan black, amido black, thermoplastic fingerprint powders and radioactive sulfur dioxide. Exceptional powders are available with greatly improved fingerprint brushes to help lots in fingerprinting. DFO is a recent improvement on ninhydrin, providing up to 300% more finger and palm imprints. One other advancement in this area is the use of photoluminescence. Fingerprint luminescence excitation initially used lasers, but filtered lamps are employed as well. This technology helps the forensic scientist to take a picture of the fingerprints immediately at the crime scene. Computers are now used throughout the world for maintaining and searching files of imprints and fingerprints of offenders found at crime scenes. Computer searches of crime scene imprints provide excellent results. The computer blasts through complete collections at fantastic speed, possibly scanning millions of digits, but there is no promise that the offender who made the imprints is not in the collection if identification is not made. Bio-metrics especially fingerprints has become one of the main areas of research. EVOLUTION IN BLOOD STAIN DETECTION TECHNIQUES: Blood is one of the most common physical evidences which is present in murder cases, accidents and violent crime investigations. A determination must be made if it really is blood. Eventhough there have been various tests to detect the presence of blood, the widely used tests are Kastle-Meyer test and the Luminol Test. Luminol is first activated with an oxidant, usually a solution of hydrogen peroxide and a hydroxide salt in water. Then, in the presence of a protein present in blood called hemoglobin, the hydrogen peroxide decomposes to form oxygen and water. Luminol reacts with the hydroxide salt, leading to the formation of a dianion. The oxygen produced from the hydrogen peroxide then reacts with the luminol dianion. This reaction produces an organic peroxide, which is very unstable and hence it immediately decomposes with loss of nitrogen to produce 3-aminophthalic acid (3- APA) in an excited state. As 3-APA relaxes, it releases a visible blue light. Luminol is sensitive to the presence of extremely small amounts of blood. It can detect bloodstains that have been diluted up to 300,000 times. The KM Test is a presumptive test which is used to check the presence of hemoglobin using phenolphthaleins color change in the presence of oxygen. ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA: FINGER PRINTING THEORY: Fingerprints often leave residues of oils in the shape of the friction ridges. However, the friction ridge skin does not secrete oils. Some fingerprints will leave a residue of amino acids and other compounds. These principles make dusting techniques to develop fingerprints. (Finger print Powder- Wikipedia the free encyclopedia) CLASSIFICATION OF FINGER PRINT PATTERNS: The following table contains the finger print patterns for the fingers and toes: Right Hand: Thumb:Â  Whorl Index Finger:Â  Whorl Middle Finger: Loop Ring Finger:Â  Whorl Small Finger:Â  Whorl Left Hand: Thumb: Arch Index Finger: Whorl Middle Finger: Loop Ring Finger: Loop Small Finger: Loop The toe prints are all arch expect for the ring toe in the right leg which is whorl. The fingerprints using ink pad for the fingers and toes can be found in Annex C. DIFFERENCE IN PATTERNS BETWEEN FINGERS: The pattern in all the fingers except the left thumb is whorl. This might be the case because the environmental factors within the fetus would have been same for the fingers and hence there is not much change in the pattern between the fingers. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HANDS AND TOES: The finger prints in the hands are very easy to identify when compared to the toes. This is because the fingers are big enough for us to deposit the prints properly. However, the legs are small and since we dont use them like fingers it is very difficult to deposit it even while using the ink pad. Since the whole bodys pressure is on the toe, too much of pressure was applied on the paper by it. Hence the prints werent clear. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OLD AND NEW PRINTS: The old prints are not as bright as the new prints. The old print gets exposed to the atmosphere and hence they react with the air. Hence parts of the print vanish. Hence it is not as evident as the new print. However, the old prints is good enough for matching 16 positions on the finger print and thus easy to the catch the criminal. The old big toe prints deposited wasnt seen when developed by both the magnetic powder as well as the black powder. This is because the print wasnt deposited properly. Too much of sweat on the print made the prints to be smudged when the powders where used to detect their presence. Hence the prints were seen very faintly. