Bloodlines Chapter Seventeen

MY DISCOVERY KICKED the tattoo problem up to a whole new level. Before, I'd just thought I was fighting against people using techniques similar to Alchemist methods to expose Amberwood to drugs. It had been a moral issue. Now, with blood on the line – it was an Alchemist issue. Our whole purpose was to protect humans from the existence of vampires. If someone was illicitly putting vampire blood into humans, they'd crossed the line we worked hard, every day, to maintain. I knew I should immediately report this. If someone had gotten their hands on vampire blood, the Alchemists needed to send a force here and investigate. If I followed the normal chain of command, I supposed the thing would be to tell Keith and let him tell our superiors. If he did, however, I had no doubt he'd claim all the credit for uncovering this. I couldn't let that happen – and not because I wanted the glory for myself. Too many Alchemists erroneously believed Keith was an upstanding person. I didn't want to fuel that. But before I did anything, I needed to figure out the rest of the vials' contents. I could make guesses at the metallic residues but wasn't sure if, like the blood, they came straight from the Alchemist catalog or were just knockoffs. And if they were our formulas, it wasn't obvious at a glance which were which. The silver powder in one vial, for example, could have been a few different Alchemist compounds. I had the means to do some experiments and figure it out, but one substance eluded me. It was clear, slightly thick liquid that had no discernable odor. My guess was that it was the narcotic used in the celestial tattoos. Vampire blood wouldn't cause that high, though it would absolutely explain the crazy athleticism of the so-called steel tattoos. So, I began running what experiments I could, while going on with the normal routines of school. We were playing basketball inside in PE this week, so Jill was participating – and being subjected to Laurel's biting comments. I kept hearing her say things like, â€Å"You'd think she'd be a lot better since she's so tall. She can practically touch the basket without jumping. Or maybe she should turn into a bat and fly up there.† I winced. I had to keep telling myself not to make a big deal of the jokes, but every time I heard one, panic seized me. I had to hide it, though. If I wanted to help Jill, I needed the teasing stopped as a whole – not just the vampire stuff. Drawing more attention to those comments wouldn't help. Micah tried to comfort Jill after each attack, which clearly infuriated Laurel more. Laurel's weren't the only comments reaching my ears. Since my raid of the tattoo parlor, I'd been hearing a fair amount of interesting information from Slade and his friends. â€Å"Well, did he say when?† Miss Carson was taking attendance, and Slade was interrogating a guy named Tim about a recent trip to the parlor. Tim shook his head. â€Å"No. They're having some trouble with their shipment. It sounds like the supplier's got it but doesn't want to give it up for the same price.† â€Å"Damn it,† growled Slade. â€Å"I need a touch-up.† â€Å"Hey,† said Tim. â€Å"What about me? I don't even have my first one.† It wasn't the first comment I'd overheard from someone who already had a celestial and needed a touch-up. Addiction in action. Jill's face was hard when PE ended, and I had the feeling she was trying not to cry. I tried talking to her in the locker room, but she simply shook her head and headed off for the showers. I was about to go there myself when I heard a shriek. Those of us who were still by the lockers raced to the shower room to see what was happening. Laurel jerked the curtain back from her stall and came running out, oblivious to the fact that she was naked. I gaped. Her skin was covered in a fine sheen of ice. Water droplets from the shower had frozen solid on her skin and in her hair, though in the steamy heat of the rest of the room, they were already starting to melt. I glanced over to the shower itself and noticed that the water coming out of the faucet was also frozen solid. Laurel's screams brought Miss Carson running in – shocked as the rest of us at the seemingly impossible thing we'd just witnessed. She finally declared it was some kind of freak problem with the pipes and the water heater. That was typical of my fellow humans. They'd always reach for far-fetched scientific explanations before delving into fantastic ones. But I had no problem with that. It made my job easier. Miss Carson tried to get Laurel to go into a different shower to get the ice off, but she refused. She waited for it all to melt and then toweled herself off. Her hair was atrocious when she finally left for her next class, and I smirked. I guessed there'd be no hair-tossing today. â€Å"Jill,† I called, catching sight of her trying to blend in to the group of girls leaving the locker room. She glanced guiltily over her shoulder but didn't otherwise acknowledge that she'd heard me. I followed close behind her. â€Å"Jill!† I called out again. She was definitely avoiding me. In the hall, Jill spotted Micah and hurried over to him. Smart. She knew I wouldn't ask any dangerous questions with him around. She managed to avoid me for the rest of the day, but I staked out our room until she finally came home, just before curfew. â€Å"Jill,† I exclaimed as soon as she walked through the door. â€Å"What were you thinking?† She threw her books down and turned toward me. I had a feeling I wasn't the only one who'd been preparing a speech today. â€Å"I was thinking I'm sick of listening to Laurel and her friends talk about me.† â€Å"So you froze her shower?† I asked. â€Å"How is that going to stop her? It's not like you can claim credit for it.† Jill shrugged. â€Å"It made me feel better.† â€Å"That's your excuse?† I could hardly believe it. Jill had always seemed so reasonable. She'd survived becoming a princess and dying with a clear head. This was what broke her. â€Å"Do you know what you risked? We're trying to not attract attention here!† â€Å"Miss Carson didn't think it was weird.† â€Å"Miss Carson came up with a flimsy excuse to reassure herself! That's what people do. All it's going to take is some janitor investigating and saying pipes don't randomly freeze – especially in Palm Springs!† â€Å"So what?† Jill demanded. â€Å"What then? Is their next leap going to be that it was vampire magic?† â€Å"Of course not,† I said. â€Å"But people are going to talk. You've raised their suspicions.† She eyed me carefully. â€Å"Is that what's really upsetting you? Or is it that I used magic at all?† â€Å"Isn't it the same thing?† â€Å"No. I mean, you're upset that I used magic because you don't like magic. You don't like anything to do with vampires. I think this is personal. I know what you think of us.† I groaned. â€Å"Jill, I do like you. You're right that magic makes me a little uneasy.† Okay, a lot uneasy. â€Å"But my personal feelings aren't what's going to make people wonder what could have caused water to freeze like that.† â€Å"It isn't right that she can keep doing that!† â€Å"I know. But you have to be better than her.† Jill sat on the bed and sighed. Like that, her anger seemed to melt into despair. â€Å"I hate it here. I want to go back to St. Vladimir's. Or Court. Or Michigan. Anywhere but here.† She looked at me pleadingly. â€Å"Hasn't there been any news about when I can go back?† â€Å"No,† I said, unwilling to tell her it might be a while. â€Å"Everyone's having a great time here,† she said. â€Å"You love it. You have tons of friends.† â€Å"I don't – â€Å" â€Å"Eddie likes it too. He's got Micah and some other guys in their dorm to hang out with. Plus, he's got me to look after, which gives him a purpose.† I'd never thought of it like that but realized she was right. â€Å"But me? What do I have? Nothing except this stupid bond that just makes me more depressed because I have to listen to Adrian feel sorry for himself.† â€Å"I'm taking Adrian job-hunting tomorrow,† I said, not sure if that would really help. Jill nodded bleakly. â€Å"I know. His life'll probably be great now too.† She was sinking into melodrama and her own self-pity, but in light of everything, I kind of felt like she was entitled to it right now. â€Å"You have Lee,† I said. That brought a smile to her face. â€Å"I know. He's great. I like him a lot, and I can't believe†¦ I mean, it just seems crazy that he'd like me too.† â€Å"Not that crazy.† Her brightness faded. â€Å"Did you know Lee told me he thinks I can be a model? He says I've got the figure human fashion designers really like and knows this designer downtown who's looking for models. But when I told Eddie, he said it was a terrible idea because I can't risk having my picture taken. He said if it leaked out, others could find me.† â€Å"That's true,† I said. â€Å"On all counts. You do have a model's figure – but it'd be too dangerous.† She sighed, looking defeated. â€Å"See? Nothing works out for me.† â€Å"I'm sorry, Jill. I really am. I know it's hard. All I can ask is that you keep trying to stay strong. You've done really great so far. Just hang in there a little longer, okay? Just keep thinking of Lee.† My words sounded hollow, even to me. I almost wondered if I should bring her along with Adrian and me but finally decided against it. I didn't think Adrian needed any distractions. I also wasn't sure how interesting it would be for her. If she was really that eager to watch Adrian go through job interviews, she could â€Å"listen in† through the bond. I met up with Adrian after school the next day, and for the first time in ages, neither Lee nor Keith was around the old house. Clarence was, however, and he practically ran me down when I entered. â€Å"Did you hear?† he demanded. â€Å"Did you hear about that poor girl?† â€Å"What girl?† I asked. â€Å"The one killed in Los Angeles a couple weeks ago.† â€Å"Oh, yeah,† I said, relieved there was no new death. â€Å"It was tragic. We're lucky there are no Strigoi here.† He gave me a surprisingly knowing look. â€Å"It wasn't Strigoi! Haven't you paid attention? It was them. The vampire hunters.† â€Å"But they drank her blood, sir. Didn't you say vampire hunters are human? No human would have any reason to drink Moroi blood.† He turned away from me and paced the living room. I glanced around, wondering where Adrian was. â€Å"Everyone keeps saying that!† said Clarence. â€Å"As though I don't already know that. I can't explain why they do what they do. They're a strange lot. They worship the sun and have weird beliefs about evil and honor – more unusual than even your beliefs.† Well, that was something. At least he knew I was human. Sometimes I wasn't sure. â€Å"They also have strange views on which vampires should die. They kill all Strigoi without question. With Moroi and dhampirs, they're more selective.† â€Å"You sure know a lot about them,† I said. â€Å"I've made it my business to, ever since Tamara.† He sighed and suddenly seemed very, very old. â€Å"At least Keith believes me.† I kept my face expressionless. â€Å"Oh?† Clarence nodded. â€Å"He's a good young man. You should give him a chance.† My control slipped, and I knew I was scowling. â€Å"I'll try, sir.† Adrian entered just then, much to my relief. Being alone with Clarence was freaky enough without him actually praising Keith Darnell. â€Å"Ready?† I asked. â€Å"You bet,† said Adrian. â€Å"I can't wait to be a productive member of society.† I gave his outfit a once-over and had to bite off any comments. It was nice, but of course, his clothes always were. Jill had claimed I had an expensive wardrobe, but Adrian's blew mine away. Today he wore black jeans and a burgundy button-down shirt. The shirt looked like it was some sort of silk blend, and he wore it loose and unbuttoned. His hair was carefully styled to look like he'd just rolled out of bed. Too bad he didn't have my hair's texture. My hair did that without any styling at all. I had to admit, he looked great – but he didn't look like he was going to a job interview. He looked like he was about to go clubbing. This left me kind of conflicted. I found myself admiring him nonetheless and was again reminded of that impression I got from him sometimes, like he was some kind of work of art. It was a little disconcerting, particularly since I had to keep telling myself that vampires were not attractive in the same way humans were. Fortunately, the practical part of me soon took over, chastising me that it didn't matter if he looked good or not. What mattered was that he looked inappropriate for job interviews. I shouldn't have been surprised, though. This was Adrian Ivashkov. â€Å"So what's on the agenda?† he asked me once we were on the road. â€Å"I really think ‘Chairman Ivashkov' has a nice ring to it.† â€Å"There's a folder in the backseat with our itinerary, Chairman.† Adrian twisted around and retrieved the folder. After a quick scan of it, he declared, â€Å"You get points for variety, Sage. But I don't think any of these are going to keep me in the lifestyle I'm accustomed to.† â€Å"Your resume's in the back. I did my best, but we're operating within limited parameters here.