Republican Party Essay

The Republican Party has always been the true political party of the United States of America. When referring to the Declaration of Independence’s three principles based on John Locke’s and Thomas Jefferson‘s definitions of them. The three principles of the Declaration are the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The Republican Party is superior to the Democratic Party in upholding the Declaration’s principles and biblical God given rights. There are three policies that show that coincide with the prominent Declaration principles that exemplify the dominance of the Republican Party to the Democratic Party. For principle life it is the parties views on abortion, liberty it is the views on gun control, and the pursuit of happiness it is the views on taxes. The principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness were originally defined by Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson constructed his definitions from inspirations he received from John Locke‘s writings, primarily from his book Two Treaties. John Locke’s principles slightly differed from the ones in the Declaration and consisted of the principles life, liberty, and property. He called these principles the people’s natural rights, meaning all men are innately born with the right to them. John Locke defines life as God given and that all people are God’s property and entitled to life. Locke defines liberty as â€Å"not a state of license,† but as a rightful and moral exercise of freedom. He states that liberty does not give man the right to take his own life or hinder the liberty of others. A man cannot harm the health, possessions, or life of another man. Locke lastly defines the natural right to property. Locke defines this principle as more than owning things, but also owning oneself. He also defines property as owning the common, the things citizens labor to have. An example of owning then common Locke gives is, if a man catches a fish in the ocean, cooks it and eats it because he labored for it and it was God given. Jefferson based the definitions of life and liberty off of Locke’s definitions in the Declaration of Independence, but changed property and redefined it as the pursuit of happiness. Jefferson defines the pursuit of happiness as mans right to pursue happiness, but not the right to happiness. The Republican party best follows the definition of life according to the Declaration of Independence with their view on abortion. The big difference between the Republican party and the Democratic party on this issue is the Republican party sees abortion as wrong and the Democratic party does not. The republicans are pro-life and conservative and believe that each human being has the right to live and abortion is equivalent to murder. In 2008, approximately one million, twenty-one thousand abortions took place in the U. S. , that’s over one million murders. The Republican Party recognizes that even in the womb the fetus is unique and is a living being with the inalienable right to life and has a creator. The Republican Party as a generalized view believes that human life commences at conception, and therefore has individual and exclusive rights from the mother, which in turn does not give permission to the mother to abort the child. The Democratic Party is the liberal party and is pro-choice in the abortion debate. They believe that being the future mother or it being the women’s body gives her the privilege to make the decision regarding the fetus life. A fair point, but one you never hear is that the government should not try to control what a citizen does with their body, just like it does not tell them what they should eat. Then again, it would be an oxymoron for they do believe in governmental control. The Democratic Party is the party that states that they are the moving forward political party, and they are the ones who manufactured Planned Parenthood, a facility, located across the country, which dedicates their expertise on making a profit on the mistake of, typically, young girls. Planned Parenthood was first opened in 1916 by Margaret Sanger, her sister and a friend. Inauspiciously, she was jailed, but her idea birthed the revelation and a revolution of the movement of women. It gave women the opportunity to fight for not only their body, but for their lives. The Democratic Party, and thus the Federal government have made it very clear that this is an issue worth fighting. Democrats see abortion as a woman’s right to choose what she does with her body neglecting the fetuses right to life. They believe credit the choice of abortion to liberty and since the fetus is inside of the mother she has the liberty to decide what happens. The Republican Party embodies the Declaration of Independence’s absolute right to liberty by their views on gun control. The Republican Party has not only been an advocator of the citizens right to liberty, but also immensely advocates the second amendment. The Second Amendment states, â€Å"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. † The second amendment was is to firstly, defend us from foreign invaders if our army cannot hold them back and it is necessary if a crisis that large ever occurred for American’s to be able to defend there country. Republicans believe right to own a gun is a law-abiding citizens liberty to exercise their freedom to self-defense or to hunt on legal hunting grounds. Republicans do not support guns for hindering the life or liberty of others, but do respect the peoples right to own one. Republicans â€Å"oppose federal licensing of law-abiding gun owners & national gun registration as a violation of the Second Amendment and an invasion of privacy of honest citizens. † The Republican Party defends citizen’s Constitutional right and inalienable right to liberty with their political principles on gun