The Benefits of Living in America. Essay -- USA, ESL essays

Fireworks cracking and lighting up the sky, hot dogs cooking on the grill, and a cold drink in a red, white, and blue paper cup. It is the forth of July, Independence day, the day Americans put all of their worries to the side to celebrate the freedom of the country that they live in, America. Those who live in the USA may experience more freedom and comfort then those who live in other parts of the world. America is highly praised for their education, diverse crowds, and socially accepting everyone despite their race, religion, or special needs. Many people from all over the world come to America to get a better education then the one being offered to them by their own country, mainly because of it's elite schools, endless study choices, and flexablility. Having the choice of where, what...

Atheists are also Gods Instruments Verse Analysis :: essays research papers

Atheists are God's instruments, and not only them, but everything as well. Note what the Apostle Paul has written in the Bible: "For he saith unto Moses, 'I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.' So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, 'Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the Earth.' Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth." Romans 9:15-18. There are other verses, but for now let us evaluate the above passage from the King James Version: 1. God has mercy on those whom He wants to have mercy on. He has compassion/love on those whom He wants to love. 2. Man can try to do something, but it is God who has made the decisions and it is God who pre-destinated all things. 3. God pre-destined all things of what will happen to them. 4. The Egyptian Pharaoh was created for God's purposes. The purposes were: God showed His power and God's name was declared throughout all the Earth. 5. Pharaoh probably did not know God's true intentions. Even if Pharaoh knew what it was, he was still unable to resist what has been pre-destined by the Creator. Let us take a closer look at what happened in the book of Exodus: "And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the Lord had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent. Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods. And he hardened Pharaoh's heart, that he hearkened not unto them, as the Lord has said. And the Lord said unto Moses, 'Pharaoh's heart is hardened, he refuseth to let the people go.'" Exodus 7:10-14. 1. Pharaoh saw the power of the Lord, and refused to submit even when Aaron's rod swallowed the magician's rods. 2. God himself hardened the heart of Pharaoh. See also Exodus 8:15 and other verses which show that Pharaoh's heart was hardened.

Huckelburry Finn Essay -- essays research papers

Huckleberry Finn’s Journey Through Life The Adventures of Huckelberry Finn takes the readers through many different twists and turns as well as emotions. A stunning tale about a young boy who is looking to over come his father and make it on his own. Here, I set out on a task to find the hero’s journey as expressed throughout this story. The story begins off with the main character, Huck, planning to break out of his ordinary world. Huck is living with the Widow Douglas upon the disappearance of his father. His father, whom most have presumed to be dead, is a character that comes in later in the story and leaves the readers with a feeling of disgust. When the story takes a turn and the readers realize Huck’s father is indeed alive, we are given the chance to meet him. â€Å" I used to be scared of him all the time, he tanned me so much†(20). His Father has come back into town upon learning that Huck has come into a great deal of money. A series of events lead to Huck’s father, Pap, kidnapping Huck and taking him far away from the Widow Douglas to a place where no one could find them. Huck shows himself to be a smart boy using his â€Å"Tom Sawyer like skills† to runaway from his father and that’s where his call to adventure begins. Recognizing Pap’s patterns, Huck waits for the proper time when his father leaves to get to the busy work in planning his own escape. When Huck finishes up his clever plan he realizes Pap is on his way back to the cabin in which they stayed. He gets in his canoe and heads to Jackson island. From there he watches the next day as the people in the town come and look for his missing carcass. After a few days Huck begins to explore the island and to his surprise he finds Jim, one of Miss Watson’s slaves. Jim has escaped and is on the same island as he is! Immediately, strings begin to tug on his heart as he battles with his conscience. He has to decide whether or not to turn Jim in! After all, he was sure happy to see Jim. This is where the refusal of the call comes into place. Huck, someone who’s always seen Jim as a slave now sees that Jim, like everyone else is a real person with feelings. He can’t take him back to Miss Watson without turning himself in as well. Jim and Huck's friendship begins to blossom as Jim turns into Huck’s mentor. â€Å"Jim said if we had the canoe hid in a good place, and all the traps in the cavern, we could rush t... .... Tom then yells that Jim isn’t a slave! Jim has been free ever since Miss Watson died and freed him in her will. Apparently Miss Watson was so ashamed about planning to sell Jim that she felt it best to set him free. Return with treasure, and what a treasure indeed. Jim, now a completely free man. They were free from the King and Duke and free from the Phelps’ as well. Tom gives Jim forty dollars for putting up with them the entire time and for being such a good prisoner. Jim turns to Huck and tells him he was right about being a rich man one day. The story comes to an end when Huck learns that Aunt Sally wants to adopt him. Huck wants nothing to do with the civilized life again. He needs to start planning on heading west since he already tried to become civilized once before and did not like it. Huckelberry Finn, truly a good story that captures the hearts and minds of readers everywhere. â€Å"But I got to light out for the Territory ahead of the rest, because Aunt Sally she’s going to adopt me and sivilize me and I can’t stand it. I been there before†(229). A few of the very last words in the book. Here expresses the events of the hero’s journey throughout Huckelberry Finn.