† He flipped through the papers and found the resume. â€Å"Wow. I was an educational assistant at St. Vladimir's?† I shrugged. â€Å"It was the closest you had to a job.† â€Å"And Lissa was my supervisor, huh? I hope she gives me a good referral.† When Vasilisa and Rose were still in school, Adrian had lived there and worked with Vasilisa on learning spirit. â€Å"Educational assistant† was kind of a stretch, but it made him sound like he could multitask and show up for work on time. He shut the folder and leaned back against the seat, closing his eyes. â€Å"How's Jailbait? She seemed down the last time I saw her.† I considered lying but figured he'd probably find out the truth eventually, either from her directly or through his own deductions. Adrian's judgment might be questionable, but I'd discovered he was excellent at reading people. Eddie claimed it came from being a spirit user and had mentioned something about auras, which I wasn't quite sure I believed in. The Alchemists had no hard evidence that they were real. â€Å"Not good,† I said, giving him the full report as we drove. â€Å"That shower thing was hilarious,† he said when I finished. â€Å"It was irresponsible! Why can't anyone see that?† â€Å"But that bitch had it coming.† I sighed. â€Å"Have you guys forgotten why you're here? You of all people! You saw her die. Don't you get how important it is for her to stay safe and keep a low profile?† Adrian was quiet for several moments, and when I glanced over, his face was uncharacteristically serious. â€Å"I know. But I don't want her to be miserable either. She†¦ she doesn't deserve it. Not like the rest of us.† â€Å"I don't think we do either.† â€Å"Maybe you don't,† he said with a small smile. â€Å"What with your pure lifestyle and all. I don't know. Jill's just so†¦ innocent. It's why I saved her, you know. I mean, part of it.† I shivered. â€Å"When she died?† He nodded, a troubled look in his eyes. â€Å"When I saw her there, bloody and not moving†¦ I didn't think about the consequences of what I was doing. I just knew I had to save her. She had to live. I acted without question, not even knowing for sure if I could do it.† â€Å"It was brave of you.† â€Å"Maybe. I don't know. I do know she's gone through a lot. I don't want her to go through any more.† â€Å"Neither do I.† I was touched at the concern. He kept surprising me in weird ways. Sometimes it was hard to imagine Adrian really caring about anything, but a softer side of him surfaced when he talked about Jill. â€Å"I'll do what I can. I know I should talk to her more†¦ be more of a friend or even a fake sister. It's just†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He eyed me. â€Å"Is it really so terrible being around us?† I blushed. â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"But†¦ it's complicated. I've been taught certain things my entire life. Those are hard to shake.† â€Å"The greatest changes in history have come because people were able to shake off what others told them to do.† He looked away from me, out the window. The statement annoyed me. It sounded good, of course. It was the kind of thing people said all the time without really understanding the implications. Be yourself, fight the system! But people who said them – people like Adrian – hadn't lived my life. They hadn't grown up in a system of beliefs so rigid, it was like being imprisoned. They hadn't been forced to give up their ability to think for themselves or make their own choices. His words didn't just annoy me, I realized. They made me angry. They made me jealous. I scoffed and threw out a comment worthy of him. â€Å"Should I add motivational speaker to your resume?† â€Å"If the pay's right, I'm in. Oh.† He straightened up. â€Å"I finally placed him. That Micah guy you're so worried about.† â€Å"Placed him?† â€Å"Yeah. Why he looks so familiar. Micah's a dead ringer for Mason Ashford.† â€Å"Who?† â€Å"A dhampir that went to St. Vladimir's. He dated Rose for a while.† Adrian scoffed and rested his cheek against the glass. â€Å"Well, inasmuch as anyone ever dated her. She was crazy for Belikov, even then. Just like she was when we dated. Don't know if Ashford ever knew or if she was able to fool him the whole time. I hope so. Poor bastard.† I frowned. â€Å"Why do you say that?† â€Å"He died. Well, was killed, I should say. Did you know about that? A bunch of them were captured by Strigoi last year. Rose and Castile made it out. Ashford didn't.† â€Å"No,† I said, making a mental note to look into this. â€Å"I didn't. Eddie was there too?† â€Å"Yup. Physically, at least. The Strigoi kept feeding off him, so he was useless for most of it. You want to talk about emotional damage? Look no further.† â€Å"Poor Eddie,† I said. Suddenly, a lot about the dhampir was beginning to make sense to me. We arrived at the first place, a law firm that was looking for an office assistant. The title sounded more glamorous than it really was and would probably involve a lot of the same errands Trey and I ran for Ms. Terwilliger. But out of the three positions I'd found, this one also had the most potential for future advancement. The firm was obviously doing well, judging from the lobby we waited in. Orchids grew in giant, well-placed vases, and there was even a fountain in the middle of the room. Three others waited in the lobby with us. One was a very nicely dressed woman in her forties. Opposite her was a man about the same age, sitting with a much younger woman whose lowcut blouse would've gotten her thrown out of Amberwood. Each time I looked at her, I wanted to cover her cleavage up with a cardigan. The three of them obviously knew each other, however, because they kept making eye contact and trading glares. Adrian studied each of them in turn and then turned to me. â€Å"This law firm,† he said in a low voice. â€Å"It specializes in divorce, doesn't it?† â€Å"Yes,† I said. He nodded and took a few moments to process the information. Then, to my horror, he leaned over me and said to the older woman, â€Å"He was a fool, clearly. You're a stunning, classy woman. Just wait. He'll be sorry.† â€Å"Adrian!† I exclaimed. The woman flinched in surprise but didn't look entirely offended. Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, the younger woman straightened up from where she'd been cuddling against the man. â€Å"Sorry?† she demanded. â€Å"What's that supposed to mean?† I willed the earth to swallow me up and save me. Fortunately, the next-best thing came when the receptionist called the threesome in to meet with a lawyer. â€Å"Really?† I asked when they were gone. â€Å"Did you have to say that?† â€Å"I speak my mind, Sage. Don't you believe in telling the truth?† â€Å"Of course I do. But there's a time and place! Not with perfect strangers who are obviously in a bad situation.† â€Å"Whatever,† he said, looking extremely pleased with himself. â€Å"I totally made that lady's day.† Just then, a woman in a black suit and very high heels emerged from an inner office. â€Å"I'm Janet McCade, the office manager,† she said. She glanced between the two of us uncertainly, and then she decided on me. â€Å"You must be Adrian.† The name mistake was understandable, but the mix-up didn't bode well for him. My assessment of his clubbing outfit had been correct. My brown skirt and ivory blouse apparently seemed more appropriate for an interview. â€Å"This is Adrian,† I said, pointing. â€Å"I'm just his sister, here for moral support.† â€Å"Very kind of you,† said Janet, looking a little perplexed. â€Å"Well, then. Shall we go talk, Adrian?† â€Å"You bet,† he said, standing. He started to follow her, and I jumped up. â€Å"Adrian,† I whispered, catching his sleeve. â€Å"You want to tell the truth? Do it in there. Do not embellish or make up crazy claims that you were a district attorney.† â€Å"Got it,† he said. â€Å"This is going to be a breeze.† If by breeze he meant fast, then he was right. He emerged from the office door five minutes later. â€Å"I don't suppose,† I said, once we were in the car, â€Å"that she just gave you the job based on looks alone?† Adrian had been staring off but now flashed me a big smile. â€Å"Why, Sage, you sweet talker.† â€Å"That's not what I meant! What happened?† He shrugged. â€Å"I told the truth.† â€Å"Adrian!† â€Å"I'm serious. She asked me what my greatest strength was. I said getting along with people.† â€Å"That's not bad,† I admitted. â€Å"Then she asked what my greatest weakness was. And I said, ‘Where should I start?'† â€Å"Adrian!† â€Å"Stop saying my name like that. I told her the truth. By the time I was on the fourth one, she told me I could go.† I groaned and resisted the urge to beat my head on the steering wheel. â€Å"I should've coached you. That's a standard trick question. You're supposed to answer with things like ‘I get too devoted to my work' or ‘I'm a perfectionist.'† He snorted and crossed his arms. â€Å"That's total bullshit. Who'd say something like that?† â€Å"People who get jobs.† Since we had extra time now, I did my best to prep him with answers before the next interview. It was actually at Spencer's, and I'd gotten Trey to pull a few strings. While Adrian was interviewing in the back, I got a table and some coffee. Trey came to visit me after about fifteen minutes. â€Å"Is that really your brother?† he demanded. â€Å"Yes,† I said, hoping I sounded convincing. â€Å"When you said he was looking for a job, I pictured a male version of you. I figured he'd want to color code the cups or something.† â€Å"What's your point?† I asked. Trey shook his head. â€Å"My point is that you'd better keep looking. I was just back there and overhead him talking with my manager. She was explaining the cleanup he would have to do each night. Then he said something about his hands and manual labor.† I wasn't the swearing type, but in that moment, I wished I was. The last interview was at a trendy bar downtown. I'd taken it on faith that Adrian probably knew every drink in the world and had made up a fake credential for the resume, claiming he'd taken a bartending class. I stayed in the car for this one and sent him in alone, figuring he had the best chance here. At the very least, his outfit would be appropriate. When he came out in ten minutes, I was aghast. â€Å"How?† I demanded. â€Å"How could you have screwed this one up?† â€Å"When I got in, they said the manager was on the phone and would be a few minutes. So, I sat down and ordered a drink.† This time, I did lean my forehead against the steering wheel. â€Å"What did you order?† â€Å"A martini.† â€Å"A martini.† I lifted my head. â€Å"You ordered a martini before a job interview.† â€Å"It's a bar, Sage. I figured they'd be cool with it.† â€Å"No, you didn't!† I exclaimed. The volume of my voice surprised both of us, and he cringed a little. â€Å"You aren't stupid, no matter how much you pretend to be! You know you can't do that. You did it to screw around with them. You did it to screw around with me! That's what this has all been about. You haven't taken any of this seriously. You wasted these people's time and mine, just because you had nothing better to do!† â€Å"That's not true,† he said, though he sounded uncertain. â€Å"I do want a job†¦ just not these jobs.† â€Å"You're in no position to pick and choose. You want out of Clarence's? These were your tickets. You should've been able to get any of them if you'd just put in a little effort. You're charming when you want to be. You could've talked yourself into a job.† I started the car. â€Å"I'm done with this.† â€Å"You don't understand,† he said. â€Å"I understand that you're going through a tough time. I understand that you're hurting.† I refused to look at him and gave all my attention to the road. â€Å"But that doesn't give you the right to play around with other people's lives. Try taking care of your own for a change.† He made no response until we were back at Clarence's, and even then, I didn't want to hear it. â€Å"Sage – † he began. â€Å"Get out,† I said. He hesitated like he might disagree but finally conceded with a swift nod. He left the car and strode toward the house, lighting a cigarette as he went. Fury and frustration burned within me. How could one person continually send me on such emotional highs and lows? Whenever I was starting to like him and feel like we were actually connecting, he would go and do something like this. I was a fool to ever start letting myself feel friendly toward him. Had I really thought he was a work of art earlier? More like a piece of work. My feelings were still churning when I arrived back at Amberwood. I particularly cringed at the thought of running into Jill in our room. I had no doubt she'd know everything that had happened with Adrian, and I had no desire to hear her defend him. But when I walked into my dorm, I never made it past the front desk. Mrs. Weathers was in the lobby, along with Eddie and a campus security officer. Micah hovered nearby, face pale. My heart stopped. Eddie sprinted toward me, panic written all over him. â€Å"There you are! I couldn't get ahold of you or Keith.† â€Å"M-my phone was off.† I looked over at Mrs. Weathers and the officer and saw the same worry on their faces as his. â€Å"What's wrong?† â€Å"It's Jill,† said Eddie grimly. â€Å"She's missing.†

