Complete Guide Which Schools Use the Common Application

Complete Guide Which Schools Use the Common Application SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Are you applying to college soon? If so, you’ve probably heard of the Common Application- an online application you can use for more than 800 colleges. Since you only have to fill out one application, it saves you time when applying to college. But which colleges use the Common Application? And which Common Application schools are in your state? We have a complete list here, broken down by state and updated for the 2019-20 academic year. What Is the Common Application? The Common Application is a college application shared by its member colleges. Member colleges then accept this application from prospective students. So what does this mean for you? Instead of filling out an individual application for each school, all you have to do is fill out the Common Application once and send it to whichever colleges you want to apply to that accept it. However, this doesn’t mean you can apply to dozens of colleges with the click of a button. Many colleges have additional supplements you have to submit. These are forms with additional questions and sometimes an extra essay. Furthermore, most colleges have application fees, so you can’t apply to hundreds of schools- unless, of course, you have a lot of money to burn! Finally, the Common Application only accepts colleges that use a holistic review process. In other words, Common Application colleges look at each applicant as a whole, taking into account grades, SAT/ACT scores, essays, extracurricular activities, letters of recommendation, etc. Because of this, all of these components are part of the Common Application. (However, the essay isno longer required for all schools.) // Who Uses the Common Application? More than 800 colleges use the Common Application! At least one college in every state accepts it, with the exception of North Dakota. In addition, more than 50 international universities from 18 countries accept the Common Application. While the Common Application is used by many private universities, some public school systems, including many schools in the State University of New York (SUNY) system, accept it as well. However, you should be aware that public schools tend to have their own application systems. Lastly, the Common Application is accepted by the following top colleges and universities: All eight Ivy League schools(Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania, and Yale) Many other highly selective schools, including Stanford, the University of Chicago, Caltech, Johns Hopkins, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, and Rice Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. Complete List of Common Application Members Without further delay, here is the complete list of colleges that use the Common Application. The first list is organized alphabetically by state/region for US universities, while the second list is organized alphabetically by country for international schools. If you're wondering whether a particular school uses the Common Application, you can search for it on this page by using the ctrl + F function. Common Application Members by US State/Territory The following list contains all Common Application members within the US (states and territories). Alabama Birmingham-Southern College Samford University Spring Hill College University of Alabama at Birmingham University of South Alabama Alaska Alaska Pacific University Arizona Arizona State University Benedictine University Prescott College University of Arizona Arkansas Hendrix College Lyon College California AMDA College and Conservatory of the Performing Arts California College of the Arts California Institute of Technology (Caltech) California Lutheran University Chapman University Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science Claremont McKenna College Columbia College Hollywood Concordia University Irvine The Culinary Institute of America Dharma Realm Buddhist University Dominican University of California Harvey Mudd College Holy Names University Loyola Marymount University Marymount California University Menlo College Mills College Minerva Schools at KGI Mount Saint Mary's University, Los Angeles Notre Dame de Namur University Occidental College Otis College of Art and Design Pepperdine University Pitzer College Point Loma Nazarene University Pomona College Saint Mary's College of California Santa Clara University Scripps College Soka University of America Southern California Institute of Architecture Stanford University University of La Verne University of the Pacific University of Redlands University of San Diego University of San Francisco University of Southern California University of the West Westmont College Whittier College Woodbury University Colorado Colorado College Colorado State University Johnson Wales University- Denver Naropa University Regis University University of Colorado Boulder University of Denver University of Northern Colorado Western Colorado University Connecticut Albertus Magnus College Central Connecticut State University Connecticut