Sunday, March 8, 2020

How to Write Family and Consumer Science Term Paper The Guide You Can’t Skip

How to Write Family and Consumer Science Term Paper The Guide You Can’t Skip Stuck with your family and consumer science term paper? Family and Consumer Science is a field of studies that focuses on relationships among people and their personal environments, taking into account the impact of biological, physical, and social environments on human development and behavior. Students who are enrolled in such programs have to learn a set of professional skills and be ready to apply their knowledge to improve the well-being of people of all ages by addressing complex problems faced by individuals, families, and communities. Every semester, students are typically assigned to complete multiple writing assignments of different types in the family and consumer sciences and a term paper is one of them. Writing a long essay or a term paper can seem to be intimidating at first but there are some basic rules of thumb that you should follow. They will make your job as a writer easier. Read this guide on how to write a family and consumer science term paper and learn the most effective strategies for completing a successful family and consumer term paper. Besides, you’ll find here a list of interesting term paper topic ideas that you can use for creating your own written projects. What Is Family and Consumer Science Term Paper? Family and consumer science term paper is actually an extended essay that is based on a profound research of scholarly sources. Like most academic papers, term papers in the family and consumer science have a basic format and include an introduction, body, and conclusion. In this guide, we’ll discuss how to write each section of your paper so keep reading. Writing a term paper is a long process that is often messy and recursive but still, it can be divided into a number of tasks: Choosing a topic; Researching a topic; Planning and outlining; Drafting and revising; Editing and proofreading the final draft. Choose a Good Family and Consumer Science Term Paper Topic When writing a term paper, you may have different options: you can pick your own topic, a topic may be assigned to you or you may be given a list of possible topics to choose from. Anyway, you will have to decide what approach to use to select a suitable topic for your term paper. It’s a very important step and you’d better choose a topic that you are interested in and that is somehow familiar to you. In this case, it will be easier for you to conduct a research and you may even enjoy doing it. But you should make sure that the chosen topic is not too broad. Otherwise, you will not be able to write a well-focused paper. That’s why you should do some background reading to understand whether your term paper topic is feasible. For example, if you are interested in interior design, you should narrow down this topic and write about contemporary interior design trends or the history of interiors. You may want to cover another aspect of this broad topic as well. Besides, you should do some preliminary research to determine whether you’ll be able to find enough resources in your library and online databases to cover your topic. When you have chosen an appropriate topic for your term paper, you should try to formulate a clear research question that will help you stay focused while doing the research and finding relevant sources. Can’t decide which topic to select for your term paper? Here is a list of amazing family and consumer science term paper topics you can choose from: Core Strategies of the Leading Luxury Brands; How Do Environmental Factors Influence Healthy Child Development? How Can Parents Support Positive Eating Behaviors of Their Children? What Is the Connection Between Sustainability and Food Safety? Key Reasons Why Parents Turn to Homeschooling; Environmental Sustainability and Family Planning; Impact of Immigration on Older Families; Basic Concepts in Interior Design; Principles of Family Finance; History of Interiors and Architecture; Safe Methods of Commercial Food Production; What Is the Role of Minerals, Vitamins, and Micronutrients in Human Nutrition? Management of Family Resources; Nutritional Management for Food Allergies; Current Trends in Family Life. Conduct a Research Like a Pro First, you can read some general resources to gain an understanding of the subject area. You may consult textbooks, specialized encyclopedias, and look through general newspaper or magazine articles. Write down different terms and phrases that define your topic. You will use them as keywords when searching for relevant scholarly books and articles. You should also think about ideas that you would like to explore in your term paper and make a preliminary outline for your research and develop a thesis statement. Now you must search for material that was published on your topic by experts in the field. You have to read the material that you can find, analyze, and evaluate it to determine how different sources can be useful for writing your term paper and developing your argument. You should use skimming and scanning techniques while determining if a source is useful. If you decide that a source is useful, you have to read it closely and take notes of some important ideas. You don’t have to write them word for word but summarize, paraphrase or use your own words to explain the key ideas. You’d better organize all the sources that you find. You can do it using index cards or on a spreadsheet. You should record essential information about every article, book, website or document that you use when doing research and writing your term paper such as the title, the author’s name, the date of publication etc. Taking notes from your sources is a crucial part of the research. You can use different methods for doing that but it’s important to clearly indicate if the ideas are your own or you derived them from the sources you are reading. That’s why you should use quotation marks to show that it is direct copying. It may be useful to group your notes by subject to