Eu Integration Theories-Neofunctionalism

EEU Integration Theories:Neo-Functionalism â€Å"Any comprehensive theory of integration should potentially be a theory of disintegration. † (Schmitter, 2002: 4) Introduction Neo-functionalism, as the first integration theory of EU to form a regional cooperation, is a theory of collective security and collective development but there was a compromise, a negative side: interdependence; sometimes `excessively? to a supranational authority and the risk of by-passing of nation state.The balance of the scale was rather sensitive and it was both supported and rejected by many passionately. This paper tries to find an answer to the question â€Å"What is the significance of the neo-functionalist theory for integration process of the EU and what are the dynamics and causes of the decline in mid 1960s and its renaissance after 1980s? † and deals with the theory from a very limited perspective. Its predecessors and successors will be kept out of discussion but a closer view to th e phases of neo-functionalism will be provided.The main argument of this paper is that, in its first phase between 1950s until the mid 1960s, neo-functionalism suffered from abstraction of the power of nation state in a period in which supranational governance was not thoroughly internalized; whereas, with the deepening of integration process and theoretical contributions by scholars, enabled neo-functionalism to see the reality of integration through a more realist and mature perspective and to be more comprehensive in terms of realizing the power of myriads of actors in the integration process during its second phase after mid 1980s.In the first part, definition of neo-functionalism and its importance in the post WW II context will be given. In the second part, the theory will be elaborated with its core concepts and in the third part, criticisms of the theory will be given from both empirical and theoretical grounds. In the fourth and last part, the recent history of neo-function alism will be evaluated and the revival period will be elabotared in connection with the recent aspects of European integration. 1. Definition of Neo-functionalism and its importance in the post WW II context The Europe after the two world wars had a catastrophic burden.Although numbers vary, around 35 million in the first and around 55 million casualties depicted the highest number of losses in the history of mankind. As a precursor to United Nations, League of Nations failed to prevent the road to the second world war primarily due to lacking an armed forces of its own; moreover, nation states hardly had the enthusiasm to support any formation that limited their sovereignty. The pain and destruction after the two wars created an incentive to cooperate for further economic and human losses.Neo-functionalism is conceptualized by Ernst B. Haas in this context to explain boosting of regional cooperation and create interdependence in such a way that any conflict would result in great e conomic losses, which prevents rational states from further conflicts. â€Å"Then came along the political project of creating a united Europe, which had the result of creating a myriad of institutions in which very, very many people participated. †¦ These institutions developed a permanence through which both French and German †¦ learned to do routine business with each other every day.A problem which they experienced was a common problem. †¦ first comes the traumatic lesson, then comes the institution for learning to deal with each other† (Haas, 2000: 16 in Risse, 2004:1). The case of European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was the example that Haas took to exemplify this cooperation to integration process. The ECSC was the first organisation based on supranational integration, with the states that composed them pooling a whole range of national powers (European Nagivator, The European Communities).Until it was merged to the European Commission in 1967, The High Authority governed the ECSC to provide a common market in terms of coal and steel. â€Å"The Six (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands) opted for integration and supranationalism as the means of unification. † (Henig, 1997:12) For Haas, political integration is â€Å"the process whereby political actors in several distinct national settings are persuaded to shift their loyalties, expectations, and political activities toward a new centre, whose institutions possess or demand jurisdiction over the pre-existing national states† (Haas 1958,16).According to neo-functionalist thinking â€Å"the fundamental idea was that international relations shouldn`t be seen as a zero sum game, and that everybody wins when countries become involved in processes of economic and political integration† (Stroby-Jensen in Cini, 2007:84). The main reason for this arguments is one of the key concepts of neo-functionalism, namely spillover, which will be su bstantiated in the next part. 2. Main concepts of Neo-functionalist theory The Spillover thesisNeo-functionalist theory assumes that cooperation in a certain area triggers cooperation in several other areas areas (sometimes not previously planned ones) to achieve a through integration in the original area and creates new political goals (Stroby-Jensen in Cini, 2007:84). According Neo-functionalism the logic of spillover is central to explain the expansive logic of European integration and in this part three main types of spill over will be briefly identified to understand this expansive logic with a closer view.The first type of spill over is the functional or technical spillover, which suggests some sectors are so interdependent to each other that, it is impossible to isolate them and further integration is the key to prevent further problems. In other words, it takes place â€Å"when integration in one industry/sector creates its own impetus and necessitates further integration b oth in the same, and in other industries/sectors† (Howell, 2002:17).The second type is the political spillover according to which policy areas are purposefully linked together due to ideological reasons, sometimes as â€Å"package deals† (Stroby-Jensen in Cini, 2007:85). With such integration, the actors will realise their benefits in the international level instead of national one and form international coalitions (Haas, 1968:34). So the elites will learn to pursue their benefits in the international level and â€Å"refocus their activities, expectations and even loyalties to the new center† (Tranholm-Mikkelsen, 1991:4).The third type of spillover is the cultivated spillover which puts emphasis on central institutions like the Commission especially when nation states aren`t willingful for further integration. So it is assumed â€Å"that the European Commission will be pro-active in the management of European integration† (Howell, 2002:17). But the importa nt point here is that the central institutions such as the Commission act â€Å"not only as mediators, but also more directly as agents of political integration or as `policy enterpreneurs`† (Stroby-Jensen in Cini, 2007:85).Elite Socialization and Supranational Interest Group Thesis The second and the third thesis of neo-functionalism are elite socialization thesis and supranational interest group thesis. â€Å"The elite socialization thesis describes that over time civil servants and politicians involved on a regular basis in the supranational policy process will tend to develop European loyalties and preferences† (Mailand, 2005:6). This loyalty would result in prioritizing the European interests rather than the national ones in the framework of pan-European norms and ideas.This formation of European-minded agents result in a common European identity. The latter one, the supranational interest group thesis, argues the presence of interest groups putting pressure on go vernments to accelerate the integration process based on their economic and political interests. â€Å"Organized interest groups are also expected to become more European, as corporations and business groups formulate their own interests with an eye to the supranational institutions† (Stroby-Jensen in Cini, 2007:87).They â€Å"may ally themselves with supranational institutions like the European Commission in pursuing their agendas† (Ozcan, 2008:8). 3. Main criticisms for the Neo-functionalist theory The power of a theory is closely related with its accuracy of prediction. That is why neo-functionalism was considered to be quite convincing around 1950s and 1960s. From the middle of 1960 the theory suffered a great deal due to the incompatibilities with reality until its renaissance around mid 1980s due to the developments in integration process.But in this part the main criticisms towards neo-functionalism before its revival will be elaborated with its imperfections un der empirical and theoretical grounds. From an empirical grounds perspective, due to its attempt for being a grand theory, neo-functionalist school put forward some great assumptions, the most attention drawing of which is the emphasis on incremental integration rather than with fluctuations during the integration process of Europe.On the one hand, compared to its predecessor functionalism (as mentioned at the beginning of the paper, due to the limitations, the contextual approach to neo-functionalism is abstracted from this paper), neo-functionalism takes into consideration the non-automated integration; but on the other hand, ironically, based on spill over concept, neo-functionalism did not take into consideration the possibility of spill-back until the middle of 1960s, which can shortly be defined as the process of disintegration and â€Å"withdraw from joint obligations† (Schmitter, 2002:20), and downgrading their commitment to mutual cooperation.The most explicit exampl e would be the Empty Chair Crisis â€Å"From 30 June 1965 to 29 January 1966, in disagreement with the Commission of the European Communities on the financing of the common agricultural policy (CAP), France's representatives refuse to attend any intergovernmental meetings of the Community bodies in Brussels† (European Navigator, The Empty Chair Crisis). The French president Charles de Gaulle who had a military background created a huge crisis which ended up with the Luxembourg Compromise in 1966.The main reason for this was the gradual transition from unanimous voting to qualified-majority voting as provided for in the Treaty of Rome with effect from 1966 (Europa Glossary, Luxembourg Compromise). The crisis due to the intergovernmental view of French government formed the end of the first phase of neo-functionalism, leaving its place to a nation-state dominated perception of integration. From a theoretical grounds perspective, neo-functionalist school was criticized for the i nability to predict the nature of integration.Concerning this, even Haas himself acknowledged that â€Å"What once appeared to be a distinctive `supranational? style now looks more like a huge regional bureaucratic appendage to an intergovernmental conference in permanent session. † (Haas, 1975:6). As it is mentioned in the empirical grounds part, the concept of spill over was seen not to reflect the realities of integration process all the time. The second important critique from a theoretical point of view is towards the elite socialization thesis, which mainly assumes the development of supranational loyalties and identities.This criticism argues that in fact it is not possible to separate the servants from their national roots and even if they are paid and appointed by a supranational authority, they may still have a â€Å"larger ear† (Dihm, 2010: Field Trip to Brussels Meeting) for their national backgrounds either due to due their previous networks or nationalist sentiments. The third criticism focuses on the nature of neo-functionalism, which gives the main importance on the supranational character of international relations.Again taking into consideration the empirical criticism, the intergovernmental aspect was underestimated in case of national interests by the neo-functionalist school and the main criticism was towards an analysis which is more centered on intergovernmental aspects. 4. The revival of Neo-functionalism in the late 1980s and early 1990s Although Neo-functionalism lost its popularity after the middle of 1960s (after a period of popularity in 1950s and first half of 1960s), it started to gain its popularity due to the revitalization of EU integration process.This renewed interest is closely associated with the Single European Act (1986) which brought forward creation of an internal market in EU until 1992. â€Å"To facilitate the establishment of the internal market, the act provides for increasing the number of cases in which the Council can take decisions by qualified majority voting instead of unanimity† (Europa. eu, Single European Act). This accelerated the integration process in many ways besides removing trade barriers only, making the concept of spillover frequently referred to once again after a long slumber.Nevertheless according to some, this renewal would not be sufficient to understand the linear progression of social events. â€Å"As social scientists, we wish for theories about the social world to build on each other in some linear fashion but more often than not we observe, instead, a cyclical pattern by which different schools of thought replace each other in commanding out attention over time. Leading figures in the various theoretical traditions follow this same pattern† (Orru, 1988:115).But this was merely a cyclical pattern in fact when a closer analysis is made concerning the main theoretical aspects of the renaissance of neo-functionalism. After the theory strengt hened by the developments in EU, the most significant contribution came from Alec Stone Sweet and Wayne Sandholtz`s â€Å"European Integration and Supranational Governance†. Their main argument is given at the beginning of their article as â€Å"We argue that European integration is provoked and sustained by the development of causal connections between three factors: transnational exchange, supra-national organization, and European Community (EC) rule-making. (Stone-Sweet, Sandholtz, 1997:297) and their main emphasis is on â€Å"cross-border transactions and communications that generate a social demand for EC rules and regulation† and institutionalization due to EC rules and as endresult â€Å"this process provokes further integration† (Stone-Sweet, Sandholtz, 1997:297). As seen above, their theory is based on a sense of causality and their position is in between the intergovernmental and supranational politics which is seen as a continuum and â€Å"the conti nuum measures the increasing influences of three factors on policy-making processes and outcomes within any given policy sector.These factors are: (1) supranational organizations; (2) supranational rules; and (3) transnational society† (Stone-Sweet, Sandholtz, 1997:303). Bargaining takes place between a number of actors to decide on which end of the continuum is more predominant during the decision making process; nevertheless, since they also take into consideration the intergovernmental aspect, they argue â€Å"the grand bargains are, by definition, intergovernmental† (Stone-Sweet, Sandholtz, 1997:307).They not only take into consideration the intergovernmental policies, but also accept them existing in all stages and parts of the decision making system by saying â€Å" In fact, intergovernmental decision-making is ubiquitous in the EC, present even at the far right-hand pole of our continuum [which is Supranational Politics]† (Stone-Sweet, Sandholtz, 1997:306) .What they take as their starting point to their theory constitutes the core point of their argument, which is the society as the determinant actor especially â€Å"non-state actors who engage in trans-actions and communications across national borders, within Europe† (Stone-Sweet, Sandholtz, 1997:306). It will be the people to demand a certain standard of European rules standards and â€Å"as transnational exchange rises, so does the societal demand for supranational rules and organizational capacity to regulate† (Stone-Sweet, Sandholtz, 1997:306).Stone-Sweet and Sandholtz also make a check of their argument by looking at â€Å"Eurosclerosis†. â€Å"The period from the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s in the context of European integration is often referred to as an era of stagnation or eurosclerosis. † (Awesti, 2006:2). Stone-Sweet and Sandholtz argue that during this period starting from the Empty Chair Crisis to The Single European Act in other words  " In the worst days of ‘Eurosclerosis' in the 1970s, levels of intra-EC trade and other forms of exchange soared† and they point out a direct correlation between the integration process and the exchanges that take place.As seen, transaction based integration theory is depicted as a process which is mainly driven by the volume of transactions taking place for a thorough integration process by triggering a vast extent of regulations in myriads of areas. Conclusion Mentioned as the first words of this paper â€Å"Any comprehensive theory of integration should potentially be a theory of disintegration† (Schmitter, 2002:4), Schmitter highlights that the strength and weakness of neo-functionalism is rather similar and what creates integration may end up with disintegrative consequences.Being accepted as the first of the integration theories, neo-functionalism has had a very debated place due to its defying characteristics against the sovereignty of nation states. When a ll the information given above is summed up, it would be possible to say that the time span in which a theory exists in, is crucial for its existence. In other words, the perceptions and conditions of its age is of great importance to decide on the consistency of a theory.Neo-functionalism suffered due to the theoretical assumptions and the realities of integration process in its first phase; nevertheless, the notion of supranationality seemed to be better absorbed and digested by the nation-states in its second phase. Another significant determinant factor about the life of a theory that one can deduct by looking at the example of neo-functionalism is the level of abstractions. How much a theory shall abstract and accept is a major question and although in the first phase Haas didn`t totally deny the authority of nation-states, due to the sensitivities of the age, the theory weakened considerably.Even if they don? t define themselves as neo-functionalists, Stone-Sweet and Sandholtz `s approach to integration process as a continuum between the two poles of sovereignty brought a fresh start for the decision-making and integration process of EU. All in all, today neo-functionalism with its renewed form, is one of the most significant theories to observe and understand the dynamics of integration process of EU together with all the bargaining process that takes place between the actors involved.