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN METHODOLOGIES: The black powder had to be done very carefully since two much of powder made the finger prints to smudge. The magnetic powder was easy in a way because excess magnetic powder could be removed easily. However, the dusting had to be done slowly and such that that the brush wasnt too close to the finger print in order to get the print properly. The ninhydrin test was very easy because we didnt have much to do for it. However, many of my friends prints were pale. This might have been because they didnt apply enough pressure on their papers when they deposited the prints. Since I had applied so much moisture, the finger prints smudged badly and the prints werent clear. Hence I had to repeat the process again. However, the next I exerted too much pressure on the paper which made the fingers to sweat too much leading to smudging. Also the amount of time given to register the finger prints was too less. Out of the three methodologies used in this lab I find the ninhydrin solution test to be the most efficient one. This is because for because the human influence in this method was very less. Since we were beginners in this lab, we didnt have a proper idea of how much powder had to be used for these methods. Thus I prefer the ninhydrin solution method for fingerprinting especially for beginners. FINGER PRINT LIFTING: The dusting for finger printing lifting was done using the magnetic powder since excess powder could be easily taken away. However, when I lifted it the first time, a lot of air bubbles where formed which made half of the finger prints to vanish. Also since I had not given enough time for my finger prints to settle the prints werent clear when dusting. Hence I tried to avoid these when I lifted the second time. I pressed gently and allowed the prints and gave some time so that the prints to settle. While using the tape I made sure there were no bubbles. Hence I was able to lift a proper print of my right thumb finger using the lifter. IDENTIFICATION OF BLOOD STAINS: THEORY: The Kastle-Meyer test is a forensic presumptive test which is used to examine if the dried stains in a violent crime scene is composed of blood. The test is based on the peroxide-mediated oxidation of reduced phenolphthalein. In this reaction the heme molecule acts as a catalyst. The chemical indicator used in this test is phenolphthalein C20H14O4, a common acid-base indicator which turns pink, in basic solutions with a pH of approximately 8 or higher.. Phenolphthalein, a clear dye, immediately turns pink if oxidized by hemoglobin and hydrogen peroxide. There are three reagents involved in this test. To increase the sensitivity of the test the reagent, Methyl or Ethyl alcohol is used. It does this by cleaning up the area in and around the bloodstain to better expose the hemoglobin. Phenolphthalein, the second reagent acts as a color indicator. This solution when oxidized (exposed to oxygen), turns pink. Hydrogen Peroxide is the 3% form typically found in drugstores. Hydrogen peroxide is essentially water with an extra oxygen atom attached to it. These chemical reactions are further stated using the following equations: This test is nondestructive to the sample. Hence the sample can be kept and used in further tests at the lab. This test has the same reaction with human blood and animal blood. So, further investigation is required to determine whether it is human or animal blood. ANALYSIS: The blood stain turned pink instantly after adding all the three reagents stating the presence of blood. When the reagents where added to copper powder, it turned pink even before the addition of the hydrogen peroxide showing giving a false result . Thus it is vitally important to add the reagent first, then wait a few seconds, then add the hydrogen peroxide. Ketchup didnt change at all showing the absence of hemoglobin. Whereas, cabbage solution turned yellow. Beetroot and ribena solutions turned colourless due to their neutral nature with very very slight pink tinge occurring due to their natural colour. Hence except for copper there werent any false positive tests in the samples which were recognized. LIMITATIONS: Eventough Kastle-Meyer test can detect blood upto dilutions of 1:107, there are many limitations for this test. In the presence of vegetable peroxidases, like in horseradish, broccoli, cauliflower, etc. the test gives a false positive result. Oxidizing species present in the sample also causes this test to fail. (Kastle-Meyer test:Limitations) For example when this test was performed for copper powder the Kastle-Meyer reagent turned pink even before hydrogen peroxide was added to it. Thus it is very much important that we wait for a few seconds after the reagent is added and then only we need to add hydrogen peroxide. The Kastle-Meyer test gives positive results to both human blood as well as animal blood. In general, it gives a positive result to all hemoglobin containing blood.. In order to ensure that the blood is really from a human species, a confirmatory test such as the Ouchterlony Test is performed. (Kastle-Meyer test:Limitations) In short, color catalytic tests are very sensitive in nature. The negative results from these tests show