Pip and his Journey to becoming uncommon Essay

He shows it to Joe, who thinks it’s magnificent, but when Joe tries to read it all he can say is â€Å"J. O. JO. † (44) Pip is surprised, and then asks Joe if he can actually read. Joe replies that he can so Pip gives him a book, but again the only thing Joe can say is, â€Å"J. O. JO. † (44) Pip has looked up to Joe all his life, but now realizes how common Joe is. Pip is determined to teach Joe how to read, in order to make himself feel more uncommon, although Joe is happy with his simple blacksmiths life and doesn’t want to change it. This is one example of Pip trying to make everyone around him uncommon for his own use. Later in the book, Joe is invited to Miss Havisham’s house with Pip. Joe gets all dressed up and is ready to go, and Pip realizes that Joe isn’t himself when he is dressed up. While the two are at Miss Havisham’s house, she begins asking questions of Joe, but instead of replying to Miss Havisham, Joe replies to Pip. It appears that Joe feels Pip is a higher class than he is. Pip’s goal is to make Joe uncommon, but by exposing Joe to his own commonness, Pip made Joe feel even more common. Pip’s plan to make Joe uncommon backfires. Pip does not hesitate to take advantage of people and opportunities if it will help him on his journey to becoming uncommon. He is always looking for a way to push himself further up in society, and when he finds one, he takes advantage of it. Pip makes several visits to Miss Havisham’s house, every time becoming more and more attracted to Estella. Pip is attracted to Estella because of what the relationship would do to his social status. â€Å"I have particular reasons for wanting to become a gentleman. † â€Å"You know best, Pip, but don’t you think you are happier as you are? † (114) He realizes that if he were to marry Estella, he would be rich and high class. With that marriage, Pip’s main goal in life would be completed. Pip also takes advantage of Biddy. Pip thinks that in order to become a gentleman you have to be educated. He knows that Biddy is very smart, and tries to use her to educate himself. Pips fixation with becoming uncommon leads him to use the people he knows as a step up in the ladder of society. In the beginning of the novel Pip is given a choice. Pip can either take the crooked or the straight path. It is his encounters with people of both higher and lower class that push him towards the crooked path. Pip’s encounters with people of a higher class make him feel jealous, and his encounters with people of a lower class make Pip feel common. Pip’s reactions to these encounters are to push himself further up in society, regardless of whom he hurts along the way. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Great Expectations section.