control. The Democratic Party’s view on gun control differs from the Republican viewpoint. Democrats believe the right to bear arms should be severely regulated. Some of the regulations they propose are passing a background check, applying for a permit (which includes having to attend a course teaching on how to handle a weapon), and a copy of the citizen’s mental health record. Democrats believe they are still protecting and acknowledging the Second Amendment, but are by having higher gun control restrictions keeping the guns out of the hands of criminals and terrorists. Democrats believe that strengthening the governments gun control regulations will decrease violence, ignoring that they are infringing on the Declaration of Independence’s inherent right of liberty. The last inalienable right of the Declaration of Independence is the pursuit of happiness. The Republicans best symbolizes this right with their view on taxes. The United States government taxes just about everything, ranging from income taxes to a food taxes to property taxes. The Republican Party believes in only taxing to â€Å"raise money for essential functions. † This means hat Republican believe that the government should spend the citizens tax money only to enforce contracts maintain basic infrastructure and national security, and protect the citizens against criminals. Thus giving American citizens the best chance to pursue happiness. Republicans do not believe the money they get from taxpayers is theirs, but that it is the taxpayers and that it should be invested in a way that is best for them and benefits their futures the most. They strongly believe in keeping taxes low for all citizens. The Republicans are trying to enforce a tax system to help boost the economy called Tax Relief. This program will reduce the taxes for all businesses primarily small businesses to make it easier for the businesses to grow. If this were to happen it would provide many Americans with jobs. Another thing Republicans do to help Americans easier pursue happiness with their beliefs on taxes is they seek to limit the income tax so citizens can save more money, choose easier what they spend their money on, or invest in something. The Democratic position is not like the Republican Party’s and does not represent the inalienable right to the pursuit of happiness. Democrats aim to raise taxes for government funding that they believe will turn into businesses. They wish to cut taxes for the middle class and increase them upon the wealthy. The wealthy class is considered the top one percent income earners. Contrary to the Republican Party the Democrats believes that you feed in the money with the poor, so rather than giving taxes breaks to the rich, you offer the poor money to go to school, get out of their situation, find a job and move their family in a better home. Citizens will find that the Democratic Party demands many tax increases especially on people who make more than a million dollars a year, also called the one percent. The common argument regarding tax increases, that rich people never pay taxes and regardless of the number they never lose a dime. And that all it does it put more paper in the system making the revenue of the United States of America augment. The Republican party does not only follow the inalienable rights better as they are defined in the Declaration of Independence, but they also follow them better as God given rights. God is the one who gave people the right to life, liberty, and happiness. The Republican views best coincide with the Biblical views of the inalienable rights stated in the Declaration of Independence. The verse Jeremiah 1:4-5 best amplifies the Lord’s view on abortion. It says â€Å"Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: â€Å"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations. † This means that the Lord knew everyone before they were born and created him or her each uniquely. Americans are all God’s children and since He knew them before they were born that means taking one of their lives would be murder. Verse Exodus 20:13 says, â€Å"Thou shalt not kill. † Therefore the Republican Party and their position against abortion best follow God’s will of life. The next God given right or inalienable that the Republican Party best represents is liberty. Part of the definition of the indisputable right to liberty is that you may not interfere with or hinder the liberty of another person. The Bible verse that demonstrates the respecting of others liberty is Leviticus 19:18 â€Å"Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. † The Republicans represent this with their view on again gun control. The Republicans do not allow gun usage for the misconduct or injury of others. The last God given right is the right to the pursuit of happiness. The Bible verse Ecclesiates 5:19 best demonstrates that God wanted His creations to be happy and pursue it. The verse says, â€Å"Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept His work—this is a gift of God. † This verse goes along directly with Thomas Jefferson’s definition of the pursuit of happiness. God gave all humans the ability to be happy, but it is their job to pursue it and achieve it. The Republican principle that best goes along with the Biblical view of the pursuit of happiness is taxes because Republicans do their best to use the taxpayer’s money to benefit them. They also try to take as little from people as they can. Based on the Declaration of Independence’s and God given inalienable rights, the Republican Party is the true political party of the United States. The Republican Party best simulates the definitions given by John Locke and Thomas Jefferson for the principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They demonstrate this by their political standpoints on the controversial issues of abortion, gun control, and taxes.