organize your thoughts on a specific aspect. You should review your notes and consult your preliminary outline to ensure that you are staying within it. Wondering what type of information you should consider when taking notes? Facts or statistics to improve your argument; Quotations from original works to support your own argument; Ideas that explain the topic, issue or argument that you are investigating; Ideas that support or refute your thesis statement; Write a Working Outline The next step is to plan your term paper and create an outline that will help you keep your thoughts on the track. First, you have to develop a strong thesis statement that you will argue in your using relevant source material and convincing evidence. A good thesis forecasts the content of an academic paper and concretely announces the major elements of your topic. You will have to divide your argument into several reasonably balanced sections. You need to decide which material you will have to include or exclude. Next, you should make a list of headings and sub-headings and decide what you will include under each of them. Try to keep the system of headings simple – you may not need more than 3 levels of headings. If your term paper is not lengthy, 2 levels of headings will do. You should also decide how many words each of your term paper sections should include. For example, if you divide your 5,000-word term paper on food safety and sustainability into 5 sections, an average section will consist of about 1,000 words. You should decide if it is enough for presenting the key points in each section. Write the First Draft of Your Term Paper Use your notes and an outline to start your first draft. Keep in mind that the first draft of your family and consumer science term paper is not meant to be perfect. In fact, you will need to create several drafts before you can complete your final draft. It doesn’t matter from which section of your paper you will start writing. So start with a section that you feel more comfortable with. If you have trouble with writing a particular part of any section, skip it, and go back to later. You may also find that there are some difficult areas that you’ll need to rewrite later. You should ensure that your term paper has the following basic elements: The introduction that introduces your thesis statement and informs what you are going to discuss and how you are going to structure your paper; The main body that gives key points and evidence to support your thesis statement. The conclusion that summarizes your argument and ends your term paper on a convincing note Read on to find some tips on how to write the main parts of your term paper. Introduction Your introduction doesn’t have to be long but it should include some essential elements. You have to begin it with an attention grabber, for example, a story, statistic, fact or historical context; You can also give an overview of the specific problem or provide the background information on your topic; Besides, you should define the key terms that will help your readers understand the topic. For example, when writing about child development, you may want to explain such terms as Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs, domains of development, core competencies, least restrictive environment, intentional teaching; If your term paper is argumentative, you can also present the primary opposing views; You must end your introduction with a strong thesis statement which may be 1 or 2 sentences in length. Main Body In the body, you need to clearly present the key points that you have outlined in the thesis statement and provide good explanations, details, and examples to support all your points. When writing an argumentative family and consumer science term paper, you need to mention counterarguments and refute them. It’s important to use strong evidence from credible sources to support the major points. Your paper should include quotations, summaries, and paraphrases with proper referencing according to the citation style specified by your instructor (MLA, APA, Harvard, Chicago or other). Never put all the information into one big section. Instead, you should divide the body of your term paper into a number of sections using an overarching principle and begin each section with an explanation of its purpose. Use clear section headings to guide your readers and help them understand how the argument is developing. Headings are used to break the term paper topic into its natural parts so you should use them carefully in the same way as you use topic sentences in the paragraphs, organizing your thinking for the sake of your audience. Conclusion In this part of your paper, you have to restate your thesis statement using different words and summarize all the major points presented in the body in a concise manner. You can also explain the significance of your findings and give suggestions for further research. Don’t include any new arguments in your conclusion. Revise, Edit, Proofread: Final Steps even Our Writers Don’t Skip When you have completed your first draft, you should look over it. A good idea is to wait a few days so that you’ll be able to be objective when revising it. You have to review your draft several times and try to determine if your argument is clear to your reader. You should check the content and logical flow of sentences and paragraphs, making improvements where necessary.   Make sure that all your paragraphs begin with a topic sentence and that there are transitions between the paragraphs. You should also pay particular attention to proper citation and referencing to avoid plagiarism. Make sure that you consistently use one system of citation. Attention to details at this early stage can save you tons of time in the long run. When editing your family and consumer science term paper, you should rewrite unclear passages and delete irrelevant words and sentences. You have to check your vocabulary and avoid inappropriate words or slang. Finally, you need to check grammar, punctuation, and spelling and eliminate typos if there are any.