Crime and Corruption Essay

Honesty is a character trait that is difficult to uphold when faced with moral dilemmas in the workplace. This is the challenge of Frank Serpico in the film Serpico. An analysis of the film â€Å"Serpico† leads to the realization that â€Å"All power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely† is completely valid. The movie â€Å"Serpico† demonstrates that the merit system and an outside agency are necessary to prevent systemic corruption within the Justice System. Systemic corruption appears to be facilitated, encouraged and protected by the â€Å"code of silence†. For example, officers are taught by fellow officers how to use the authority given to them to advance the sub-culture of crime. This fact is a matter of debate. The question of crime in police departments is often blamed on unethical officers rather than the truth of the officers who are taught by superiors and veteran officers the means of crime. The bad apples or bad system debate is expressed in Serpico, indicating the confirmation that a bad system needs an outside agency to correct it. This movie begs the question â€Å"Who was keeping an eye on the keepers of the peace among the New York Police Department? The instrument of change in the movie is Frank Serpico making him the antagonist. The protagonists are the dark and corrupted of officers, and the supervisors who by omission participate in crime. The ideology that has perpetuated this systematic corruption is the promoting within the ranks based on who you are not what you do. In Serpico, it seems that the supervisors were very astute in the process of looking the other way. For this ability, they moved up among the chain of command. The distinct officer â€Å"code of silence† provided the cohesion that veils the subculture of crime perpetuated by the officers. In the film, Frank Serpico’s only flaw was being an honest cop. In â€Å"Serpico† the minimization and neutralization of corruption becomes the justification for the actions of the officers who are unethical. This is the attempt to rationalize the acceptance of the blanket loss of ethics among the officers. Frank Serpico does not participate in the corruption and refuses to take the money offered to him. His complaints are ignored as he goes higher and higher up the chain of command. The result of the complaints by Frank Serpico created an even more hostile work relationship with the other officers. The officers ostracize, threaten and fail to protect Frank to the point that leads to his injury. The atonement for the deeds of the police appears to be around the corner with every complaint lodged against the department, yet Serpico becomes placated in each meeting and by every supervisor, including the mayor. Political tolerance to corruption with no legal controls in place to prevent the un-ethical police sub-culture is unacceptable. The epiphany of Serpico is that the systemic corruption creates the need to go to an outside agency. This action of going to an outside agency is not taken lightly in the film. Frank Serpico knows and displays regret for the violation of the â€Å"code of silence†. He is aware it is a trespass on the brotherhood. He has two other officers collaborate his story. Serpico feels that he must go to an outside agency to correct the corrupt and ethically bankrupt police department. This exposure allows for the creation of the Knapp Commission, which is evidenced at the end of the film Regoli and Hewitt reveal in Exploring Criminal Justice that the New York Times series on police corruption prompted Mayor Lindsay to appoint five people to investigate corruption in the NYPD. Five people were appointed to and composed the Knapp Commission including Attorney Whitman Knapp who headed the Knapp Commission. The findings of the Knapp Commission suggested the organized corruption. Police Administrators accompanied and progressed with the breach of ethics by active cooperation and participation in the crimes or passively omitted to control the officers (Hewitt, 2007). Pervasive organized corruption is organized crime. New York’s history of ties to the mafia would leave the citizen caught struggling to seek any justice. The mafia is controlling the civilian sub-culture and the corrupt police controlling the police sub-culture leaving the citizens at the mercy of criminals, and no one is watching. Serpico stood against this systemic organized corruption in long-suffering, personal sacrifice with hardship. Vindication for Frank appears in the finality of the film with him testifying to the Knapp Commission. According to Gaines and Kappeler, the result of the Knapp Commission was the convicting of the 20 officers charged with felony crimes that included armed robbery, assault and murder. To protect and serve aspect of policing does not include murder. This is a grievous trespass on the public trust given to officers, as are any violations of the law by the officers against