Qualitative Objectives Essay Example

Qualitative Objectives Essay Example Qualitative Objectives Paper Qualitative Objectives Paper This could be done on a database more easily by the use of a query to bring the two forms together, making it very easy to look at and analyse.  Objectives for the new system  Qualitative Objectives:  Improve speed and ease of accessing, and updating the data on all the students, subjects and grades information forms.  Trap user errors in data entry by providing validations for the input. Data entry should be as fast as possible, particularly as there will be a lot of students to add to the database when it is first set up and installed.  Enable user to easily extract information such as class lists of students for a subject and total predicted grades as well as Target Minimum Grade (TMG).  Quantitative Objectives:  A new student can be added to the database within 5 seconds.  The database can hold up to 150 student records.  It should take no longer than 15 seconds to find all the student data required like student details, student subjects, current grades, subject teachers to compile a report for the student. Data Flows  A data flow diagram of the parts of the proposed system is shown below:  Students  Details  Tasks  Kate needs to store the students, ID, name, address, name of parent, telephone number, sex and date of birth on a personal information table.  Apart from this tables are needed on which subject the students are studying. Each subject has to have a code and a subject name. She also wants the level being studied and the year (1,2). The system that is going to be created needs to consist of several tables and forms so that Kate is able to:  Create, delete and amend records.  Input forms are needed which allow her to enter details about students, including which subject they are doing in which module and their current grade.  To make this easier look up tables will be used so that she can pick the appropriate subject from a list of subjects from the class/subject ID.  She wants a record of the students target minimum grade and current estimated grades for each subject so that she can monitor their progress.  Any other items which are not mentioned but may have to be designed in order to make logical sense of the data base will be included in the appendix

Definition and Examples of Dissoi Logoi in Rhetoric

Definition and Examples of Dissoi Logoi in Rhetoric In classical rhetoric, dissoi logoi is the concept of opposing arguments, a cornerstone of Sophistic ideology and method. Also known as  antilogike. In ancient Greece, the dissoi logoi were rhetorical exercises intended for imitation by students. In our own time, we see dissoi logoi at work in the courtroom, where litigation is not about truth but rather the preponderance of evidence (James Dale Williams, An Introduction to Classical Rhetoric, 2009). The words dissoi logoi are from the Greek for double arguments.  Dissoi Logoi  is the title of an anonymous  sophistic  treatise thats generally thought to have been written about 400 BC. See Examples and Observations below. Also see: ArgumentationDebateDialecticElenchusMemoryPreparing an Argument: Explore Both Sides of an IssueSocratic DialogueSophism and SophistryStasis Examples and Observations The essential feature [of dissoi logoi], [G.B.] Kerferd writes, was not simply the occurrence of opposing arguments but the fact that both opposing arguments could be expressed by a single speaker, as it were within a single complex argument (The Sophistic Movement [1981], p. 84). Such an argumentative procedure could force any question into an Aporia by pointing out that each side was true within the terms that it had chosen to develop the argument. Both sides depended, ultimately, on language and its imperfect correspondence to the outside world, whatever one might think that world to be. A form of this analytical technique has recently been revived under the name of Deconstruction. Or, the parties could agree to accept one position as superior, even though it manifestly depended on human argument and not Divine Truth. It is from this accommodation to antithetical structure that Anglo-Saxon jurisprudence descends: we arrange social issues into diametrically opposed questions, arran ge a dramatic display of their conflict, and (since the law cannot afford aporia as a conclusion to social disputes) accept the jury-audiences verdict as a defining truth, a precedent for future disputation.(Richard Lanham, A Handlist of Rhetorical Terms, 2nd ed. University of California Press, 1991) In essence, dissoi logoi posits that one side (logos) of an argument defines the existence of the other, creating a rhetorical situation in which at least two logoi struggle for dominance. In contrast, Western cultures implicit assumption that argument is about truth or falsity urges one to assume that one side of the argument is true or more accurate and that other accounts are false or less accurate. Quite differently, Sophists acknowledge that one side of the argument might in a particular context represent the stronger logos and others the weaker, but this does not preclude a weaker logos from becoming the stronger in a different or future context. Sophism assumes that the stronger logos, no matter how strong, will never completely overcome competing logoi and earn the title of absolute truth. Ratherand this is the heart of dissoi logoiat least one other perspective is always available to serve as an other to the stronger argument.