College Eastern Connecticut State University Fairfield University Mitchell College Quinnipiac University Sacred Heart University Southern Connecticut State University Trinity College University of Bridgeport University of Connecticut University of Hartford University of New Haven University of Saint Joseph Wesleyan University Western Connecticut State University Yale University Delaware University of Delaware District ofColumbia American University The Catholic University of America The George Washington University Howard University Trinity Washington University Florida Ave Maria University Barry University Eckerd College Flagler College Florida Institute of Technology Florida Polytechnic University Florida Southern College Florida State University Jacksonville University Johnson Wales University- North Miami Keiser University Flagship Campus- West Palm Beach Lynn University New College of Florida Nova Southeastern University Ringling College of Art and Design Rollins College Saint Leo University St. Thomas University Stetson University University of Central Florida University of Miami University of North Florida University of Tampa University of West Florida Webber International University Wilkes Honors College of FAU Georgia Agnes Scott College Berry College Brenau University Clark Atlanta University Emmanuel College Emory University Georgia College Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) Georgia State University Mercer University Morehouse College Oglethorpe University Piedmont College Savannah College of Art and Design Spelman College Hawaii Chaminade University of Honolulu Hawai'i Pacific University Idaho The College of Idaho Northwest Nazarene University University of Idaho Illinois Augustana College Benedictine University Bradley University Chicago State University Columbia College Chicago Concordia University Chicago DePaul University Flashpoint Chicago, A Campus of Columbia College Hollywood Illinois College Illinois Institute of Technology Illinois Wesleyan University Knox College Lake Forest College Lewis University MacMurray College McKendree University Millikin University Monmouth College North Park University Northwestern University Principia College Quincy University Saint Xavier University School of the Art Institute of Chicago Trinity Christian College University of Chicago University of Illinois at Chicago University of St. Francis Wheaton College Indiana Anderson University Butler University DePauw University Earlham College Franklin College Goshen College Hanover College Holy Cross College Indiana University Bloomington Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) Manchester University Purdue University Purdue University Fort Wayne Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Saint Mary's College of Indiana Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College Trine University University of Evansville University of Indianapolis University of Notre Dame University of Saint Francis- Fort Wayne Valparaiso University Wabash College Iowa Coe College Cornell College Drake University Grinnell College Luther College Morningside College Simpson College St. Ambrose University University of Dubuque University of Iowa University of Northern Iowa Upper Iowa University Wartburg College Kansas Benedictine College McPherson College University of Kansas Kentucky Asbury University Bellarmine University Centre College Eastern Kentucky University Transylvania University University of Kentucky Louisiana Centenary College of Louisiana Dillard University Louisiana State University AM- Baton Rouge Loyola University New Orleans Tulane University University of New Orleans Xavier University of Louisiana Maine Bates College Bowdoin College Colby College College of the Atlantic Husson University Maine College of Art Maine Maritime Academy Saint Joseph's College of Maine Thomas College Unity College University of Maine University of Maine at Farmington University of Maine at Fort Kent University of Maine at Machias University of Maine at Presque Isle University of New England University of Southern Maine Maryland Capitol Technology University Frostburg State University Goucher College Hood College Johns Hopkins University Loyola University Maryland Maryland Institute College of Art McDaniel College Notre Dame of Maryland University Salisbury University St. John's College St. Mary's College of Maryland Stevenson University University of Maryland, Baltimore County Washington College Massachusetts Amherst College Anna Maria College Assumption College Babson College Bard College at Simon's Rock- The Early College Bay Path University Becker College Bentley University Boston College Boston University Brandeis University Bridgewater State University Clark University College of the Holy Cross Curry College Dean College Eastern Nazarene College Elms College Emerson College Emmanuel College Framingham State University Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering Hampshire College Harvard College Hellenic College Hult International Business School Lasell College Lesley University Massachusetts College of Art and Design Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS University) Merrimack College Montserrat College of Art Mount Holyoke College Nichols College Northeastern University Pine Manor College Regis College SimmonsUniversity Smith College Springfield College Stonehill College Suffolk University Tufts University University of Massachusetts Amherst University of Massachusetts Boston University of Massachusetts Dartmouth University of Massachusetts Lowell Wellesley College Wentworth Institute of Technology Western New England University Wheaton College Williams College Worcester Polytechnic Institute Michigan Albion College Alma College Calvin College Hillsdale College Hope College Kalamazoo College Kettering University Lawrence Technological University Michigan State University Northwood University Olivet College Spring Arbor University University of Detroit Mercy University of Michigan University of Michigan- Flint Wayne State University Western Michigan University Minnesota Augsburg University Carleton College College of Saint Benedict College of St. Scholastica Concordia College of Moorhead Gustavus Adolphus College Hamline University Macalester College Saint John's University Saint Mary's University of Minnesota St. Catherine University St. Olaf College University of Minnesota Duluth University of Minnesota Morris University of Minnesota Rochester University of Minnesota Twin Cities University of St. Thomas Mississippi Millsaps College Mississippi State University University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) University of Southern Mississippi Missouri Columbia College Drury University Lindenwood University Maryville University of St. Louis Missouri University of Science and Technology Rockhurst University Saint Louis University Southeast Missouri State University St. Louis College of Pharmacy Stephens College Truman State University University of Central Missouri University of Missouri University of Missouri- Kansas City University of Missouri- St. Louis Washington University in St. Louis Webster University Westminster College William Jewell College Montana Carroll College University of Montana University of Providence Nebraska Creighton University Hastings College Nebraska Wesleyan University University of Nebraska- Lincoln Nevada Sierra Nevada College University of Nevada, Las Vegas New Hampshire Colby-Sawyer College Dartmouth College Franklin Pierce University Keene State College New England College New Hampshire Institute of Art Plymouth State University Rivier University Saint Anselm College Southern New Hampshire University University of New Hampshire New Jersey Bloomfield College Caldwell University Centenary University The College of New Jersey College of Saint Elizabeth Drew University Fairleigh Dickinson University Felician University Georgian Court University Kean University Monmouth University New Jersey City University New Jersey Institute of Technology Princeton University Ramapo College of New Jersey Rider University Rowan University Saint Peter's University Seton Hall University Stevens Institute of Technology Stockton University William Paterson University of NJ New Mexico St. John's College Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. New York Adelphi University Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Alfred University The American Musical and Dramatic Academy Bard College Barnard College Canisius College Cazenovia College Clarkson University Colgate University College of Mount Saint Vincent The College of New Rochelle The College of Saint Rose Columbia University Concordia College The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art Cornell University The Culinary Institute of America CUNY Queens College D'Youville College Daemen College Dominican College Elmira College Fordham University Hamilton College Hartwick College Hilbert College Hobart and William Smith Colleges Hofstra University Houghton College Iona College Ithaca College Keuka College Le Moyne College List College- The Jewish Theological Seminary Long Island University Brooklyn Long Island University Post Manhattan College Manhattanville College Marist College Marymount Manhattan College Mercy College Molloy College Mount Saint Mary College Nazareth College The New School New York Institute of Technology New York School of Career Applied Studies of Touro College University System New York University (NYU) Niagara University Pace University Paul Smith's College Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) Roberts Wesleyan College Rochester Institute of Technology The Sage Colleges Sarah Lawrence College Siena College Skidmore College St. Bonaventure University St. Francis College St. John Fisher College St. John's University St. Joseph's College- Brooklyn St. Joseph's College- Long Island St. Lawrence University St. Thomas Aquinas College SUNY Alfred State College SUNY Binghamton University SUNY Buffalo State College SUNY Cobleskill SUNY College at Brockport SUNY College at Geneseo SUNY College at Old Westbury SUNY College at Oneonta SUNY College of Environmental Science Forestry SUNY College of Technology at Canton SUNY Cortland SUNY Delhi SUNY Farmingdale State College SUNY Fredonia SUNY