Friday, February 21, 2020

Beowulf and Roland Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Beowulf and Roland - Essay Example Roland and Beowulf both wanted to struggle to save humanity. Roland, as a warrior for Charlemagne, believed that the Muslims were working against God. The Christian God dominated the story of The Song of Roland. Humanity for Roland was united under the Christian God. Borey (2001) suggests â€Å" The spirit is very much that of the Crusades, a period in which the Catholic Church had become strong and ambitious enough to mount a series of determined campaigns in the Holy Land.† For humanity to exist in The Last Song of Roland it must be united under a Christian ruler. Humanity needed Jesus Christ. This theory is shown after Roland dies. At the end of the story, the Muslim queen is baptized a Christian. Beowulf also wanted to struggle to unite humanity. Although this story does not have as much Christianity, Beowulf felt the need to unite humanity. Although not his fight, Beowulf leaves his kingdom to fight for Heorot. One point of view is: Beowulf stands up as protector of something much deeper than the mere surface expectations of the reader for bravery and honor; he passionately fights to protect the deep solidarity that Heorot represents for humanity. Viewing Grendel’s assault on this human solidarity, we must conclude that the value of the hall regarding international relations and the power of the human spirit is that for which Beowulf must so ardently fight.  (Young 2006) The monster attacking Heorot was trying to divide humanity. The hall was where soldiers, their wives, and probably children held banquets, slept in for protection, and lived in as a home. The story confirms this belief: When Grendel attacked the hall, the inhabitants scattered. In order to be safe from Grendel, the soldiers and their families split up to find refuge anywhere. This would eventually destroy humanity. Without a social circle, humanity might have even died out due to lack of contact. While many soldiers run away in both stories, both Roland and Beowulf want to

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Develop a business idea Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Develop a business idea - Assignment Example However, Joparadise Flower Shop intends to do things differently to create a strong customer base and meet their needs and expectations. Therefore, the Joparadise Flower Shop will demonstrate expertise in flower arrangement and give clients great offers (Chadwick 2015, p. 62). The flower shop will focus on fresh cut flowers as well as the artificial ones and focus on occasions such as birthdays, weddings, funerals, debuts, anniversaries and other special occasions. The Joparadise Flower Shop will give its esteemed customers special offers and discounts. As mentioned above, Joparadise Flower Shop intends to do things differently. Therefore, the business will exhibit expertise in creating unique flower arrangement for customers while offering them quality flowers at reasonable prices (Daniel 2004, p. 54). Flowers by Rosemary offers expensive deals and the Joparadise Flower Shop will offer quality at a reduced price. Moreover, the Joparadise Flower Shop will combine both cut and artificial flowers in order to have a diverse customer base (Desch 2011, p. 34). Without a doubt, the Joparadise Flower Shop flower shop will surpass the expectations of customers. A close analysis of the market reveals that Joparadise Flower Shop can focus on males between the age of 20 and 60 who are likely to buy flowers for different occasions. Some of the identified occasions are weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, valentines, funerals, and other special occasions (dpala@metroland.com 2015, p. 4). Women are also potential customers, especially for funerals and anniversaries. Individuals who buy flowers are more likely to belong to the middle or upper-class society with high incomes. Therefore, they can spare a part of their income and invest in expensive flowers (Flower shops braces for busy season, 2015, p. 23). Mostly, men who purchase flowers are either married, engaged, or on committed relationships. For this reason, they are likely to buy flowers for their

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Reflection on Child Observation Study