that these samples do not hemoglobin and so it is not blood. However, the positive results need not be correct in all cases. It is noteworthy to mention here that false positive tests occur due to the presence of a reducing agents, animal blood, peroxidases and many more. (Kastle-Meyer test:Limitations) FINGER PRINT PATTERNS IN IDENTICAL TWINS: When a fertilized egg splits into two, it leads to a development of two embryos. This leads to the development of Identical twins. Since the twins are formed from the same egg, their DNA is identical. The interactions between the environment in the fetus and the genes, plays an important role in the fingerprints and the appearance of a person. The environmental factors include blood pressure, nutrition, etc. (Twins Fingerprints: Identical Twins and fingerprints) The genes thus play an important role in depicting the fingerprint patterns in humans. The skin of the finger is in contact with various parts of the fetus and anionic fluids in the uterus. The interactions between the fingers and these parts changes due to the movement of the fetus and the mother. Thus this microenvironment plays an important role in the details of the fingerprint patterns. (Why Identical Twins have Di) Though there are only minimal changes in the environment, the differentiating cells make the differences in the fingerprint pattern to be seen evidently. All these reasons make fingerprint patterns in the twins to be different. This also makes fingerprints between the finger and the toes from being the same. (Why Identical Twins have Di) Eventhough after birth, identical twins just look the same they also have a few physical differences for e.g. moles which help in distinguishing one from the other. These physical differences amplify day by day and become greatly evident. CONCLUSION: Fingerprinting by dusting and ninhydrin solutions help in lifting them properly. It makes sure that none of the fingerprints in the crime scene is unnoticed. However, it is important to note that these techniques should be done only by people who are very experienced. Kastle-Meyer test helps in identification of blood stains but it also gives false positive tests. Hence the samples should be analyzed once again to check the presence of blood in it. The lab was very enriching and gave a true picture of what is done by forensic scientists at the crime scene.

Hurtful Love and Foolish Hope in Death of a Salesman Essay -- Death S

Hurtful Love and Foolish Hope in Death of a Salesman A father is an important role model in a young man's life; perhaps the most important. A father must guide his children, support them, teach them, and most importantly, love them. In the play Death of a Salesman, written by Arthur Miller, an aging salesman of 63, Willy Loman worked all his life for his children. Happy and especially Biff, his two sons, where his pride and joy and his reason for living. Willy tried as hard as he possibly could to provide for them, to support them, to mold them into men; but he failed. Willy's greatest fault, perhaps, was his inability to see his sons for what they really were. Biff and Happy were never destined to be great men, yet Willy always believed in them. Although Willy's hope is touching, it is also foolish. Willy Loman's blind faith in his son Biff's abilities destroyed Biff's sense of moderation and modesty. Despite Biff's obvious incompetence and mediocrity, Willy vehemently refused to accept his son's failure to "make the grade." Biff "stole himself out of every good job since high school!" (131), yet Willy cannot accept that his son is a "dime a dozen" and declares that Biff is merely failing to spite him. "I want you to know...where ever you go, that you cut down your life for spite!" (129). By blaming Biff for his problems, Willy clears himself of all guilt. Willy cannot realize that it was his ineptitude as a father that created Biff's character. If Willy was a little more aware of his son's situation, his true character, Biff may have realized sooner that he was not "a leader of men." When asked whose fault it is that he never accomplished anything, Biff answered "...I never got anywher... ...r looked up to was nothing more than a "fake", and Biff lost all reason to his life. Everything that Willy taught him was destroyed on that one night. Every rule, every piece of advice, was nulled by that one act of adultery. Willy Loman tried his best to be a good father. He encouraged his sons, he worked all his life for them, and he tried to help them in any way he could. The only problem was, although his heart was there, Willy just wasn't a good father. Willy did his best to raise his sons, but tragically, the more he tried, the worse they became. Ultimately, Willy failed as a father, but he did try his best. He loved his children, in some cases, too much. He loved them blindly, and never once questioned their greatness. Although love like that is touching, it also harmful. Willy's delusions of grandeur for his sons hurt them more than it helped them.