Design a project that address a specific social issue.the project is Essay

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Motor Vessel Dubai Valour - Essay Example The four officers are reported to be gravely ill and are losing their morale and hope. With all these, the Nigerian government remains passive while the Chief defied its legal territory. Malta, as a member of the Commonwealth of Nations tried to help and intervene in the situation by asking help from the International Court of Justice. The case features two problems to be solved-one which should be remedied in the short term while the other can be for the long run. The hostages should be freed immediately for their health and safety. Next is the establishment of a policy to ensure that this occurrence will not be encountered in the future. It should also be noted that in order to do this, there should be cooperation from Nigeria. It is recommended that the appeal to the International Court of Justice be pursued. However, it should be noted that the course of the processing the appeal will not be immediate. Thus, the International Court of Justice cannot solve the problem at hand which is the freedom of the four officers. The response of the International Court of Justice will be to find a remedy so that this situation will not happen again in the future. The United Nations should establish a definite policy on how to handle this kind of situation. It is strongly recommended that diploma

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Argument Analysis - Assignment Example moted to write the article by the heavy persuasion from his followers, who emphasized that Santiago could be right, which would see him reconsider his previous position (Ebert 1). The article takes on a debate which has featured in other article, including â€Å"Sorry MoMA, Video games are not art† which was published in the guardian online magazine (Jones 1). However, the author was prompted to write the article, mainly, by the response of game producer Santiago and the attention offered to the issue by his followers and audience. For that reason, the article is directed towards clearing Santiago’s criticism, as well as offering his audience, more information about his position on the issue (Ebert 1). The common experience among the target audience is that they are art and Video game enthusiasts, and in their view, video games are as interactive as traditional art. For that reason, it is possible that they hold a biased view of the issue, mainly because the audience a nd Santiago are all presenting personal views of art and games. Through authoring the article, the author hopes to clear the air about the issue, therefore communicating the rationales behind his statements that video games are not art (Ebert 1). The author of the article, Robert Ebert has worked in the area of critiquing film for the Chicago Sun-Times starting 1967. Through his career, he has been recognized by the Hollywood walk of fame, awarded a star and pointed out as an â€Å"honorary member of the Directors guild of America† (Ebert [b] 1). The author’s occupation is film critic, screenwriter and journalist; therefore his strong background in the field qualifies him to be a noteworthy writer on the topic. His entry into the field of journalism during his early years qualified him to grow into a highly experienced film and art critic. The author’s political inclination was neutral, and that was evident from his emphasis that his kindness insulates all his political beliefs (Ebert [b]

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Peer rejection - Term Paper Example dolescent is becoming hostile, aggressive or even violent and taking inherent action to ensure that the child takes positive steps to deal with a situation more productively. Those with anger management problems often manifest their hostilities in the form of fighting, destruction of property, verbal abuses, manifesting angry outbursts, or even manipulative behaviors against others. This essay explores the issue of the development of anger issues during the adolescent stage of development as a direct outcome of peer rejection. The essay further investigates treatment methodologies for adolescents that have developed anger management problems as a result of peer rejection, focusing on the implications of this hostility on current adolescent development and future adult social adjustment. Treatment methods differ in curbing anger management problems with adolescents and this research essay conducts a comparison and contrast to determine which treatment strategies might be most effective for a peer-rejected adolescent youth that has developed hostility problems. During the adolescent stage of development, peer opinion and acceptance become primary needs as the youth seeks establishment of a sense of social identity. It is during this period where adolescents define their sense of self-importance based on their ability to fit in with peers. When adolescents have perceived a positive sense of belonging, it can lead to increased self-esteem which has fundamental implications as to whether the adolescent becomes fully self-actualized in adulthood, or reaching the full pinnacle of one’s achievement capacity and maximizing one’s fullest potential. Hence, peer rejection during adolescence has significant implications for whether the adolescent is fully prepared to transition into a well-adjusted and self-venerating adult. Peer rejection that occurs during adolescence can lead to the youth’s inability to self-regulate their emotional states (Trentacosta and Shaw,

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Mentoring Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Mentoring - Assignment Example One of the most important ways to integrate with one’s audience or with other shareholders is seeking to hone the skills of intimacy with those that one integrates with. However, as with many skills, the ability to increase one’s ability within this area requires practice and dedication in order to effect. However, one can easily estimate the one of the prime determinants towards affecting a positive effect on intimacy with respect to one’s audience is seeking to integrate an understanding and level of empathy with the particular approach. As such, the best way to coach an increase in this ability would be to seek to increase an increase in the relationship development that the speaker and/or teacher has with regards to the students (Yildiz, 2013). Although one might argue that â€Å"intimacy† in speaking is not something that can be learned to such a great degree and is either something that is innately gifted, learning how to speak with a level of ease and comfort can be learned as one develops more appropriate and effective relational skills with regards to how they can appreciate and interact with their audience. Without such a level of appreciation, coaching on such a topic would be utterly fruitless. However, due to the fact that the teacher must first realize that they stand to improve within the given area prior to any changes or remedial help being given or integrated, it is incumbent upon the reader to realize that cooperation from all members within the process is required in order to effect a positive change.

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Samsung Company analysis - Essay Example Product/services and geographic scope The company would promote the products through advertising campaigns in UK. Samsung will continue the brand promotion strategies using celebrities with promotional activities in malls and outlets (Semenik, Allen, & O'Guinn, 2008). Samsung offers a variety of products ranging from LCD and LED panels, mobile phones, semi-conductors, televisions and digital cameras. Till 2005, the company allocated more than 75% of the in-house production capacity to the countries like China, Mexico, India, identified as low cost countries. The operations of mobile phone operations of the company are mainly based in Northern China. In the first part of 2006, Samsung began to produce mid- and high-end handsets in India. The mobile phone manufacturing centres include Korea, UK, China, Japan and USA (Samsung-c, n.d.). Competitors Although the company enjoys a large market share, the company faces some serious threat from the other developed or developing companies, nam ely, Sony Corporation, Videocon and some other well-known brands. If these are direct competitors, the indirect competitors include Media Player from Microsoft, Ovi player from Nokia and several local brands (Schwarzinger, 2012). Sony is a company from Japan and leads the market in consumer-durable products. The prices charged by Sony are generally high, but if one looks for quality, then Sony is the best option to opt for (Sony, 2012). PEST Analysis Political: The political conditions of the countries where Samsung operate pose some risk. The political climate of South Korea became a worrying factor. In the African continent and in the countries of South East Asia, Samsung has distinct disadvantages as the business environment is hostile (Husso, 2011). Economic: Samsung follows a healthy marketing strategy in the countries where they operate. Since high levels of disposable income are required from the consumers to buy their products, Samsung targets the middle income classes. The company tries to enter into the countries where the business cycle for the offered products is in initial stages. Social: The company has been able to integrate itself according to the market structures. The ‘think global, act local’ mindset strengthens the landscape. It has effectively bridged the gap between culture and society. The company initiates to link a balance between the tastes and aspirants of the consumers with the amount of disposable income they possess (Henry, 2008). Technological: The company can take pride depending on the innovative approaches it launches. The products are made using cutting-edge technologies, and the attractive designs are the incentives it provides to the customers. The innovations are the biggest strength of Samsung, and the technological advancements lay the foundation stone to cement the place of Samsung in global markets. SWOT Analysis Strength: The brand value of the company is the biggest strength. The new innovation of 3D tel evision is selling like hot cakes in the market. It is of no surprise that Samsung is the company with the largest market share of 3D television. Other types of television, namely, the LED television, have been successful in providing a large consumer base to the

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Analyzing Cost of Capital 2 - Assignment Example The greatest advantage that one gets, in debt financing, is the maintenance of complete ownership of the business, in comparison to equity financing. It is of great importance to also note that, banks usually expect you to put up assets to back up loan, inform of security. These assets could include property, your personal investments, equipment or other tangible holdings that the bank could seize if you default on the loan (Pratt, 2010). Equity financing is especially very common among small business owners, because of the concerns they have about either qualifying for a loan or having to channel too much of their profits into repaying the loan. Investors and partners can provide equity financing, and they generally expect to get profits from their investments. Moreover, if no profit materializes, you aren’t obligated to pay back equity contributions. The major drawback of equity financing is that, you are no longer the full owner of a business once you have other financial contributors who expect a share. As such, you will be relinquishing not just financial control, but will no longer be the sole arbiter of the business’s creative and strategic direction (Plath, 2006). There are two main things to consider when working out the cost of capital: WACC, Weighted average cost of capital and the MCC, which is the marginal cost of capital. This basically is the comparison of how much of new capital is raised in comparison to what was injected at the start of the business. WACC on the other hand is basically the average rate of return a company expects to compensate all its different investors. The minimum return that a company must earn on its existing asset base to satisfy its creditors, owners, and other capital sources.It aims at measuring the capital discount of the company’s income and expenditure and it represents the