Reflection on Child Observation Study The purpose of this essay is to discuss an observation I undertook of an 18 month year old boy, whose mother was a friend of a friend who I had no prior knowledge about. Initially I explained the observation to the mother and a contract was soon drawn up and subsequently signed. It ensured that the study was completely confidential and the child’s name would be anonymised. I have used x to refer to the child. Firstly I am going to discuss some of the challenges I faced, how intrusive I felt initially and how I struggled not to interact. I will then discuss the benefits of child observations in helping me to overcome these challenges, for instance, the benefits of seminar groups and how the observation has been beneficial in developing my reflective skills. I will then discuss some factors I felt impacted on my observation and how these will be useful to me in future social work practice. For me one of the most challenging aspects I found with the child observation was feeling intrusive. Initially on my way to the house I felt very nervous and during the observation when x ran off to the kitchen to see his mother I felt very uneasy following him as I felt I was invading their privacy. Having read McMahon Farnfield (1994) I now know that this is a common anxiety for students who undertake child observations as many observers feel uncomfortable about intruding in to the privacy of someone’s home. However, having read Quitak (2004) I know that social workers often have to visit client’s homes and if they are too anxious to invade a client’s privacy they may miss out on information that is vitally important. For example, social workers can feel intimidated by parents and find it difficult focussing on the child (Blom-Cooper et al, 1985). Social work will often involve infringing on a client’s privacy (Trowell and Miles, 1991). Therefore it is vital social workers have the confidence to deal with their uncomfortable feelings of intruding in order for them to be effective in their role (Quitak, 2004). I felt the seminar groups were beneficial in helping me to overcome my fear of intruding because they felt like a safe space in which I could discuss my anxieties. McKinnon commented that the seminar group provides a â€Å"safe container† (2009: 90). The seminar creates a safe environment where students can share and discuss any uncomfortable feelings and experiences that they came across during the observation (Ruch, 2007). The term containment was developed by Bion (1962) who believed that therapeutic relationships, such as groups can act as containers for uncontrollable feelings (Ruch, 2007). In the same way a mother or carer contain the painful feelings of a child and return them in a way the child can understand in an attempt to make the child feel safe (Mckenzie Beecraft, 2004). The seminar also acts as a container, by discussing my feelings and anxieties about intruding on somebody’s home it helped me to overcome the anxiety of feeling intrusive which was distra cting me from observing properly. As I continued to visit the home for following visits, I subsequently developed my confidence in visiting the home and not feel quite so intrusive. In addition, one of the biggest challenges I faced was my desire to intervene. Ruch (2009) believed that attempting to not interact with a child is arguably one of the most challenging elements of the child observation. I always felt cruel because at times I had to completely ignore the child and this felt strange and unnatural for me. Tanner Turney (2000) and Le Riche (2006) commented that not interacting can feel strange and uncomfortable for observers because it is unnatural and goes against traditional customs. However, not interacting can be beneficial because it creates space to reflect on and explore my feelings (Tanner Turney, 2000; Trowell and Miles, 2004). For example, I found myself in disbelief because x refused to eat the peas on his plate and x’s mother although attempting once to make them eat them, gave up quite quickly. This could be because this took me back to when I was a young child when my parents always made me eat my vegetables; otherwise I wasnâ€⠄¢t allowed to leave the table. I was surprised at how strong and how personal my reaction was. Having read Fawcett (1996), however I realised that as children we all grow up with certain rules our parents make us obey and these may still reside with us when we are older and can have a major influence on our attitudes (Fawcett, 1996). In my case I found myself judging x’s mother because she didn’t view eating vegetables as important. Having read McMahnon Farnfield , they argued â€Å"It takes emotional effort for students to see that what is different is not necessarily wrong† (2004: 240). Therefore, I realised that just because x’s mother is doing things in a different way and I view my family’s experience as the ‘correct’ way, this does not mean what she is doing is wrong. Fawcett (1996) and Trowell Miles (2004) argued that it is acceptable for students to have these attitudes and preconceptions provided that students identify these and question them through reflection. Therefore, one of the benefits of the child observation f or me was significantly developing the ability to reflect and develop self-awareness. These are useful skills for me as a student social worker because by allowing time to reflect I can begin to recognise and question how my emotions and preconceptions may be affecting my judgement or an assessment of a family or individual and can incorporate this before deciding the next steps to help them (Turney,2008; Mckinnon, 2009). One of the most significant learning points from the child observation for me was when I first met the family, one of the first things x’s mother did was explain the bruise on x’s face and how he was always falling over. Despite my best efforts to ensure the mother that it was purely an observation, I believed she still felt that she was being judged as a mother and felt anxious about being observed. At the time I did not question this because I was very anxious myself, it was only later when I was writing up my notes that I realised how significant this was. Having experienced this, it made me aware of the power imbalances that existed between the observer and the observed. Turney argues that it could be slightly anxious and uncomfortable for those being observed because they are aware of â€Å"the power of the gaze, the power of the looker in relation to the â€Å"looked at†Ã¢â‚¬  (2008: 124). Therefore because x’s mother knew I was observing her she p erhaps felt vulnerable and anxious because she viewed me as being in a more powerful position than her. This could explain why she defended her son’s bruise so early on in the observation. During a normal assessment between a social worker and a client these feelings are intensified. Therefore, this has taught me the importance of remembering that as a social worker I can be intimidating to the client because I am perceived as the more powerful person. As a next step, I must learn the most effective methods and techniques to try and minimise the imbalance of power between myself and the service user. For me the most meaningful aspect of the child observation was when I attempted to explain to x that he was being observed. Despite him being only 18 months old and although I did not feel he understood me due to his age, for me this demonstrated how powerless children are. Young children in particular are totally dependent on adults for their safety and well-being, by not telling the child they were being observed I felt that this was reinforcing their invisibility and undermining their views and opinions. Ruch (2009) commented that some observers believed it was oppressive by not introducing themselves to their child and this is how I felt because by not asking a child for their consent, arguably we are not valuing what they have to say. For example, reports in to the death of children such as Victoria Climbre and Jasmine Beckford, reveal how children were not effectively â€Å"seen and heard† (Fawcett, 1996:18). In addition, inquiries often revealed that there was limited u nderstanding of the child’s world and everyday activities were inadequately described because adult’s interpretations were valued over children’s (Mckinnon, 2009; King, 2002). Turney (2008) believes that the child observation can help to develop the skills of ensuring excluded groups such as children are completely focussed on and is crucial in evaluating whether a vulnerable child is safe or not. Fawcett (1996) argued that observation allows the chance for a child’s voices, stories and opinions to be taken seriously and valued. Therefore, I believe the child observation has helped me to focus on the child, observe what they do and listen to what they say to ensure that they are not invisible. I feel I have significantly improved my understanding of the powerlessness of children which will help me to improve and adapt my communication skills with children. To conclude, for me one of the biggest challenges of the child observation was initially feeling intrusive, however the seminar acted as a â€Å"safe container†, where I could discuss and overcome my anxieties in a safe environment. Subsequently on following visits I found these anxieties soon disappeared. In addition, I found not interacting very challenging, but soon learnt how valuable this was because it gave me an opportunity to reflect and explore my feelings. Recognising and questioning how our values and attitudes may be affecting my judgement or an assessment of a family is a valuable skill in social work and this can be taken in to account when deciding the best help for a family. The child observation has been an important reminder that as a social worker I can appear more powerful and even intimidating to the client, as well as the powerlessness of children. Therefore developing techniques to try and minimise these power imbalances is a crucial next step.