IT Applications and Groupware Essay

The three most important things that a company has to do so as to implement the use of groupware systems effectively starts with ensuring the collaboration of workers regarding the introduction of the technology. This initiative helps to create an image of the required culture in their mind. Further, it helps the workers to learn more about each other and creates a sense of respect among them. This strategy helps to break any antagonistic cultures in which they grew up whereby they may have been taught to work as individuals. This viewpoint creates the notion of selfishness amongst the workers. Conversely, ensuring worker cooperation helps to create a feeling of security with regard to employees providing support to the company (Thierauf, 2001). This makes them to be joint owners of the company, thus taking part in implementing the project. The workers are thus not dictated on what to do. Rather, the executive helps them to remove the obstacles amongst themselves and eliminate their resistance. Afterwards, the retraining of the workers about sharing takes place. This helps to recreate the attitude of sharing which have been eliminated from the workers’ minds by the prevailing environment. Such an undertaking begins with the introduction of education to individual persons whereby they are instructed to work as individuals. Further, they learn that to share equates to cheating within the school perspective. The employees thus tend to have a culture in them that disowns sharing. Such a culture calls for retraining. The concept of sharing helps them to work together. In turn, this development benefits the company in the sense that each employee will be allowed to make their decisions. The business thus retains the knowledgeable employees within the company. This group work also makes the output of the company to increase more than individual output. Such an outcome stems from the fact that a group can accomplish more tasks than an individual when each person is offered the opportunity to decide on how to accomplish a task (Galliers, Markus & Newell, 2007). The people are thus empowered to perform by themselves. During training, the influential leaders usually start early in helping the people to change and teaching the people about the importance of groupware. This undertaking promotes every idea regarding all opportunities in the planning of any specialized training in the anticipation that all the needed users are covered. In addition, it helps to create an awareness of what will be expected of them when the group ware system will be implemented. This is because the workers regain their trust in all people with whom they were formerly taught to be distrustful by their environment. It also gives each worker an opportunity to contribute their techniques in the business whereby the best are charged with the running of the company (Khosrowpour, 2001). It also helps to make sure that all the intended people are reached and that the barriers among them broken. This creates an atmosphere within which each individual is worthy in the business and wherein their views are incorporated into the running of the premise. After training, one should plan for the growth of the firm and be prepared to rise up quickly after the implementation. This improves the attitude of the workers because they derive satisfaction from the work output. Such a development promotes and improves their working life. Consequently, the lessons which they had learned in the training are articulated in the production process. This action helps to gauge the results of the project so that one can know if to sell the project to others if the results are tangible (Khosrowpour, 2000). Further, he owners are facilitated to gauge if the groupware system is productive and if its productivity can be replicated in other related firms.