Maritime College SUNY Morrisville State College SUNY New Paltz SUNY Oswego SUNY Plattsburgh SUNY Polytechnic Institute SUNY Potsdam SUNY Purchase College SUNY Stony Brook University SUNY University at Albany SUNY University at Buffalo Syracuse University Union College University of Rochester Utica College Vassar College Wagner College Webb Institute Wells College North Carolina Appalachian State University Barton College Catawba College Davidson College Duke University East Carolina University Gardner-Webb University Guilford College High Point University Johnson Wales University- Charlotte Meredith College North Carolina AT State University North Carolina State University Queens University of Charlotte Salem College St. Andrews University University of North Carolina Asheville University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) University of North Carolina at Charlotte University of North Carolina Greensboro University of North Carolina Wilmington Wake Forest University Warren Wilson College North Dakota None Ohio Antioch College Art Academy of Cincinnati Ashland University Baldwin Wallace University Bluffton University Bowling Green State University Capital University Case Western Reserve University CCAD- Columbus College of Art Design Cleveland State University College of Wooster Defiance College Denison University Hiram College John Carroll University Kent State University Kenyon College Lake Erie College Lourdes University Malone University Marietta College Miami University Muskingum University Oberlin College of Arts and Sciences Oberlin Conservatory of Music Ohio Northern University The Ohio State University Ohio University Ohio Wesleyan University Otterbein University Tiffin University University of Akron Main Campus University of Cincinnati University of Cincinnati- Blue Ash College University of Cincinnati- Clermont College University of Dayton The University of Findlay University of Mount Union The University of Toledo Urbana University- A Branch Campus of Franklin University Ursuline College Walsh University Wilberforce University Wittenberg University Wright State University Xavier University Oklahoma Oklahoma City University The University of Oklahoma The University of Tulsa Oregon Concordia University George Fox University Lewis Clark College Linfield College Northwest Christian University Oregon State University Pacific University Oregon Reed College University of Oregon University of Portland Warner Pacific University Willamette University Pennsylvania Albright College Allegheny College Alvernia University Arcadia University Bryn Mawr College Bucknell University Cabrini University Cairn University California University of Pennsylvania Carnegie Mellon University Cedar Crest College Chatham University Delaware Valley University DeSales University Dickinson College Drexel University Edinboro University of Pennsylvania Elizabethtown College Franklin Marshall College Gannon University Gettysburg College Harrisburg University of Science and Technology Haverford College Immaculata University Jefferson (Philadelphia University + Thomas Jefferson University) Juniata College Keystone College King's College La Roche University La Salle University Lafayette College Lebanon Valley College Lehigh University Lycoming College Marywood University Mercyhurst University Millersville University Moore College of Art and Design Moravian College Muhlenberg College Neumann University Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) Robert Morris University Rosemont College Saint Francis University Saint Joseph's University Saint Vincent College Seton Hill University Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania Susquehanna University Swarthmore College Temple University Thiel College University of Pennsylvania University of Pittsburgh University of the Sciences The University of Scranton Ursinus College Villanova University Washington Jefferson College West Chester University of Pennsylvania Westminster College Widener University Wilkes University Wilson College York College of Pennsylvania Puerto Rico Universidad Ana G. Mà ©ndez, Recinto de Carolina Universidad del Sagrado Corazon Rhode Island Brown University Bryant University Johnson Wales University- Providence New England Institute of Technology Providence College Rhode Island College Rhode Island School of Design Roger Williams University Salve Regina University University of Rhode Island South Carolina Columbia College Converse College Furman University Newberry College Presbyterian College Wofford College South Dakota Augustana University Tennessee Belmont University Christian Brothers University Fisk University Lipscomb University Middle Tennessee State University Rhodes College Sewanee: The University of the South Tusculum University The University of Tennessee Knoxville Vanderbilt University Watkins College of Art, Design Film Texas Austin College Baylor University The Culinary Institute of America Rice University Southern Methodist University Southwestern University St. Edward's University Texas Christian University Texas Lutheran University Trinity University University of Dallas University of Houston University