the citizens who submit the authority to the law. The Knapp Commission exposed the corruption and sought out the officers for criminal prosecution. The results of Serpico have been far reaching. For instance, according to Gaines and Kappeler in Policing in America â€Å"Twenty years after the Knapp Commission’s findings, the issue of systemic police corruption was revisited by the Mollen Commission. Although NYCPD commissioner Kelly denied systemic corruption, the commission uncovered substantial evidence of this form of organized corruption† (Kappeler, 2008). These commissions are necessary to investigate and dissolve the corruption within police organizations. The anthropological perspective of police behavior can be used to explain the immoral behavior found in the police culture. Officers become shaped and influenced by the police culture. The rookie officers learn from the older corrupt officers. This in turn can demonstrate the values of the whole department, although there may be a distinct subculture that is not made privy to the department as a whole or to the public. Empirical research from the Knapp and Mollen Commission agree with the anthropological perspective of police behavior. In Exploring Criminal Justice by Regoli and Hewitt it is stated that the â€Å"Police supervisors must admit when corruption exists and confront the problem, Furthermore, they must recognize that corruption often begins at the top and drifts downward through the ranks†. This research is indicating that criminal behavior drifts downward to the new officers. If the corrupt officer’s argument is correct, then all of the corrupt officers selected policing to exploit it. Where is the honor in this? The authoritative personality is attracted to policing, not the ethically challenged personality. The corruption seeps in due to the influence of peer officers, and once it takes hold the distinction of ethically correct and the immoral becomes dissipated. The majority of the NYCPD was corrupt in the 1970’s. That is a huge number of unethical people entering the field to become officers. If it were not a hero like action to stand against corruption then this movie would not have been made. Trends suggest that police departments have corruption in three ways. The rotten apples and rotten pockets type of department deals with the individual officer’s corruption (Kappeler, 2008). This is not the case in â€Å"Serpico† – the movie is demonstrating the third type of department corruption; Pervasive Organized Corruption. Pervasive is defined as existing in, or spreading through every part of something. The term organized is referring to the hierarchical and limited or exclusive membership of the corruption. The corruption constitutes a unique subculture, perpetuates itself by violation of law, and exhibits a willingness to use illegal violence. In the naming of such findings alone as Pervasive Organized Corruption is a stinging finding of fault on the behalf of the NYPD and the discovery of such corruption brought shame to the department. The finding of such corruption exacerbated the public’s distrust and served as a means to strengthen the conflict theory. The passive assistance the administration is giving to corruption by looking the other way is complementing and reinforcing the corruption throughout the department. The Knapp commission created in 1970 found that Pervasive Organized Corruption was in the New York Police Department. A new officer entering the department with high ideals on being ethical and a hero will soon lose this identity and assimilate the new identity of the corrupt police culture. Officers who do not conform to corruption will become the outliers among the median of a corrupt department. Overall, â€Å"Serpico† is the true story of a New York City cop who ratted on crooked officers and suffered grim consequences. Serpico was an eccentric who, by virtue of being a good guy in an evil department, is himself a bit of an outlaw. This also will set them up for being ostracized and alone. Policing attracts people who want to be heroes; the culture of corruption found in certain departments creates the adherence to unethical practices and behavior. All in all, this creates the need for an outside agency’s oversight to protect civil liberties and whistleblowers. Frank Serpico has become equivalent not with the term â€Å"whistleblower†, but with the term â€Å"Lamplighter†. This is an insightful suggestion due to the negative connotations of the term â€Å"whistleblower† as it takes honor and courage to place a light on the darkness of corruption. With administration that cultivates this good intent and an outside agency that supports and investigates the law, the ethically sound officer will have the ability to flourish and do the job with respect and honor. The result of this positive and ethical environment is public support and trust. There must be an outside agency that keeps an eye on the keeper.