Practice in Adding Adjectives and Adverbs to Sentences

Practice in Adding Adjectives and Adverbs to Sentences A common way of expanding a simple sentence is with modifierswords that add to the meanings of other words. The simplest modifiers are adjectives and adverbs. Adjectives modify nouns, while adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. For instance, in the sentence below, the adjective sad modifies the noun smile (the subject of the sentence). The clowns sad smile touched us deeply. In this same sentence, the adverb deeply modifies the verb touched. Used carefully, adjectives and adverbs can make our writing clearer and more precise. Arranging Adjectives Adjectives most often appear just in front of the nouns that they modify: The old, cranky caretaker refused to answer our questions. Notice that when two (or more) adjectives precede a noun, they are usually separated by commas. But occasionally adjectives follow the nouns they modify: The caretaker, old and cranky, refused to answer our questions. Here the commas appear outside the pair of adjectives, which are joined by the conjunction and. Placing the adjectives after the noun is a way of giving them added emphasis in a sentence. Adjectives sometimes appear in a third position in a sentence: after a linking verb such as am, are, is, was, or were. As their name implies, these verbs link adjectives with the subjects they modify. See if you can identify the adjectives in the sentences below: His voice was rough.Your children are cruel.This seat is wet. In each of these sentences, the adjective (rough, cruel, wet) modifies the subject but follows the linking verb (was, are, is). Arranging Adverbs Adverbs usually follow the verbs they modify: I dance occasionally. However, an adverb may also appear directly in front of the verb or at the very beginning of a sentence: I occasionally dance.Occasionally I dance. Because not all adverbs are this flexible in all sentences, you should try them out in different positions until you find the clearest arrangement. Practice in Adding Adjectives Many adjectives are formed from nouns and verbs. The adjective thirsty, for example, comes from thirst, which may be either a noun or a verb. Complete each sentence below with the adjective form of the italicized noun or verb. When youre done, compare your answers with those on page two. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina brought great destruction to the Gulf coast. It was one of the most _____ hurricanes in recent decades.All of our pets enjoy good health. Our collie is exceptionally _____, despite its advanced age.Your suggestion makes a great deal of sense. You have a very _____ idea.Google made record profits last year. It is one of the most _____ companies in the world.Dr. Krafts job requires patience and skill. He is a _____ negotiator.All through high school, Giles rebelled against his parents and teachers. Now he has three _____ children of his own.Telling jokes that will not offend others can be difficult. Some comedians are deliberately _____. Practice in Adding Adverbs Many adverbs are formed by adding -ly to an adjective. The adverb softly, for instance, comes from the adjective soft. Note, however, that not all adverbs end in -ly. Very, quite, always, almost, and often are some of the common adverbs that are not formed from adjectives. Complete each sentence below with the adverb form of the italicized adjective. When youre done, compare your answers with those on page two. The exam was easy. I passed _____.Leroys careless act set the warehouse on fire. He _____ tossed a cigarette into a tank of gasoline.Paige is a brave little girl. She fought _____ against the poltergeists.Howard is a graceful dancer. He moves _____.Toms apology sounded quite sincere. He said that he was _____ sorry for misusing the tax funds.Paula made a generous contribution to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. She gives _____ every year.The lecture was brief. Dr. Legree spoke _____ about the importance of flossing after every meal. Answers to the Exercise:Â  Practice in Adding Adjectives 1. destructive; 2. healthy; 3. sensible; 4. profitable; 5. patient; 6. rebellious; 7. offensive Answers to the Exercise:Â  Practice in Adding Adverbs 1. easily; 2. carelessly; 3. bravely; 4. gracefully; 5. sincerely; 6. generously; 7. briefly

Redesigned SAT Writing and Language Test

Redesigned SAT Writing and Language Test In March of 2016, the College Board will administer the first Redesigned SAT test to students across the country. This new Redesigned SAT test looks incredibly different from the current exam! One of the major changes is the retiring of the Writing test. It will be replaced by the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section, of which, the Writing and Language test is a major part. This page explains what you can expect to find from that portion when you sit for the exam in 2016.   Check out the Current SAT vs. Redesigned SAT chart for an easy explanation of each tests format.  Want to know even more about the redesign? Check out  Redesigned SAT 101  for  all  the facts.   Aim of the SAT Writing and Language Test According to the College Board, The basic aim of the redesigned SAT’s Writing and Language Test is to determine whether students can demonstrate college and career readiness proficiency in revising and editing a range of texts in a variety of content areas, both academic and career related, for development, organization, and effective language use and for conformity to the conventions of standard written English grammar, usage, and punctuation. Format of the SAT Writing and Language Test 4 complete passages 4 sections44 multiple-choice questions 11 questions per passage35 minutes 8 minutes 45 seconds per passage if youd like to plan your time. You will not be given only 8 minutes 45 seconds per passage – you may distribute the 35 minutes any way youd like.    