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Who Owns the U.S. National Debt? Essay -- Obamas National Debt

"Blessed are the young for they shall inherit the national debt." -- Herbert Hoover A recent topic for political debate, and one that is usually included in most political rhetoric, is the national debt, and the debt ceiling crisis. I believe that there are many misconceptions about this issue, and that politicians use and promote these misconceptions for the purpose of making political arguments. The example of this that sticks out for me is a commercial I saw on television that seems to depict a future where the US has presumably been taken over by China. That commercial seemed a little extreme, so for this paper, I seek to correct these sorts of misconceptions, or to at least show that some arguments about the national debt are a little wrong. Probably the most important misconception about the national debt is the misconception that China owns most of the national debt, and that such a situation makes the United States government a puppet to China. The latter misconception doesn't take much research to see as an exaggeration of the truth. Unlike personal debt, national debt isn't enforced by some higher power. Money owed to China is a deal between the borrower and China, and there aren't any higher powers to force the collection of debts. If China wanted to collect on that debt, the worst they could do is to go to war, and that's rather unrealistic. The main problem with this idea that China owns our government, is the fact that China's share of the national debt isn't as big as people seem to think. For this paper, I took a survey from 12 people. I asked them each, "How much of the national debt do you think is owned by China?" Of those people, 3 thought China owned more than 60 percent of the national debt, 4 though... ... to do. To conclude, the national debt is indeed an important issue that needs to be discussed, but it is important also to not take what you hear about it in political arguments as fact. Knowing the truth about issues like this can help you better understand what politicians are really saying, and will help you avoid being manipulated by fear tactics like that commercial about a Chinese-dominated future. Works Cited Historical Data on the Federal Debt. Rep. N.p.: Congressional Budget Office, n.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2013. . Surowiecki, James. "Smash the Ceiling." The New Yorker. N.p., 1 Aug. 2011. Web. 28 Mar. 2013. "Who Really Owns the U.S. National Debt?" Townhall Finance. N.p., 21 Jan. 2013. Web. 28 Mar. 2013. Herbert Hoover Quote http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/national_debt.html#SP3YaWVBGy0KE3ET.99