Cupid Metaphors Essay

In Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream, metaphors concerning the moon, flowers, and Cupid are prevalent and have a significant impact on the play. The play focuses on a romantic situation between four Athenians: Hermia, Lysander, Helena, and Demetrius. As the story unravels, many comparisons are made to enhance the language and the messages that the characters try to convey. The moon is personified as a chaste woman who can be both gentle and fiery. Flowers are used as romantic symbols with the power to influence love. Cupid is personified as an armed child who strikes people’s hearts even if that love was not meant to be. Various events in the play are compared to the moon, which is constantly being personified as a woman. In the beginning of the play, Hippolyta and Theseus are discussing how they are to get married in four days. Theseus complains about how slowly the moon wanes. He compares the moon to a stepmother and a widow who keeps her stepson waiting for his inheritance because it takes so long for her to die (1:1, 1-6). Theseus is saying that the days are passing by too slowly and he wants to get married already. As the play progresses, Theseus tells Hermia that her life will consist solely of â€Å"chanting faint hymns to the cold fruitless moon† (1:1, 73). Once again, the moon is personified as a cold and barren woman. Theseus warns Hermia that if she chooses not to comply with her father’s wishes, she will stay a virgin priestess forever, living her entire life without a husband or children, just like the moon. The moon is compared to things much more destructive and emotional later on in the play. Oberon and Titania, the king and queen of fairies, have been in a disagreement for a long period of time. Their constant fighting has affected nature adversely, causing spring, summer, fertile autumn, and angry winter to change places. Titania vividly describes their arguments as having caused the moon, the â€Å"governess of floods,† to be pale in anger, filling the air with rheumatic diseases (2:1, 103-104). The moon is personified as a female ruler who controls the tides of the ocean. It is also given the human emotion of anger when it turns pale. When Bottom and Titania are together, Bottom speaks about crying for mustardseeds being eaten by oxen. Titania states â€Å"the moon methinks looks with a watery eye; and when she weeps, weeps every little flower, lamenting some enforcà ¨d chastity† (3:1, 193-195). Titania says that the moon is â€Å"misty-eyed, and when she weeps, so does every little flower in grief for violated chastity.† The moon is again personified as a woman and she is crying because the mustardseeds have been wronged. When it is time for Bottom to sleep, Titania orders her fairies â€Å"to fan the moonbeams from his sleeping eyes† (3:1, 168). The first metaphor â€Å"to fan the moonbeams† is comparing moonlight to a solid substance that can be fanned away. The second metaphor is the sleeping eyes of Bottom. Bottom’s eyes are not literally sleeping. It is Bottom who is doing the sleeping, not his eyes. Flowers are associated with love and emotions throughout the play. Theseus attempts to convince Hermia to marry Demetrius so that she would not have to spend the rest of her life living as a virgin priestess of the moon goddess. He tells her that it is better to live a life with love in it even if it is not the love she originally desired rather than to live without love at all. Theseus says â€Å"thrice-blessà ¨d they that master so their blood to undergo such maiden pilgrimage; but earthlier happy is the rose distilled than that which, withering on the virgin thorn, grows, lives, and dies in single blessedness† (1:1, 74-78). He compares women who are chaste to unplucked roses who wither up and die. Married women are compared to roses that have been plucked and made into a sweet perfume (1:1, 76-78). Oberon desires an Indian prince that was given to Titania by the prince’s mother. In order to obtain the Indian prince, Oberon plans to make Titania fall in love with a beast by spreading the juice of a flower on her eyelids while she is sleeping. He tells the story of how this special flower came into existence. Cupid took aim at a beautiful young virgin queen, but his fiery arrow was put out by the watery, virginal moonbeams and struck a little western flower. The flower which used to be white as milk, turned purple from being wounded by the arrow of love (2:1, 155-168). The flower is personified and given the ability to be afflicted with love in this play. When Titania wakes, she is compelled to fall madly in love with Bottom, clumsy and grotesque with an ass’ head. When he goes to sleep, Titania tells Bottom to stay with her, saying â€Å"I’ll give thee fairies to attend on thee, and they shall fetch thee jewels from the deep, and sing while thou on pressà ¨d flowers dost sleep† (3:1, 150-153). The flowers are compared to soothing objects that can calm