(Richard D. Johnson-Sheehan, Sophistic Rhetoric. Theorizing Composition: A Critical Sourcebook of Theory And Scholarship in Contemporary Composition Studies, ed. by Mary Lynch Kennedy. Greenwood, 1998) Dissoi LogoiThe Original Treatise Dissoi Logoi (twofold arguments) is the name, taken from its first two words, that has been given to a tract which is attached to the end of the manuscript of Sextus Empiricus. . . . It contains arguments which are capable of bearing opposed meanings, and it has sections dealing with Good and Bad, Decent and Disgraceful, Just and Unjust, True and False, together with a number of untitled sections. It has the look of a students lecture notes, but this appearance may be deceptive. The contents are what we might expect in Protagoras Antilogiai, but it is safer simply to designate them as sophistic.For example, to prove that Decent and Disgraceful are really the same, the following double argument is brought forward: for women to wash themselves in the home is decent, but women washing in the palaestra would be disgraceful [it would be all right for men]. Therefore, the same thing is both disgraceful and decent.(H. D. Rankin, Sophists, Socratics and Cynics. Barnes Noble Books, 1983) Dissoi Logoi  on Memory The greatest and fairest discovery has been found to be memory; it is useful for everything, for wisdom as well as for the conduct of life. This is the first step: if you focus your attention, your mind, making progress by this means, will perceive more. The second step is to practice whatever you hear. If you hear the same things many times and repeat them, what you have learned presents itself to your memory as a connected whole. The third step is: whenever you hear something, connect it with what you know already. For instance, suppose you need to remember the name Chrysippos, you must connect it with chrusos (gold) and hippos (horse).(Dissoi Logoi, trans. by Rosamund Kent Sprague. Mind, April 1968)

Detection masses in digital mammography images using neural networks Thesis

Detection masses in digital mammography images using neural networks - Thesis Example In film screen mammography, special films and intensifying screens are used to detect breast cancer. FSM provides high quality images at low radiation doses (DeFelice 2002, p. 12). Denise and Farleigh (2005) assert, â€Å"The major limitation of traditional mammography is that the film serves simultaneously as the image receptor, display medium, and long term storage medium for the image†. Digital mammography makes use of solid-state detectors in order to display images of breasts on the computer screen. Denise and Farleigh (2005) found that separation of image acquisition, image processing, and display to be one of the principal advantages of digital imaging system. Digital mammography also makes use of CAD (Computer-Aided Detection), which assists the physicians in image interpretation. Mass detection in mammograms refers to the detection of those groups of cells that cause breast cancer. Bick and Diekmann (2010, p.100) found that sensitivity to be not high enough in mass detection. Computer-aided detection system, cellular neural networks, a two-stage hybrid classification network, and some other techniques can be used for mass detection. Bruynooghe (2006), in an article, found that in case of hybrid network, an unsupervised classifier is used to examine suspicious opacities, and then some supervised interpretation rules are applied to reduce false detections. Cellular neural networks play a vital role in mass detection. Kupinski and Giger (2002) showed in a research that features extracted from potential lesion areas are sent through a neural network to decide whether the area is a true lesion or a false detection. Using CAD as a system for image interpretation is very facilitating for the physicians. However, some researchers suggest improvements in the current CAD technology. One of those suggestions includes development of a CAD system with increased ability to detect actual abnormalities instead of marking