Saturday, January 11, 2020

A Separate Peace Book

I am writing this letter to inform you on reasons why I would recommend your book, A Separate Peace. After reading A Separate Peace, this book is surely one of the best books I ever read. Its interesting story line that is very easy to follow kept me curious on what was happening next. A Separate Peace’s beauty, vitality and purpose will keep every reader extremely interested. I would highly recommend this novel to young adults. I was very interested in the story’s beauty.You gave me a more detailed view on the fact that you can find a friendship in anyone, and it's very important to understand the solidarity and the very magnitude of a good friend. Also, I was very attracted to your use of symbolism from different objects to represent the relations to the characters. The quote, â€Å"He had never been jealous of me for a second. Now I knew that there never was and never could have been any rivalry between us. I was not of the same quality as he. I couldn’t stan d this†¦Holding firmly to the trunk, I took a step toward him, and then my knees bent and I jounced the limb. Finny, his balance gone, swung his head around to look at me for an instant with extreme interest, and then he tumbled sideways, broke through the little branches below and hit the bank with a sickening, unnatural thud. It was the first clumsy physical action I had ever seen him make. With unthinking sureness I moved out on the limb and jumped into the river, every trace of my fear of this forgotten† (Knowles 153), signifies the climax of the novel.Gene finally does something to potentially hurt Finny. However, what he realizes is that Finny was never trying to compete with him, that what he truly always wanted was a friendship, nothing more, nothing less. Also, the quote explains that it is Gene's first clumsy action, which makes him seem superior to Finny, but actually isn’t. I believe that this proves that Gene feels extremely lower than Finny, which pro bably caused him to jounce the limb and have Finny fall off to his bad luck.I feel people don't really know who their best friends are until they really look upon what someone has on the inside. When it comes to friendship, there could be â€Å"A Separate Peace† in someone that is completely different and you proved that very well. What else made me so interested was the story’s vitality. The vitality of the story was interesting because it shows how jealousy can ruin friendships but also people learn and grow from this. Also, the characters were never in a stable state of reality. You used the energetic style of ocial constructivism , where people create their own reality, to form a â€Å"separate peace† from war (disagreement) to the Winter Carnival (peace) created in the story, similar to the same concept of the film Fight Club directed by David Fincher. I believe your use of this kind of style was very complicated to understand prior to finishing the novel; but once I was done reading it, I understood the concept of your use of symbolism to show how the different objects and time periods relate to the characters lifestyle.Finally, the most significant and interesting part of the novel – the purpose. Most people might disagree with the purpose of the novel, since the social constructivism was difficult to understand. We all have different approaches for the novel’s purpose. Some might believe that the purpose was to get a visual on the separations of friends as we get older and how we see people for their true colors. I believe that the purpose was the characters were eating for the company of someone else to feel complete, but in order to be happy with others, they had to be happy with themselves.That’s what Gene couldn’t understand until the death of Finny. The quote, â€Å"I did not cry when I stood watching him being lowered into the family’s strait-laced burial ground outside of Boston. I could n ot escape a feeling that it was my own funeral, and you do not cry in that case† (Knowles 194), proves how close Gene felt to Finny, even at his death. Gene's feeling that it is his own funeral explains he has lost a part of himself; it is clear that Finny and Gene had become very close. He will never be the same without Finny by his side.I believe young adults will find this story very interesting. From its easy to follow story line, its views and numerous of lessons taught , young adults can relate to this novel. I believe this story will continue to be popular since it was republished 4 times since the most recent publishing in 1996. Also, others have been inspired by this story such as Meg Rosoff's 2007 novel What I Was. My one question that I ask is thou many readers have different opinions about the novel’s purpose, what is the original purpose you explained?