people and bring sleep. Seeing Titania and Bottom together, Oberon cannot believe how someone as beautiful as Titania can dote on Bottom, whose looks are repulsive. Before she fell asleep, Titania wove a wreath of fresh, fragrant flowers for Bottom and placed it on his hairy forehead. Oberon cannot stand to see such beautiful flowers rest on Bottom’s hairy temples. Oberon states that the flowers on Bottom’s head had â€Å"tears that did their own disgrace bewail† (4:1, 54-55). He says that the drops of dew that lay in the center of the flowers made the flowers look like they were crying in shame to be decorating the head of an ugly jackass. The flowers are personified as people who can cry and feel degradation. In love with Hermia, Demetrius pushes Helena away. Helena, heartbroken, complains about love and Cupid. She says â€Å"and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind. Nor hath Love’s mind of any judgment taste† (1:2, 235-236). In modern times, we say â€Å"love is blind,† however, in this case cupid is blind. Helena personifies love as a child who does not have any judgment. Cupid is so often misled in making a choice because of his rash judgment. When telling the story of the flower, Oberon says â€Å"Young Cupid’s fiery shaft quenched in the chaste beams of the watery moon† (2:1, 161-162). The â€Å"fiery shaft† is a metaphor used for Cupid’s arrow which can cause fiery passionate love. Fixing the love damage that Puck created, Oberon spreads the love juice on Demetrius’ eyes while he is sleeping. While doing so, Oberon says â€Å"Flower of this purple dye, hit with Cupid’s archery, sink in apple of his eye† (3:2, 102-104). The first metaphor â€Å"flower of this purple dye, hit with Cupid’s archery† is comparing the purple flower to Cupid’s bow. By saying this, Oberon is saying that the flower can â€Å"hit† the same way a bow of Cupid can. The second metaphor of this line is â€Å"sink in apple of his eye.† The metaphor is referring to the â€Å"apple† of Demetrius’ eyes, comparing it to his passions and desires. Love is much talked about throughout the play. Hermia’s father is full of anger and he does not support Lysander and Hermia’s relationship. Lysander tells Hermia that â€Å"the course of true love never did run smooth† (1:1, 134). Lysander is saying that love is hard and it can feel like a long and rough road for two lovers. In Lysander and Hermia’s grief and despair, Lysander makes a speech about the transience of love. Love is â€Å"swift as a shadow, short as any dream, brief as the lightning in the collied night† (1:1, 144-145). Lysander compares the briefness of love to the quickness of a shadow, a dream, and a lightning. He means that with love comes many difficulties, such as pressure from parents, sickness, or death. Lysander goes on to say â€Å"The jaws of darkness do devour it up; so quick bright things come to confusion† (1:1, 148-149). He compares his love with Hermia to something bright but fades away quickly because of the confusion brought to it by time and nature. When asked to give up her child to Oberon, Titania refuses, telling him that this Indian prince was given to her by his mother, a female worshipper. She says â€Å"when we have laughed to see the sails conceive and grow big-bellied with the wanton wind† (2:1, 128-129). Titania is saying that when the sails filled up with wind, they looked like they had big, pregnant bellies. She is comparing the sails of ships to big, pregnant bellies of women. Due to Oberon’s unspecific details on whose eyes Puck was suppose to spread the love juice on, causes Lysander to fall in love with Helena. When Hermia questions Lysander, he treats her cruelly saying â€Å"Get you gone, you dwarf, you minimus of hindering knotgrass made, you bead, you acorn† (3:2, 328-330). Lysander is insulting Hermia, calling her a dwarf, a tiny little weed, scrap, and an acorn. In this metaphor, he compares Hermia to a tiny, unwanted plant, useless scrap, and an acorn. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is encased with many metaphors pertaining to the moon, flowers, and Cupid of the play. As the reader follows the Athenian lovers and the fairies on their journeys, various messages are conveyed through symbols and metaphors. The language and messages evokes vivid images in the reader’s head. The moon is compared to a woman who is capable of controlling time, controlling the seas, crying, and being fruitless. Flowers are symbols of romance, raw human emotions, and fairy magic. The flowers can metaphorically make people feel compelled to fall in love and are also capable of crying and feeling shame in this play. Cupid is portrayed as a controller of love. Just like love, Cupid is a young boy who is irrational. He is a child with a blindfold and wings, ready to take aim randomly, causing people to be afflicted with love. The moon, flowers, and Cupid are the main themes of metaphors presented in A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare.