The sound and the fury by William Faulkner Essay Example for Free

The sound and the fury by William Faulkner Essay The sound and the fury by William Faulkner Introduction            The Sound and the Fury is an intransigently notorious and difficult novel that has received much acclaim and criticism in equal measure globally. Indeed, this is understandable of a book that literally transients the callous southern American tradition of slavery and racial profiling. Besides, the books depiction of a family that descents from acclaim to desolation and finally live in shadows of its past is one that most people would not love to read. Most importantly, the book traces the deterioration of an intelligent southern adolescent who, living by the traditions of the south, carries along racial conventions to his final plunge in water where he commits suicide. This paper trails Quentin along with his racism to Harvard, his new insights into racism and his family’s contribution towards his racist believes.            Indeed, Quentin Compson is the eldest of the Compson offspring. As thus, he feels inordinately obliged to carry on the family’s responsibilities and suffice its traditions of prestige and greatness. Quentin is first encountered in Chapter 2 where is currently pursuing studies at the Harvard, Massachusetts. It is through his prose that the reader develops an attitude towards him and the Compsons. Quentin is crucial because he presents the Compsons traditions and through him, the reader understands the racial profiling in the South. Interestingly, Quentin carried along the southern traditions with him to the university in the north. He, therefore, encountered feelings of abashed shame, hateful or blase. However, the university in the north is potential crucial because, through his encounters with other southern, he learns insightful details about the race.            Spoade represents one of the southerners at the university who taught Quentin on race. He was a senior student at the university and saw pride for â€Å"never [running] for chapel†. Besides, he is proud because he never wore a shirt till noon. Therefore, he did not fall into the traditions of the â€Å"Northern University†. In so doing, Spoade adhered to the mythological grace and slowness characteristic of the Southern life. Interestingly, Spoade had â€Å"five names that also bore the current English ducal house† indicating that he was a detached and self assured person. Spoade boasts in being a gentleman causing jitters of shame into Quentin because the latter lacked sexual experiences. Perhaps, this is meant to infer that Quentin was possibly a gay. Indeed, â€Å"Spoade, [called] Shreve my husband.† Shreve was Quentin’s roommate at Harvard University.            Other than Spoade, racial sense was taught into Quentin at the North by the Blands. This was an ostensibly wealthy family from Kentucky, in the south. Considering that this family shunned joining the confederacy, it distanced them from the â€Å"Lost Cause† idea. An assessment of this family’s lifestyle reveals that they are extremely arrogant and ungracious, perhaps worse than Spoade. Firstly, the she in the family is a dotty seeking her son. Mrs. Bland took an apartment at Harvard on rent to be close to her son. Her motives are questionable as she goes to great lengths to fancy her son. For instance, she sources his clothes from New York.            In addition, Mrs. Bland takes pride in the â€Å"Gerald’s niggers and Gerald’s horses and Gerald’s women†. According to her, Gerald reflected the splendid specimen that was a replica of the Old South Plantation boss. She is extremely snobbish and overly hateful and valueless to â€Å"these ignorant low class Yankees†. She shows some value only to the Southern Whites. It is through Mrs. Bland that Quentin learns of the disdain characters in Gerald, another white. Gerald features as a dashing handsome young brute who also turns out to be a virile womanizer. Gerald uses his physique to lure white women into his lair. It emerges that he is a viciously rudimental schemer who has no respect for women.            Quentin initiated a fist fight with him absentmindedly, and he ended up thrashing Quentin. This portrays Gerald in a bad light as an ungentle and respectful man as is Quentin. This is because he materialistically exploited his women rather than keep them safe and protected. Mrs. Bland inspires Quentin to think on issues of race. Her extreme obtrusiveness and condescending attitude disqualify her as a Southern lady. Quentin also questions the source of the bulk of wealth that the Blands have. Spoade’s mild hatred for the family coupled with their showiness reflects an upstart family in the guise of the Old South. Quentin is emphatic that Spoade’s image of the aristocratic family effectively concealed his mercenary and aggression Yankee antitype. Moreover, Quentin observes the imminent difference between Spoade and his ancestors who were parvenus.            Quentin takes racial insights on the insensitiveness of the Blands and Spoade. Each of them appears shallow, unkind and unsympathetic towards each other. For instance, the white Blands are detached from a fellow white, Quentin, and only the Yankee, Shreve shows sympathy, friendship and concern towards him. Interestingly, Quentin is from the South just like the Blands and only Shreve the Yankee from Canada showed interest. However, it is observable that Quentin secretly envies the Bland and Spoade for their masculinity and nonchalance. Quentin is attached to their opinions and envies their free sense of self. Therefore, he feels awkward and ashamed in their presence.            Quentin’s encounters with the blacks at the Northern University was seldom but impactful. For instance, he encountered the Deacon who was acquainted with the South’s social customs. According to Quentin, the, â€Å"Deacon could easily identify a Southerner at a glance†. Quentin expresses the dexterous skill that the Deacon had by continuing that, â€Å"once he heard one speak, the Deacon could identify your state.† This reveals that the Deacon probably resided in the South. Quentin is emphatic â€Å"de old nigger† sufficed their expectations by casting the slave role accurately and just perfect. Quentin believes that the Deacon managed to fool the inexperienced freshmen, but he had realized of his duplicity although he could not resist condescending him, although curiously. Quentin’s admiration for the black â€Å"old nigger† is evident because he searched him out and donated an old suit although he claimed to dislik e him.            In the street car, Quentin sat next to a black man who wore â€Å"a derby and shinning shoes†. He â€Å"[held] a dead cigar stub† replica to a normal, autonomous citizen. His passive demeanor of Quentin, the white, seated next to him brings Quentin to appreciating the equality between the whites and the black. It is until he is about to alight that he acknowledges Quentin by politely signaling request to pass. The incident retracts Quentin to an earlier episode in which he called a black man on a mule, in Virginia â€Å"uncle’. Quentin gladly offered a gift to him, and he humbly accepted. The two incidences with the black are a learning experience for Quentin on race issues. It irks him that he questions the stereotyping of the blacks whereby he realizes that the Northerner’s expectations influenced him. Therefore, his acquired insights were not natural but rather learned.            Quentin’s family played a major role in his build up to committing suicide. Quentin spent his early years in prestige and wealth. His family owned huge and expansive property, the plantation. He grew up observing the southern doctrines and traditions, and he became indoctrinated into them. He held the doctrines close to his heart, idealizing nebulous and abstract concepts of virtue, honor and feminine purity. The south traditions enunciated strict code of conducts and Quentin grew into these same codes. Therefore, he was stereotypic of the southern perception of the blacks.            As a Compson, Quentin thrived in the lives of commoners who owned lands and maintained plantations as well as several black servants. The commoners were aptly affluent and elite. For instance, Mr. Compson held a law degree and had an office in town. However, the Compson family degrades, deteriorates and their wealth reduces as Quentin grows into adolescence. His father had to sell off part of their plantation in order to raise money for the young Quentin to school at Harvard.            Quentin is absorbed by his sister Caddy. He is affectionate towards her and is willing to cover up for her mistakes. Quentin is thrown into disarray when he realizes the promiscuity that her sister has been exercising. He is disparaged when she turns out to be pregnant. He is infuriated and disappointed by her acts because it tarnished the family’s name. His absorption with sanctifying the family in line with the southern traditions leads him to claiming incest. He tells his father that he and Caddy committed incest, therefore, resulting to the offspring.            On realizing her sister’s promiscuity, Quentin turns to his father, Mr. Compson for guidance. However, this is a tragic because; the man who instilled the virtues of the south disregards the very pedestals that he raised him. Quentin, therefore, feels betrayed and cheated by both his father and his sister for failing to uphold the codes of the south. This torments him coupled with the deteriorated family statue. On his return to campus, he is a thoughtful, troubled and mentally ill person. He starts having disdained thoughts such as committing suicide. He thinks of eloping with his sister to indulge her into his suicide plan. His hatred and obsession with Caddy’s promiscuity made him draw a knife and lung for her throat ,sometimes when they quarreled. Worse stills, he was obsessed with Candy and the thought of Caddy sharing sexual intimacy with another man gnawed him overtly. He had occasionally threatened to kill her. His lover for her is disastrous as he draws a man into a conquest and he is willing to fight for her. Therefore, her forsaking of the south traditions by her promiscuity and out of wedlock pregnancy were unacceptable to Quentin drawing him into despondency and, finally committing suicide. References Faulkner, William. The sound and the fury. Modern Library ed. New York: Modern Library, 1992. Print. Source document