Friday, January 3, 2020

The Aryan Brotherhood A Notorious Prison Gang

The Aryan Brotherhood (also known as the AB or the Brand) is a white-only prison gang formed in the 1960s at San Quentin State Prison. The gangs purpose at that time was to protect white inmates from being physically attacked by black and Hispanic inmates. Today the AB is reportedly more interested in money and is known for its involvement in  murder, narcotics trafficking, extortion, gambling, and robbery. History of the Aryan Brotherhood At San Quentin State Prison during the 1950s, a renegade motorcycle gang with strong Irish roots formed the Diamond Tooth Gang. The gangs main purpose was to protect white inmates from being assaulted from other racial groups within the prison. The name, Diamond Tooth, was chosen because many in the  gang had tiny pieces of glass embedded in their teeth. In the early 1960s, wanting more control, the gang  expanded its recruiting efforts and attracted more white-supremacist and violent prone inmates. As the gang grew, they changed the name from Diamond Tooth to Blue Bird. By the late 1960s, racial unrest increased throughout the nation and the desegregation within the prisons took place and stronger racial tensions grew within the prison yards. The Black Guerrilla Family, a gang made up of black-only members, became a real threat to the Blue Birds and the group looked toward other prison white-only gangs to form an alliance which became known as the Aryan Brotherhood. A Blood In-Blood Out philosophy took hold and the AB raged a war of intimidation and control within the prison. They demanded respect from all inmates and would kill to get it. Power Driven During the 1980s with control intact, the purpose of the AB shifted from being merely a protective shield for whites. They also sought full control over illegal prison activities for financial gain. As gang membership grew and members were let out of prison and re-entered other prisons, it became clear that an organized system was needed. Protection, extortion, narcotics, weapons and murder-for-hire schemes were paying off and the gang wanted to expand its power to other prisons across the country. Federal and State Factions Part of the AB setting up a strict organizational structure was the decision to have two factions; the Federal faction who would control the gang activities in federal prisons and the California state faction which kept control over the state prisons. Aryan Brotherhood Symbols Shamrock cloverleafInitials ABSwastikasDouble lightning boltsThe numbers 666HH for Heil HitlerA Falcon resembling the Sinn Fein, the political wing of the Irish Republican Army, meaning We OurselvesKnown to use Gaelic (old Irish) symbols as a method of coding communicationsAryan Brotherhood groups from other states often include the name of the stateLetters and exclamation points separated by happy faces Enemies/Rivals The Aryan Brotherhood has traditionally demonstrated a deep hatred toward black individuals and members of black gangs, such as the Black Guerrilla Family (BGF), Crips, Bloods, and El Rukns. They also are rivals with the La Nuestra Familia (NF) because of their alliance with the Mexican Mafia. Allies The Aryan Brotherhood: Maintains a working relationship with the Mexican Mafia (EME).Works with some black groups in an effort to encourage possible prison disturbances and to deal drugs to the black prison population.Compatible with most motorcycle gangs as many of the AB members come from motorcycle gangs.Compatible with most white supremacy groups. This often leads to confusion in distinguishing AB members from other white supremacist groups, particularly when making identification by their tattoos or symbols.Copycat Aryan Brotherhood groups are generally tolerated by true members. However, federal and California ABs do not consider them to be legitimate and may threaten violence if AB tattoos are not burned or cut off.Actively cooperates with the Dirty White Boys, an Anglo spin-off gang of the Texas Syndicate. Similar cooperation has been observed with the Silent Brotherhood. Communications As an attempt to break up AB gang activity, prison officials placed many of the top AB leaders in ultra-maximum security prisons such as Pelican Bay yet communications continued, including orders to kill snitches and rival gang members. Older members had long perfected communicating with hand language as well as using codes and a 400-year-old binary alphabet system to communicate in writing. Cryptic notes would be concealed throughout the prison.​ Busting Up the AB In August 2002, after a six-year investigation by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) nearly all suspected AB gang leaders were indicted and charged with murder, contract hits, conspiracy to commit murder, extortion, robbery, and narcotics trafficking. Ultimately, four of the top AB leaders were found guilty and given life sentences without the possibility of parole. Barry The Barron Mills: Alleged leader of the Aryan Brotherhoods operations in the federal prison system.Tyler Davis The Hulk Bingham: Alleged leader who worked with Mills in the federal prison branch of the AB.Edgar The Snail Hevle: Allegedly, a former top-level member of the three-man commission that oversaw the federal branch of the prison gang.Christopher Overton Gibson: Allegedly, a member of the group in charge of the gangs day-to-day activities. Although some felt hopeful that removing the top leaders of the AB would result in the demise of the gang as a whole, many believed it was a mere setback with vacant positions quickly filled by other gang members and business continued as usual. Aryan Brotherhood Trivia Charles Manson was denied membership into the AB gang because the leaders found his type of murder, distasteful. However, they did utilize the women visiting Manson as a means of smuggling in narcotics. The Aryan Brotherhood was hired to protect mobster boss John Gotti during his incarceration after he was attacked by an inmate. This relationship resulted in many murders-by-hire between the AB and the Mafia. Source Florida Dept. of Corrections