Urie Bronfenbrenner

Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory of Development Monica T. reaves Survey of Research in Human Development and Behavior Dr. Fabio D’ Angelo October 27, 2012 Abstract Urie Bronfenbrenner, a well-known scholar in the field of development psychology, formulated the Human Ecology Theory. The Ecological System Theory states that human development is influenced by the different types of environments throughout our lifespan that may influence our behavior in various degrees.Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theories consist of five environmental systems that range from close interpersonal interactions to broad-based influences of cultural. There are four different systems which define the ecological theory. The systems include microsystem, mesostem, exosystem, and macrosystem (Santrock, 2008). By Urie Bronfenbrenner creating these different systems, he wanted to show that family, economy, and political structures make up the development of a child into adulthood.In this paper I will attempt to cover the theories of Bronfenbrenner as it relates to child development, while looking at environmental influences. Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory of Development One cannot grasp human development by simply observation and measuring individuals’ behavior in clinical settings that are separate from their relevant social, physical, and cultural environments (Crandell & Crandell, Vander Zanden, 2012). Urie Bronfenbrebber (1917-2005), had a major influence in the development of human development.Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model is among the most cited and frequently taught in human development. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological system, first introduced in the 1970s (Bronfenbrenner’s 1974, 1976, 1977, 1979), represented a reaction to the restricted scope of most research then being conducted by development psychologist. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological system theory looks at the child’s environment in terms of its quality a nd context. The ecological model explains the difference in an individual’s knowledge, development, and competences through the support, guidance and structure of the society in which they live.Bronfenbrenner and Crouter (1983) distinguished a series of systems for investigating the impact of environment on development. The first model pertains to the structure of the external systems that affect the family and the manner in which they exert their influence. The second dimension relates to the degree of explicitness and differentiation according to interfamilial process that are influenced by external environment (Ecology of the Family as a Context for Human Development: Research Perspectives, Developmental Psychology, 1986, Vol. 22, No. 6, pg. 723-742).According to Bronfenbrenner, the interactions between numbers of overlapping ecosystems affect a person significantly. Moving from the innermost level to the outside, these structures are defined as described below. 1. Microsy stem The microsystem refers to the environment in our daily lives. Examples include such settings as family, school, peer, group, and workplace (Santrock, 2008). It is within the immediate environment of the microsystem that operates to produce and sustain development. Mentors can play an important role in improving some student’s learning.When guidance is accomplished through demonstration, instruction, challenge, and encouragement on a more or regular basis over an extended period of time. In addition, the young person’s relationship to the mentor takes on an emotional character of respect, loyalty, and identification (Hamilton, 2004, p. 396, based on a personal communication with ecological theorist Urie Bronfenbrenne). According to Bronfenbrenner, the interactions between a number of ecosystems affect a person significantly. As two microsystems begin to work together i. e. eacher and parent working together to educate a child happens through the mesosystem. 2. Meso system The mesosystem comprises the linkages and process taking place between two or more settings containing the developing person (Santrock, 2008). It is basically a two way communication in participating in decision making by parents and teachers. In another mesosystem study, which targeted Latino and African American students in low-income areas, middle school and high school students participated in a program designed to connect their families, peers, schools, and parents’ work (Cooper, 1995).The students commented on how the outreach programs helped them bridge the gaps across their different social worlds. In their neighborhoods and schools the students were expected to fail, become pregnant, drop out of school, or misbehave. The outreach taught morals, helping others, working the community, and encouraging the young to go to college. 3. Exosystem Exosystem is the linkage between the context where in the person does not have any active roll and the context where in is actively participating(Santrock, 2008). Children tend to have limited access in the parents circle of friends and acquaintances their social network. . Microsystem The macrosystem makes up the whole cultural of an individual (Santrock, 2008). This formulation points to the necessity of going beyond the simple labels of class and cultural to identify more specific social and psychological features at the macrosystem level that untimely affect the particular conditions and process scurrying in the microsystem (Bronfenbrenner 1986,1988,1993). 