of North Texas Utah Westminster College Vermont Bennington College Castleton University Champlain College Goddard College Marlboro College Middlebury College Northern Vermont University Norwich University Saint Michael's College Sterling College University of Vermont Vermont Technical College Virginia Christopher Newport University The College of William Mary Eastern Mennonite University Emory Henry College George Mason University Hampden-Sydney College Hollins University Jefferson College of Health Sciences Mary Baldwin University Marymount University Old Dominion University Radford University Randolph College Randolph-Macon College Roanoke College Sweet Briar College University of Lynchburg University of Mary Washington University of Richmond University of Virginia (UVA) The University of Virginia's College at Wise Virginia Commonwealth University Washington and Lee University Washington The Evergreen State College Gonzaga University Pacific Lutheran University Saint Martin's University Seattle Pacific University Seattle University University of Puget Sound Whitman College Whitworth University West Virginia Bethany College Marshall University West Virginia University West Virginia Wesleyan College Wheeling Jesuit University Wisconsin Beloit College Carroll University Carthage College Concordia University Wisconsin Edgewood College Lawrence University Marquette University Milwaukee School of Engineering Northland College Ripon College St. Norbert College University of Wisconsin- Madison University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point University of Wisconsin- Stout Wyoming University of Wyoming International Common Application Members by Country The following list, organized by country, contains all international Common Application schools. At present, 60 schools outside the USuse the Common Application. Australia Monash University Bulgaria American University in Bulgaria Canada Bishop's University Queen's University, Canada Quest University Canada St. Thomas University, Canada University of Guelph China Duke Kunshan University University of Michigan- Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute France The American University of Paris Germany Bard College Berlin Jacobs University Bremen Hong Kong The University of Hong Kong Ireland Mary Immaculate College Maynooth University University College Dublin University of Limerick Italy The American University of Rome John Cabot University in Rome Japan Doshisha University, The Institute for the Liberal Arts Temple University, Japan Campus Latvia Riga Business School Lebanon American University of Beirut Qatar Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar Northwestern University in Qatar Singapore Yale NUS College South Korea Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Korea Underwood International College, Yonsei University Spain IE University IE University- Madrid Saint Louis University- Madrid Campus Universidad Carlos III de Madrid Switzerland Ecole hà ´telià ¨re de Lausanne (EHL) Franklin University Switzerland United Kingdom Arts University Bournemouth Bath Spa University Bournemouth University Brunel University London Durham University ESCP Europe Business School Newcastle University Regent's University London Richmond, The American International University in London Robert Gordon University St. Mary's University, Twickenham, London University of Aberdeen University of Bristol University of Derby University of East Anglia University of East London University of Glasgow University of Huddersfield University of Lincoln University of Plymouth University of Sheffield University of St. Andrews University of Stirling University of Warwick University of West London University of Worcester What’s Next? The Common Application isn’t the only application you can use to apply to college. Learn about the Universal College Application and what sets it apart. Working on your college essay? Learn what not to dowith our in-depth guide. Trying to decide if you should retake the SAT or ACT? Learn how to develop a target ACT score or SAT score based on the colleges you want to apply to. You can also read about ACT/SAT scores for the Ivy League. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Child abuse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Child abuse - Essay Example He therefore recommends that parents should be treated alongside their children through the use of therapeutic techniques that will make them more sensitive to each other's needs. This is followed by a research into the effectiveness of home-visits by social welfare units in checking child abuse. The final paper examined is the writing of Dr. Jim Hooper about statistics into child abuse and why children are not reporting abuses. The paper ends by making recommendations based on these empirical findings of these authorities. Keywords: Child abuse, culture, society, community, violence, sexual abuse Introduction Child abuse is a major problem that affects the growth of children. Oates (1996, p2) defines child abuse as any non-accidental injury; physical, emotional or sexual that a child suffers from acts or omissions on the part of