Passage Information What exactly will you be reading on this Writing and Language test? Well, first, each of the four sections passages will be between 400 - 450 words for a total of 1700, so each is a manageable portion of text. One of the passages will be from a career perspective. Another text will relate to History or Social Studies. The third passage will relate to Humanities and the fourth will relate to Science. Youll also see one or more graphics in one or more of the test sections. In addition, the purposes of each passage will vary somewhat. One or two of the passages will make an argument; one or two will inform or explain; and one will be a nonfiction narrative. So, if youre a visual learner, here is an imagined example of what your Writing and Language test could look like: Section 1: A 425-word argument passage about the need for diversity in the workplace. 1 chart showing the percentages of ethnicities in healthcare. 11 questions Section 2: A 410-word passage explaining Julius Caesars reign. 11 questions Section 3: A 430-word passage arguing for an increase in nutrient-rich foods in cafeterias of Floridian schools. 1 table describing the daily nutrition of available lunches. 11 questions Section 4: A 435-word passage telling a story about a specific doctors use of robotics in her surgical procedures. 11 questions Writing and Language Skills Tested Youll have 44 questions; might as well figure out the skills those questions are designed to measure! On this exam, you should be able to do the following: Development: Add, revise, or retain central ideas, main claims, counterclaims, topic sentences, and the like to structure text and convey arguments, information, and ideas.Add, revise, or retain information and ideas (e.g., details, facts, statistics) intended to support claims or points in text clearly and effectively.Add, revise, retain, or delete information and ideas in text for the sake of relevance to topic and purpose.Relate information presented quantitatively in such forms as graphs, charts, and tables to information presented in text. Organization: Revise text as needed to ensure that information and ideas are presented in the most logical order.Revise text as needed to improve the beginning or ending of a text or paragraph to ensure that transition words, phrases, or sentences are used effectively to connect information and ideas. Effective Language Use: Revise text as needed to improve the exactness or content appropriateness of word choice.Revise text as needed to improve the economy of word choice (i.e., to eliminate wordiness and redundancy).Revise text as necessary to ensure consistency of style and tone within a text or to improve the match of style and tone to purpose. Use various sentence structures to accomplish needed rhetorical purposes. Sentence Structure: Recognize and correct grammatically incomplete sentences (e.g., rhetorically inappropriate fragments and run-ons).Recognize and correct problems in coordination and subordination in sentences.Recognize and correct problems in parallel structure in sentences.Recognize and correct problems in modifier placement (e.g., misplaced or dangling modifiers).Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense, voice, and mood within and between sentences.Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in pronoun person and number within and between sentences. Conventions of Usage: Recognize and correct pronouns with unclear or ambiguous antecedents.Recognize and correct cases in which possessive determiners (its, your, their), contractions (it’s, you’re, they’re), and adverbs (there) are confused with each other.Recognize and correct lack of agreement between pronoun and antecedent.Recognize and correct lack of agreement between subject and verb.Recognize and correct lack of agreement between nouns.Recognize and correct instances in which a word or phrase is confused with another (e.g., accept/except, allusion/illusion).Recognize and correct cases in which unlike terms are compared.Recognize and correct cases in which a given expression is inconsistent with standard written English. Conventions of Punctuation: Recognize and correct inappropriate uses of ending punctuation in cases in which the context makes the intent clear.Correctly use and recognize and correct inappropriate uses of colons, semicolons, and dashes to indicate sharp breaks in thought within sentences.Recognize and correct inappropriate uses of possessive nouns and pronouns as well as differentiate between possessive and plural forms.Correctly use and recognize and correct inappropriate uses of punctuation (commas and sometimes semicolons) to separate items in a series.Correctly use punctuation (commas, parentheses, dashes) to set off nonrestrictive and parenthetical sentence elements as well as recognize and correct cases in which restrictive or essential sentence elements are inappropriately set off with punctuation.Recognize and correct cases in which unnecessary punctuation appears in a sentence. Preparing for the Redesigned SAT Writing and Language Test The College Board and the Khan Academy are offering free test prep for students interested in getting ready for the exam. You read that correctly: Free. Check it out!