Mining-hazrds Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mining-hazrds - Assignment Example The hazards are more dangerous and also unhealthy as compared to other industries. Among the difficulties are the working conditions in the quarries and mines. The employees are exposed to climatic and also weather conditions especially those working in the surface mines. Sometimes the mines may be covered during winter but it only makes the work much more dangerous. However, surface mines pose less risk compared with underground mines. They are recorded to be a dump, noisy, dark and even hot. It, therefore, poses a risk to the health of the workers (Hopkins 2001, p. 25). Water may cover the tunnel floors up to the level of several inches. The only source of lighting in the mines is from the hats of the workers. The operations in the mines get done on limited space. Workers are forced to work on their stomach, knees, hands or their backs. It, therefore, makes the environment less conducive to work. There are unique dangers in the underground mines such as the mine fires, workers being exposed to harmful gases, cave-in and also explosions. Additional hazard that gets experienced in the mining industry is dust. It is generated by the drilling process in the mines. Workers who get exposed to the dust are prone to contaminating lung diseases (Hopkins 2001, p. 26). Hazards can get compared on an international level. It becomes important to integrate the groupings of hazards as well as labeling. A system for all chemicals and also mixtures of the chemicals has, therefore, got established. The classification of the chemical enables the consideration of the adverse effects and helps in evaluating the steps to take. The community, on the other hand, is directly affected by the mining operations. The hazards are felt by the community as they lose their people in the mines. Mining operations affects the community socially, environmentally and also economically. Therefore, the community should get involved

History of Commercial Aviation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

History of Commercial Aviation - Research Paper Example Passengers could easily book their flights over the telephone. Commuter airlines started as Broome County Aviation Inc. from the start of this airline in 1957 to the end in 1984; this airline was run by the Winston family. This airline carries people over short distances and run on a regular schedule. These short distances may be between Boston and New York. By 1917, the United States government felt that a significant progress had been done in developing planes and warranted a new idea. This new idea was transporting mail by air. During that year, Congress took $100,000 for an experimental airmail service to be carried out jointly by the Post Office and the Army between New York and Washington D.C, with a midway stop in Philadelphia (Wells and Wensveen, 52). With many war-surplus aircrafts been seen, the Post Office set its places of interest on the transcontinental air service. On May 15, 1919, the first segment was opened between Cleveland and Chicago and the air route was completed on September 8, 1920, when the toughest part of the course, the Rocky Mountains, was covered. By the use of airplanes to deliver mail, the Post Office gained the capabilities of shaving a significant 22hours off coast to coast deliveries of mail (Wells and Wensveen, 54). As different governments met the scope and standards for developing civil air industry when the war was ending, the United States took a maximum operating freedom position. The airline companies in the United States were not hit harder such as the Asian and European airline companies. This first choicefor operating organizations goes on, with limitations, to the present day. As World War I, World War II made the airline industry change a lot. Many airline companies in the Allied nations were even from lease agreements to the military. These airline companies anticipated a future increase demand for civil air transport, for both cargo and passengers

Mertons theory

Mertons theory Compare and contrast Mertons theory and the labelling theory of deviance. I. Introduction Your Essay Outline Write about Compare and contrast Mertons theory and the labelling theory of deviance in the first sentence. Summarize Mertons Theory in the second sentence. Summarize Labelling Theory of Deviance in the second sentence. Summarize Comparions contrast in the third sentence. Briefly summarize So in short, both theories try to explain crime from a social perspective but one explains why crime begins while the other one explains why crime continues. in the final sentence of the first paragraph. In second paragraph you need to expand on Mertons Theory. Write one sentence summarizing Mertons Theory. Then write two sentences expounding on Mertons Theory. Be sure to back up your argument for Mertons Theory. In the final sentence transition from Mertons Theory to Labelling Theory of Deviance In third paragraph you need to expand on Labelling Theory of Deviance. Write one sentence summarizing Labelling Theory of Deviance. Then write two sentences expounding on Labelling Theory of Deviance. Be sure to back up your argument for Labelling Theory of Deviance. In the final sentence transition from Labelling Theory of Deviance to Comparions contrast. In fourth paragraph you need to expand on Comparions contrast. Write one sentence summarizing Comparions contrast. Then write two sentences expounding on Comparions contrast. Be sure to back up your argument for Comparions contrast. In the final sentence transition from Comparions contrast to your So in short, both theories try to explain crime from a social perspective but one explains why crime begins while the other one explains why crime continues.. In the fifth and final paragraph, summarize Mertons Theory again. Summarize Labelling Theory of Deviance again. Summarize Comparions