Physical Impacts of Alcohol Abuse

Physical Impacts of Alcohol Abuse Alcohol use and abuse can affect the liver, central nervous system and the kidneys. The result of the constant use of alcohol can be noted and examined in patients using numerous methods. These methods utilize the body’s reaction towards alcohol using biochemical markers like ÃŽ ³-glutamyl tranferase (GGT), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). Although biochemical markers can easily tell the clinician about the use and abuse of alcohol, genetic markers may also contribute to the dependence of alcohol. Alcohol use and abuse is associated with multiple illnesses such as cirrhosis and alcoholic hepatitis. Alcohol consumption has many negative effects that increase with age, ranging from short term reactions like dehydration and ethanol poisoning to chronic reactions like liver failure and alcoholic fatty liver disease. The result of alcohol consumption is reactive changes in the body such as an increase of enzymatic activity and concentration as well as the decrease of enzymatic activity and concentration due to tissue destruction. The enzyme ÃŽ ³-glutamyl tranferase (GGT) activity is one of the most sensitive tests for alcohol use. The enzymes activity rises when there is acute hepatocellular damage present commonly is patients with alcoholic liver disease (G. Bbosa, D. Kyegombe, W. Anokbonggo, A. Lubega, A. Mugisha and J. Ogwal-Okeng, 2014). GGT is such a sensitive marker that the levels will also be increased even if no hepatic or biliary damage is present in the patient suffering from alcoholism. GGT levels increase drastically in the serum of patients abusing alcohol chronically, an increase of 2-3 times the normal value is most commonly present (S. Kavitha, V. Venkatraman and K. Jeyaprakash, 2013). GGT serum levels can also be raised in patients with digestive disorders and mostly only indicates alcoholism in patients who abuse the substance excessively. High density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels are more commonly decreased in older patients suffering from alcoholism than in younger patients and are used rather as a confirmation marker than an initial indicator. The HDL-C levels in the serum will be decreased in the patients presenting with alcohol abuse (S. Kavitha, V. Venkatraman and K. Jeyaprakash, 2013). The enzyme aspartate aminotransferase (AST) can be used to indicate alcoholic liver disease and cirrhosis, but proves difficult to provide accurate results in the absence of liver damage. The enzyme is also found in multiple other organs like the brain and the kidneys and is more likely to be used as a confirmation of liver disease than a definitive diagnosis (D. Adler, 2013). The levels of AST in the patients’ serum will be increased up to 4 times the normal ranges in cases of liver damage. The increased AST levels, when indicating alcoholic liver disease, is most likely due to cellular necrosis due to excessive alcohol consumption. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is overly produced in patients with hepatic injury and in alcoholic patients (M. Hyder, M. Hasan and A. Mohieldein, 2013). The disadvantage of this test in that the levels only significantly increases if severe hepatic damage is already present, but the major advantage is that ALT is only present in the liver (R. Van Dyke, 2012). ALT will be increased 4-6X in cases of alcoholic cirrhosis and 7-10X in cases of alcoholism with alcoholic liver disease. The ratio of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) can also indicate alcoholic liver disease with a ratio greater than 2:1 with respect to AST:ALT. This result is mostly due to low ALT levels in the serum because of hepatic necrosis, pyridoxal-5’-phosphate deficiency or mitochondrial AST leakage (M. Adak, A. Thakur and K. Adhikari, 2012). The ratio is mostly used as an affirmative test as the ratio only rises above 2 in severe cases of alcoholic liver disease. Sialic acid Genetic predispositions to alcoholism have not been completely identified, but studies have indicated genes that may be responsible. These genes are known as the Mpdz, the Kcnj9 and the GABRA2 genes. Although these genes are used theoretical markers rather than actual indicator to alcohol dependence there is a correlation between the severity of the withdrawal symptoms and the risk of alcohol dependence (K. Buck, L. Milner, D. Denmark, S. Grant and L. Kozell, 2012). The GABRA2 gene is located on chromosome 4p12 and regulates the production of gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) which acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitter (U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2014). Alcohol can affect the signalling pathway of the GABA system if a variation is present in the GABRA2 gene increasing the pleasure derived from the consumption of alcohol above normal levels which can greatly increase the risk of alcoholism in the persons who have this variation (D. Dick and A. Agrawal, 2008). Alcoholism poses a serious health threat to the medical community causing many serious complications in a healthy lifestyle. Testing for GGT is seen as the most sensitive test, but has the one drawback of having quite a bit of interferences, which can be cancelled out if brought into the equation. ALT and AST tests the livers general homeostasis and should rather be handled as a complimentary test along with a test such as GGT in order to confirm a diagnosis. Genetic markers for alcohol abuse have not been fully discovered as of yet, although a variation in GABRA2 is known to increase the risk of alcohol dependence due to its effects on the GABA pathway when alcohol is consumed. References: G. Bbosa, D. Kyegombe, W. Anokbonggo, A. Lubega, A. Mugisha and J. Ogwal-Okeng. (2014). Chronic Alcohol Consumption Affects Serum Enzymes Levels in the HIV-Infected Patients on Stavudine (d4T)/Lamivudine (3TC)/Nevirapine (NVP) Treatment Regimen. Pharmacology Pharmacy. 1 (5), 181-194. M. Adak, A. Thakur and K. Adhikari. (2012). Study of Biochemical Markers in Alcoholic Liver Disease: Hospital-Based Case Control Study. Research Journal of Pharmaceutical, Biological and Chemical Sciences. 3 (3), 987-995. S. Kavitha, V. Venkatraman and K. Jeyaprakash. (2013). Biochemical Markers and Age Onset Involved In Heavy Alcoholism.  Asian Journal of Biochemical and Pharmaceutical Research. 4 (1), 80-87. D. Adler. (2013). The Difficulty of using a Biological Marker for Alcohol Use: A Recent Historical Overview.  Sound Neuroscience: An Undergraduate Neuroscience Journal. 1 (1), 1-8. K. Buck, L. Milner, D. Denmark, S. Grant and L. Kozell. (2012). Discovering genes Involved in Alcohol Dependence and other Alcohol responses Role of Animal Models.  Alcohol Research: Current Reviews. 367-374. U.S. National Library of Medicine. (2014).  GABRA2.  Available: http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/gene/GABRA2. Last accessed 02 September 2014. D. Dick and A. Agrawal. (2008). The Genetics of Alcohol and Other Drug Dependence.  Alcohol Research Health. 31 (2), 111-118. R. Van Dyke. (2012). Liver Tests: Use and Interpretation.  Open Michigan. 1 (1), 1-60. M. Hyder, M. Hasan and A. Mohieldein. (2013). Comparative Levels of ALT, AST, ALP and GGT in Liver associated Diseases.  European Journal of Experimental Biology. 3 (2), 280-284.