5. Chronosystem The chronosysytem transitions and shifts in one’s lifespan. Not only in the characteristics of the person but also the environment in which that person lives.One example chronosystem is divorce. It is a major life transition that may affect not only the couple’s relationship but also the children’s behavior (Ecology of the family as a Context for Human Developmenrt: Research Perspectives, Developmental Psycholo gy, 1986, Vol. 22, No. 6, pg. 723-742). In reading Ecological Models of Human Development (1993) it stated that youngsters who were teenagers during Depression years, the families’ economic deprivation appeared to have a salutary effect on their subsequent development, especially with the middle class.In comparing with none deprived who were matched on per-depression socioeconomic status, deprived boys display a greater desire to achieve and firmer sense of career goals. Boys and girls form deprived homes attained greater satisfaction in life, both by their own and by societal standards (Gauvain & Cole: Reading on the development of children, 2nd Ed. 1993. Pg. 37-43). Understanding the interactions of these systems is the key in understanding how a child develops and what factors lead to failure. Bronfenbrenner’s theory has gained population in recent years.It provides one of the few theoretical frameworks for systematically examining social contexts on both micro and macro levels bridging the gap between behavioral theories that focus on small settings and anthropology theories that analyze larger settings (Santrock, 2008). In reading Bronfenbrenner theory it shows without the proper adults and supervision or love available, children look for attention inappropriate places and these behaviors give rise to problem especially in adolescences such as little self-discipline, no self-direction and anti-social behavior.We must think about the child as embedded in a number of environmental system and influences. These include schools and teachers, parents and siblings, the community and neighborhood, peers and friends, the media, religion, and culture. According to a majority of research, children are negatively affected on the first year after the divorce. The next years after it would reveal that the interaction within the family becomes more stable and agreeable (Sincero, 2012). In reading and studying Bronfenbrenner’s theories, I thought abo ut how the different levels shaped my development in life.According to Bronfenbrenner, primary relationships must be those that last a life time such as with parents and deficiencies in these relationships cannot be replaced with others. As a child I was fortunate to grow up in a home where both parents raised me. I have always had parents that showed concern with my education and daily activities. As a child I can’t think of one educator that didn’t show me concern. Even though I came from a home where I had both parents, I lived in a low-income neighborhood.Being that we lived in an area were drugs were highly used and gangs fought daily, mother hardly ever let us go to outside. Church activities and Girl Scouts was an avenue that kept me involve in positive things. The church activities taught me to be God fearing and how to act as a lady while girl scouts taught me how to get out in the world and become anything I wanted to be. As I got older things started to chan ge in my environment. My mother and father divorced when I was at the age of nine. It took a toll on me because I was a daddy’s girl and made me feel like a iece of my life was gone. Because of my mother’s strict upbringing, I never really got out of hand. I had friends that my mom knew anything about due to their wild ways of living. I was not like them but wanted to fit in so I wouldn’t be the next victim that got bullied. As I matured more into adult-hood I knew that watching my aunts and uncles that I wanted more in life. To obtain success I had to change my way of thinking and my surroundings. I knew I wanted to graduate and receive a high school diploma.I knew after accomplishing all of that, I would pursue a college degree. Getting a college degree was very exciting for me because I knew I crossed another path in my life. After graduating college I decided to pursue my Master’s degree in Human Service. Watching my mother raise six girls by herself and taught me courage and strength. In conclusion of this paper, According to Urie Bronfenbrenner (1979, p. 27) states, â€Å"Development never takes place in a vacuum; it is always embedded and expressed through behavior in a particular environment. The Ecological Theory of development shows the centers on the relationship between the developing individual and changing level of environmental influences that we go through in life (Crandell & Crandell, Vander Zanden, 2012). References Ecology of the Family as a Context for Human Development: Research Perspectives, Developmental Psychology, 1986, Vol. 22, No. 6, pg. 723-742. Retrieved 01 Nov. 2012 from Capella University Library: http:// web. ebschost. comlibrary. capella. edu/host Sarah Mae Sincero (2012). Ecological System Theory. Retrieved 01 Nov. 010 from Explorable: http://explorable. com/ecological Bronfenbrenner, U. (1994). Ecological Models of Human Development. In International Encyclopedia of Education, Vol. 3, 2nd Ed. Oxfo rd: Elservier. Reprinted in: Gauvain, M. & Cole, M. (Eds. ), Reading on the development of children, 2nd Ed. (1993, pp. 37-43). NY: Freeman. John W. Santrock. (2008). Educational Psychology (3rd Edition) New York, NY: ISBN: 978-0-07-352582-2 Crandell, T. L. , Crandell, C,H. , & Vender Zanden, J. W (2012). Human Development. (10th Edition) Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill. ISBN 978-0-07-353218-9