contrast again. Then write two sentences stating your So in short, both theories try to explain crime from a social perspective but one explains why crime begins while the other one explains why crime continues.. Outline and assess the structionalist themes of crime and deviance Structural theories of deviance are similar to Mertons theory. They explain the origins of deviance in terms of the position of individuals or groups in the social structure. In the 1930s Robert k Merton wrote an article entitled Social Structure and Anomie. It became one of the most influential explanations of crime and deviance. He offered a social rather than psychological or biological explanation. In particular, it was a structionalist theory as it saw the structure of society shaping peoples behaviour. According to Merton, American culture attaches great importance to success and success is measured in terms of money and material possessions. There are norms which define legitimate means for achieving success. These legitimate means include gaining skills and qualifications and career advancement. The American dream states that anybody can make it to the top if they try hard enough. So much emphasis is placed on material success that many people experience pressure to deviate from accepted norms and values. Deviance occurs when they reject the goals of success and/or the legitimate means of reaching that goal. For example, some people are tempted to use nay means of getting to the top-even if that involves criminal behaviour. Merton refers to this pressure as a strain to anomie. Anomie means normlessness it refers to a situation where norms no longer guide behaviour, where anything goes. Despite what the American dream says, not everybody has an equal chance at success. The social structure prevents equal opportunity. In particular, the strain to anomie is most strongly felt by those at the bottom of the class structure. They are less likely to acquire skills and qualifications needed to reach the top. As a result, they are more likely to seek alternative routes to success. Merton identifies five possible adaptations or responses to the strain to anomie in American society, conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism, rebellion. Conformity according to Merton, most people conform despite the strain to anomie. Even if they dont make it, they continue to strive for success and follow the normative means of getting there. Innovation, people who adopt the deviant adaptation accept the goals of success but, in Mertons words, they have little access to conventional and legitimate means to becoming successful. As a result, some innovate-they turn to legitimate means, to crime. The pressure to select this adaptation is greatest for those in the lower levels of the class system. Ritualism, people who follow this deviant route abandon the goal of success, but stick rigidly to the rules- for example, people in dead end, white collar occupations that follow their job descriptions to the letter. Retreatism, this deviant adaptation involves a rejection of both the goal of success and the normative means of achieving it. It applies to people who drop out- tramps, drug addicts and habitual drunkards. Rebellion, this involves a rejection of conventional goals and means and their replacement with alternatives. The revolutionary who seeks to change society illustrates this type of deviant adaptation. Mertons strain theory was an early attempt to explain crime and deviance in terms of culture and structure of society. It provided a sociological alternative to biological and psychological theories. In particular, it offered an explanation for working class crime. Whatever its weaknesses, Mertons work provided a spur for the development of further theories of crime and deviance. Mertons theory does raise a number of unanswered questions. First, why do people but not others adopt deviant adaptations? For example, why do some people in the lower levels of the class system turn to crime but others do not? Secondly, Mertons theory focuses on individuals rather than groups. Crime and deviance are often collective activities. How can this be explained in terms of strain theory? Thirdly, crime and deviance are not always motivated by a desire for monetary gain. How can activities such as vandalism and fighting between rival gangs be explained in terms of Mertons theory? In search for these answers subculural theory was formed. Subcultural theories explain deviance in terms of the subculture of a social group. They argue that certain groups develop norms and values which to some extent different from those held by other members of society. For example, some groups of criminals or delinquents might develop norms that encourage and reward criminal activity. Other members of society may regard such activities as immoral, and strongly disapprove of them. Subcultual theories claim that deviance is the result of individuals conforming to the norms and values of the social group to which they belong. Members of subcultures are not completely different from other members of society: they may speak the same language, wear similar clothes, and attach