The Interconnection of Panopticism and the Cult of Domesticity Essay

The Interconnection of Panopticism and the Cult of Domesticity - Essay Example The prisoners themselves are constantly isolated from each other but remain in full view of the watchtower. The psychological affect upon the prisoners is that by being constantly aware of the possibility of the tower's attention, they modify their behavior accordingly. Foucault claims this relation has been adapted to all aspects of society, elements of which will be discussed shortly. However, the implications of this system are apparent in the social doctrines of the "Cult of Domesticity" which existed in America roughly from 1850-1950. The Cult of Domesticity refers to the prevailing attitudes that arose with the industrial age, in which the patriarch of the household went to work while the wife and children remained at home. Social standards therefore demanded a woman be pious (to uphold the religious standards of the house), pure (in terms of sexual felicity to the husband), submissive (in that the husband had final authority), and domestic (housework maintenance was believed to strengthen piety and purity). As the working world belonged to men, the order of the household was a woman's domain. The combination of social panopticism and demands of the cult of domesticity naturally caused distress to the psyche of many women. Evidence of both can be illuminated through examining their influence in the lives of women: firstly by analyzing such stories as "The Yel low Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin, and "A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner, then lastly by examining the life of Ida B. Wells through the documentary Ida B. Wells: A Passion for Justice. In "The Yellow Wallpaper," Gilman portrays an invalid narrator who is essentially kept helpless and bedridden by her husband, John, and his sister Jennie. Not only is her husband the authority in the house, he is also a practicing physician. This makes the narrator at a distinct disadvantage, for not only must she be submissive to her husband, but he is privy to the 'scientific' theories bolstering the cult of domesticity. These sexist theories were supported by several masculine observations: firstly, that women had less physical stamina than men, as their monthly menstruations incapacitate them while also inducing 'insanity', and secondly, because female systems fluctuated so to their reproductive cycles, women were viewed as delicate and therefore susceptible to over exhaustion. Medical opinion of the time held that the body contained only a certain amount of energy; as a woman's reproductive system was so complex, all of her energy must be available to its equilibrium. Intellect ual activity was believed to drain away energy need for these organs hence, Gilman's narrator is constantly fearful that she will be discovered writing in her book. John, as a doctor, proscribes nothing but rest for the narrator to recover her energies; as her husband, he enforces this by keeping her isolated in the bedroom most of the day. The circumstances of the narrator directly parallel the conditions Foucault describes in the Panopticon prison model. The prisoner is kept under constant, but random, observation, to the point where she begins to suspect constant observation when she personifies the wallpaper into a watchful guard. The wallpaper becomes a symbol of her imprisonment,

How should we react and respond to those who are significantly Essay

How should we react and respond to those who are significantly different from ourselves - Essay Example But resistance and antagonism towards the homosexuals is also growing. A case in point is the gay bashing of James Maestas in the New Mexican capital of Santa Fe, USA to a (Auslander, Jason. 2005). If the homosexuality is only a natural phenomenon and if the practitioners are frowned upon, it should be construed only as a majority versus minority issue, where minorities must be entitled to equal opportunities and should not be subjected to any discrimination. But is there more to the matter than meets the eye? So the Lord told Abraham, â€Å"I have heard a great outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah, because their sin is so flagrant.† (Genesis 18.20). The sins of Sodom and Gomorrah were lesbianism and homosexuality. Hence the organized Christian and Islamic religions will not be in a position to accept the practice of homosexuality. Devout Christians and Muslims may take the onus upon themselves to rid the society of such ‘sinful’ people, laying rumble strips on the path to a peaceful enactment of state laws to make same-sex relationship socially acceptable. Hindu texts, myths and sculptures, on the other hand, have at least maintained the existence of the third sex, homosexuality, etc. In the text Mahabharata, an important character, Shikhandi, is born female, but raised as a boy. The God’s promise to King Drupada, Shikhandi’s father, was that he would be neither man nor woman. The Hindu vedic sex manual known as ‘kama sutra’ describes homosexuality and lesbianism. Medieval Hindu temples such as Khajuraho depict some same-sex scenes on the external walls. The religious texts and the medieval sculptors would generate the impression that Hindus would accept homosexuality. In fact, sexuality is a taboo subject in modern India and same-sex marriage is banned. Hindu society does not approve of homosexuality and lesbianism, but of late, Hindu reform movements in the West publicly support social acceptance of lesbians and gays Winston