Offender profiling

Offender profiling Separating Fact From Fiction: Where Do Peoples Beliefs About Offender Profiling Come From? Chapter I: Introduction to the Study Historically offender profiling has often been seen as more of an art than a science (Muller, 2000; Ressler Shachtman 1992) leaving it prone to rejection within academic journals (Dowden 2007). However within recent years there has been a sharp increase in the publics interest due to the media spotlight offender profiling has received in the way of films and television shows. This in turn has led to more research being done within the field and can clearly be seen by the significant rise of articles published since 2001 (Dowden 2007). This explosion of interest now makes it the ideal time for research to be conducted. Well known journals are now more frequently accepting articles on offender profiling and in 2004 David Canter launched the Journal of investigative psychology and offender profiling. In spite of this the content of the majority of research published still remain discussion pieces regarding what offender profiling is and its usefulness etc with hardly any containing statistics or formal analysis. For these reason this research will focus more so on the publics beliefs of offender profiling and how it is they acquire them. The recent development and interest in offender profiling has lead to people developing false beliefs. Kocsis (1999) stated that the medias portrayal has produced a situation in which â€Å"a gross disparity has developed between profilings reputation and its actual capabilities†. This research proposes five possibilities of how people acquire their false beliefs (media, experts, reasoning error, social contagion and confirmation bias) with the objective of finding which one has the biggest influence upon forming beliefs. Chapter II: Review of the Literature 2.1 History of Offender Profiling Although many definitions have been given for offender profiling it is generally agreed that it is â€Å"a technique for identifying the major personality and behavioral characteristics of an individual based upon an analysis of the crimes he or she has committed† (Douglas et al 1986). It is not meant as a tool to identify the offender implicitly, but rather serve as an indication as to the type of person they are by focusing on their behavioral traits and personality characteristics. It is particularly useful in seemingly motiveless crimes whereby it allows the analysis of similarities and differences to take place. This in turn uncovers information on the perpetrators personality and behavior, which is essential due to the fact that the â€Å"random† crime and victim may not at all be random to the offender. The victim may have been chosen symbolically due to the fantasy occurring within the offenders mind (Ressler et al 1985). Offender profiling is used within a variety of settings and not just a tool used solely for homicides. These techniques have been used in hostage taking situations (Reiser 1982), serial rapists (Hazelwood, 1983), identifying anonymous letter writers (Casey-Owens 1984) as well as those who make written or verbal threats (Miron Douglas 1979). Due to this ability to transfer profiling techniques into a variety of situations, its methods have been used throughout the world (e.g., Asgard 1998; Collins et al 1998; Jackson et al 1993). However Holmes and Holmes (1996) stated that offender profiling is only called upon when all other leads have been exhausted. This in turn questions its popularity, is offender profiling being used throughout the world due to its effectiveness, or as a last resort? Many feel that the latter is the case and criticise offender profiling on the grounds of scientific reliability. Much of the literature published is often plagued by low levels of validity making the results found questionable. Furthermore is the difficulty in obtaining reliable and accurate data. Very few researchers rely on primary data such as interviews with serial offenders and even when they do the offenders testament should be treated as suspicious due to the known fact that offenders often lie about there behavior (Porter and Woodworth, 2007). This leads to a limitation in the literature, with very few authors publishing three or more articles and only 34% of these articles being written by psychologists (Dowden et al 2007). As well as criticism regarding literature methodology, offender profiling as a whole has also raised much disapproval. Pinizzotto and Finkel (1990) argue that many profilers do not specify the behavioural, correlational or psychological principles they rely on and it is therefore difficult to distinguish if specific profiling techniques are being adhered to, or if simple intuition and opinion are being used. However, regardless of the criticism offender profiling has received; it has still continued to grow in popularity throughout the years (Dowden 2007) resulting in an upsurge of interest and media attention. 2.2 The Rise to Popularity Offender profiling is by no means a new technique with one of the first recorded practice being in 1888 in the notorious Jack the ripper case. Dr Thomas Bond, a British physician is regarded by many to be the first offender profiler (Newburn,2007; Petherick 2005; Kotake 2001) linking together five of the Whitechapel murders and giving an eleven point profile on the personality and behavioral traits of Jack the ripper. Although this is sometimes classed the beginning of offender profiling, it wasnt until 1957 that profiling took a leap forward and grabbed the publics attention. New York Citys Mad Bomber terrorized the city for a period of sixteen years, planting a total of thirty-three bombs in public buildings. With public hysteria being high and police reaching a dead-end, Dr James Brussel (a criminologist and psychiatrist) was called in to help on the case. After reading the letters sent to the press and examining the case files, Brussel created his profile of what kind of person the police should look for: â€Å"Look for a heavy man. Middle-aged. Foreign born. Roman-catholic. Single. Living with brother or sister. When you find him, chances are hell be wearing a double-breasted suit. Buttoned† (Brussel, 1968). This profile was then submitted to the newspaper and days later the offender, George Meteky was arrested matching Brusselss description. In fact the only variation to the profile was that he lived with his two sisters. This apparent accurate profile ignited the publics interest in offender profiling. However due to the media frenzy surrounding the case, facts were often missed out and an inaccurate account was given. For example, Metesky was known to follow media reports (Berger, 1957) and so his behaviors may have been consciously or subconsciously affected. Furthermore the profile itself did not solve the case as often implied; in fact it was background checks on disgruntled employees that led to the arrest (Kocsis, 2004). And despite the popular myth that Metesky was ca ught in a double breasted suit, he was actually arrested wearing faded pajamas (Brussel, 1968). This popular and often cited case is an excellent example of how offender profiling is often misrepresented and how that in turn leads to people developing false beliefs regarding it. Nonetheless, the Mad Bomber case is often thought of as a turning point in offender profiling history and that it was at this point that both the public and law enforcement developed an interest. In the 1960s Howard Teten started to develop his approach to offender profiling, and as a special agent in the FBI during 1970 he started teaching his approach to fellow agents. In 1972 Jack Kirsch started the Behavioral Science Unit (BSU) and gave Tenten the freedom he needed to create profiles and continue his research. The word spread and soon police departments were making daily requests for profiles (Turvey 2001). The BSU underwent several changes throughout the 1990s and is now known as the National Centre for the Analysis of Violent Crime (NCAVC). However it is not just America whos interest in offender profiling was sparked. Much like Brussel it was one particular case that seemed to ignite the publics fascination with profiling within the UK. In 1985 David Canter was asked to help with the investigation into two murders and over thirty rapes, which the media dubbed as the Railway Rapist (cited in Egger 1999). Canters profile was remarkably accurate and proved a useful tool in the investigation. However yet again, the profile alone wasnt what led police to John Duffy, it was his refusal to supply a blood sample. Similar to America, the British Press reported Canters involvement in an exaggerated fashion which in turn gave Canter much publicity and recognition. Interestingly, although offender profiling gained publicity within America and UK in a similar fashion, they have completely different profiling techniques. The American FBI approach, created by the BSU, relies heavily on crime scene analysis (CSA) (Wilson, Lincon Kocsis, 1997) and is the approach that has been popularized within the media. The approach places offenders into categories according to the crime scene, either organized or disorganized. This approach has been heavily criticized by the likes of Ressler (1992) who states that the simplicity of the system was to enable police without a psychological background to understand it. The UK approach relies more on statistical analysis, obtaining facts and characteristics from solved cases to provide a general framework for each crime (Aitken et al 1996). However in more recent times Canter has developed an investigative psychology approach to profiling. This approach suggests that psychology can directly be transferred to crime, and that an interpersonal transaction is occurring between the offender and the victim. Canter created five approaches which can be used to profile criminals directly using psychology (Canter 1994). The approach that Canter has received the most attention about is that of space and time which has been empirically tested and found to be useful (Wilson et al, 1997). Although Godwin and Canter (1997) demonstrate that investigative psychology can help the police, results have to be looked at carefully since it is unlikely that Canter will contradict his previous work. Regardless of the different approaches offender profiling has, it has nevertheless reached a height of popularity. However, as widespread as profiling has now become, the public still seem to misunderstand it and hold false beliefs regarding it (Snook et al 2008 Kocsis 1999). For this reason, this research will examine the different possible reasons why the public have developed these false beliefs. 