the same value to family life. However, their subculture is sufficiently different from the culture of society as a whole to lead to them committing acts that are generally regarded as deviant. Often, structural and sub cultural theories are combined, as in Albert Cohens analysis of delinquency. The development of subcultures is explained in terms of the position of groups and individuals in the social structure. Cohen was the first sociologist to develop a subcultual theory of working class crime and deviance. He examined delinquent gangs in low-income, inner city areas. Delinquency refers to the criminal and anti social acts of young people. Cohen agreed with Merton that the mainstream value of success creates problems for young working class males. Many do badly at school and fail to acquire the skills and qualifications needed for success. Employing Durkheims concept of anomie, Robert K Merton, an American sociologist, developed his theory of deviance by analysing the American reward system. Mertons argument is that in a well-regulated society, goals and the means of achieving these goals are integrated in that they are available to all in society. In some societies the accepted means of achieving these goals are not available to all, hence those who wish to achieve the goals, but are not able to do so through legitimate means, must adapt to the situation. Merton presented a typology describing the modes of adaptation. The important aspect of the typology is the relationship between the cultural goals and the institutionalised means of achieving them. I will describe the typology in the following paragraphs. Howard S. Beckers labelling theory of deviance asserts that deviance and conformity result, not so much from what people do, but from how others respond to those actions. It analyses how definitions for deviant behaviour are created by social groups. Merton then sets out a typology of modes of adaptation in terms of conformity, or non-conformity, to cultural goals and institutionalised means: 1. Innovation accepting cultural goals but employing illegitimate means, for example, property theft, cheats. 2. Ritualism adherence to means whilst ignoring the goals, for example, bureaucratic adherence to routine going through the motions. 3. Retreatism withdrawal, opting out of socially defined desirable behaviour, for example, alcoholics, addicts. 4. Rebellion not only rejection of goals and means, but a positive attempt to replace them with alternative values, for example, political revolutionaries, religious prophets. Mertons analysis suggests that deviant behaviour is functional. First, for the individuals involved, since it enables them to adapt to the circumstances in which they find themselves. And second, for society as a whole since modes of individual adaptation help to maintain the boundaries between acceptable and non-acceptable forms of behaviour. Criticisms 1. Non conformity, such as ritualism, is not really the same as deviance (indeed with ritualism you do the actions, but have the wrong thoughts its nearer blasphemy). It does not convey the same stigmatising quality as in the label deviant. 2. The assumption of cultural consensus is implicit in the idea of cultural goals, and ignores the possibility of sub-cultures and a pluralistic culture, where cultural goals might differ considerably. 3. It does not really provide a causal theory as to why some groups might adapt via rebellion and others by retreatism. Obviously some form of socialised commitment and differential associations becomes crucial for influencing perceptions of the alternatives to conformity. It does not explain movement into deviant careers. 4. It does not take into account that just as legitimate means to success are limited, that so too are the illegitimate opportunities. Not everyone has equal access to criminal sub-cultures. An analysis of the opportunities for deviant activity is required. However, Merton never claimed that his typology was a total theory of deviance and many of the criticisms of his work were picked up on and improvements attempted by sub-cultural theorists. Conclusion Mertons strain theory is basically an explanation of why people commit crime. His approach involves looking at how people accept reject or redefine our cultural goals according to the means available to them in accepting those goals. So for example, success is the goal, the appropriately accepted way to achieve success in America is through the belief that hard work will get us success. But many people work hard and are not successful. So one adjustment would be to reject the idea that hard work is how to become successful and replace that means of achieving success with an alternative method such as selling drugs. You achieve monetary success without hard work. Labeling theory is also an effort to explain crime from a sociological position. However labeling theory explains why a person continues committing a crime but does not explain why they committed a crime in the first place. So in short, both theories try to explain crime from a social perspective but one explains why crime begins while the other one explains why crime continues.