2.3 The Mass Media This brief outline of offender profiling shows that the rise in public interest has correlated with major cases, which in turn causes sensationalism within the media. With the public buying into the medias exaggerations on the role of offender profilers, a perfect springboard was provided for many television shows and films to base their premises around these â€Å"incredible† profilers. Major films such as The Silence of the Lambs and television shows such as Cracker, Wire in the Blood and Criminal Minds have promoted the myth that profilers posses some sort of superhuman skill (Egger, 1999; Grubin, 1995; Alison Canter, 1999). Fiction blurs with fantasy for the general public and they are left with false beliefs. Grubin (1995) comments that offender profiling has always had a role within fiction and has always appealed to the imagination due to its ability to invoke the image of â€Å"the cerebral sleuth relying solely on his acute powers of observation and deductive reasoning to identify an elusive and much feared serial rapist†. Many researchers (Balu, 1994; Campbell, 1976; Canter 2000; McCan, 1992; Muller, 2000) would in fact argue that this fictional image of a â€Å"super sleuth† such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyles Sherlock Holmes or Edgar Allan Poes C. Auguste Dupin is what inspired offender profiling to begin with. Sagan (1996) agrees with Grubin, suggesting that people are often attracted to fantasy, more so than any other genre, because they often contain characters that have powers, which normal people lack but desire. Green, Brock and Kaufman (2004) concur, asserting that people seek out fiction rather than non-fiction for the simple fact that they want to be entertained. However, unless people adopt a critical approach to the material they are viewing, their judgments regarding offender profiling will be based on the inaccurate and biased information they are being given, resulting in false beliefs (Stanovich, 1992). Second hand knowledge, such as that required from the media, rarely reflects the truth (Sprott 1996) and so this critical approach is essential. The mass media doesnt just refer to television and films, the role stories play are equally important. Those who have experience in profiling often write books about there experiences (eg Paul Britton and David Canter) which creates to the reader, a personal story. These types of literature can be very convincing as they are often vivid and memorable (Borgida Nisbett, 1977; Stanovich 1992) and assumed true in entirety by the reader. People are not trained to critically evaluate or to seek out objective facts and reliable evidence (Carroll, 2003; Gilovich, 1991; Sagan, 1996; Shermer, 2003) and take these anecdotes presented to them as truthful accounts allowing them to form the foundation of their beliefs. Even published accounts of offender profiling rely on these anecdotal evidence to convey the message that they are trying to put across and illustrate the usefulness of profiling (e.g Canter, 1994; Cook Hinman, 1999). Snook, Eastwood, et al (2007) found that out of 130 articles on offender profiling, 60% of them used at least one anecdote as a source of knowledge, such as the New York Mad Bombers case. Another problem faced is that all the portrayals regarding offender profiling convey the same message, the profiler catches the criminal and the case is solved. Although this is unrealistic, empirical evidence shows that the likelihood of people agreeing with a message correlates with how often the same message is repeated (Cacioppo Petty, 1979). So if most of the media (eg, films, television shows and books) are all conveying the same message and no critical approach is taken, then individuals will be left with false beliefs. However, are people that passive that they will believe everything they encounter in the media? This theory of a hypodermic-syringe model (Briggs Cobley, 2002) whereby viewers are â€Å"injected† with opinions and beliefs has been proven to be conceptually flawed in that it tends to ignore matters such as personal influence and interpretation (Katz Lazersfeld, 1955). Individuals are not passive creatures that are unable to form their own intelligent opinion. The media does not dictate a persons belief; in fact it can be argued that individuals use the media for their own gratification (Katz, 1959). Therefore is it unfair and illogical to blame the media solely, for the misconceptions people have about offender profiling? 2.4 Expertise Experts are individuals who after an extensive period of practical and theoretical training have developed a professional capability within a specific area (Kurz-Milcke Gigerenzer, 2004). Due to this definition, many people believe and accept the words of experts without question (Bochner Insko, 1966; Milgram, 1964) and many believe that offender profilers are indeed experts. In spite of this belief there is very little evidence to support this idea. If offender profilers are experts then they should be able to perform their job to a high standard, therefore creating accurate profiles. Snook et al (2008) conclude that any police professional could achieve the same level of success that profilers achieve, by relying on their basic criminological information. However, if this is the case why is it police still request profilers and add to the belief that they are accurate experts? One reason could be because they actually believe that offender profiling works (e.g. Copson, 1995; Jackson et al 1993; Pinizzotto, 1984) but for those police officers who disagree, calling profilers in may simply be a way of doing their job. As a police officer it is their duty to make sure that they use all the available investigation techniques and some may think they have nothing to loose by calling in an offender profiler. However the public may view the fact police use profilers as a confirmation that offender profilers are experts and this in turn will affect their judgment. An example of how the belief that experts are correct affects peoples judgments can be seen in a study conducted by Kocsis Hayes (2004). The study found that police officers, who were told that the profile they read was created by an expert, rated them significantly more accurate than officers who were told that their profile came from a non-expert. These results appear to confirm that people believe and trust the information obtained from labeled experts more so than anyone else. However this result that Kocsis Hayes found may be due to the police officers loyalty. They may believe that professional profilers are an important group that they identify with and feel loyalty towards, due to a belief that they are in the same line of work. Many studies have found that many police officers tend to develop an occupational subculture (DeMaria, 1999; Dempster, 1997; Wilson Chappell, 1996; Wilson Western, 1972) with intense loyalty shown to all those that belong to it (Chan, 1996, Finna ne, 1995; Fitzgerald, 1989; Lusher, 1981; Wood 1997). For this reason, the discrepancy shown between the measures may be down to loyalty rather than expertise heuristic. However this loyalty should only be shown by those who identify with that subculture, therefore excluding the general public. So is expertise heuristic to blame for individuals false beliefs? 2.5 Reasoning Errors People have the tendency to believe things that arent true and a lot of time and effort has been put in by researchers to try and discover why it is people believe in unproven things (Gilovich, 1991; Hines, 1988; Vyse, 1997). One of the main outcomes found is that human beings evolved to be able to identify patterns among environmental occurrences, which as a result can lead to the identification of meaningless patterns (Shermer, 2002). It is this ability to identify meaningless patterns that can be argued contributes to people thinking in things such as psychic abilities as well as their belief that offender profilers predictions are valid. People like to find order in a chaotic world and then form beliefs that can guide future behaviors (Gigerenzer, 2002; Shermer, 2003). However, beliefs are just a cognitive process that picks up on information from the environment and if the information is wrong, so is the formed belief. One form of this cognitive process is reasoning errors.