his or her parents or guardians. Child abuse exists in four main forms (Harelin, 2000 p6). There is the physical abuse which involves actions that harms the body of a child like hitting, kicking, slapping and punching. Usually, physical abuse leaves injuries to a child. There is the emotional abuse which includes anything said or done to hurt a child's feelings or self esteem. Examples include frequent blaming, insult and shouting. Harelin states that this is the most destructive form of abuse to children. There is neglect which involves ignoring or choosing not to take care of a child's basic needs like food, shelter and clothing (Harelin, 2006, p7). Finally, there is the issue of sexual abuse which involves the use of actions related to sex to harm a child. Examples include rape, incest and child pornography. These four forms of child abuse are universally accepted as wrong and destructive. Many nations, under the auspices of the United Nations have laws that make these four practices illegal. There are also issues that can be technically defined as child abuse, but its inclusion in statutes is quite controversial (Matthews 2004 p396 ). This include withholding medical care to children, corporal punishment and child maltreatment in youth sports. Several studies have been conducted into child abuse that aim at diagnosing and providing a cue to how the issue of child abuse can be solved using empirical studies. This paper examines four of such studies Children, Childhoods & Violence by Jill Korbin In this article, Jill Korbin identifies the link between culture, the society and child abuse. Korbin therefore uses her in-depth knowledge in anthropology to identify the intervention points of child abuse and the real society. She tries to diagnose the issue of child abuse and measure how it finds its way into the society and vice versa. In other words, she looks at the sociological push and pull factors that brings about the issue of child abuse in societies around the world. In setting the parameters of her discussion, Korbin states that the dynamics of the violent treatment of children can be categorized into settin g, perpetrators, type, severity, age and gender, as well as the cultural context (p431). With these yardsticks, the concept could be examined in a given society either individually or collectively. Korbin states that child abuse could flourish in a given society due to three main factors: cultural promoters, cultural categorization/discrimination and structural violence (p437). Cultural promoters like idiosyncrasies, which include things that

Toyota's Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Toyota's Economy - Essay Example Most of the banking institutions have closed or merged their operations with the existing other institution in order to facilitate uninterrupted service to their customers. The financial institutions were not the only ones affected by the crisis, as other manufacturing and service sector companies like General Motors, Satyam Computers and so on were also affected. The recession has done bad things, but also good things to bring out some of the malpractices to the light of the stakeholders and government taking place within the organization of the company that resulted in bankruptcy. Additionally, there are companies that faced the past and present crises and are still going strong. This paper intends to study the impact of the crisis on Toyota’s economy, while assessing its strategies for future development. Growth of Toyota Motor Corporation Toyota Motor was the second step taken by its founder Sakichi Toyoda, when he first started the Toyoda Automatic Loom Company, which was supported by the Japanese Government due to its military application. In December 1945, Toyoda was permitted to start up a peacetime production by the U.S. military and by 1947 made the SA Model, called ‘Toyopet’. ... Apart form manufacturing, Toyota was involved in many mergers and acquisitions which included the acquisition of Hino, Daihatsu and Denso, which were once Toyota’s electrical component that broke up after WWII (Toyota History, 2009). Presently, the current investment of Toyota Motors stands at 1.9 bn, with 6,850 employees. As per the 2007 FY Report, consolidated net sales valued at 1,651.2 bn yens, current income at -0.5 bn yens and net income -1.0 bn yens (Economic Report). However, the financial crisis has a definite impact on the development of Toyota in certain parts of the world. Effects of Financial Crisis Toyota suffered its worst slowdown since its inception in the year 1937, reduced the production, and cut back on investments to combat falling sales and increasing yen. It is reported that Toyota Motors will be incurring a loss of around 1.2 billion euros (rfi.fr). The recent financial crisis had a drastic effect on the business of Toyota Motor Corporation. According t o the Economic Report in FY 2008, despite the increase of net sales, the company incurred huge operating losses, which resulted in the value of assets and shareholder equity. Mreg Marco (2008) reports that Toyota experienced a downslide of 32% in U. S. sales alone. Moreover, experts warned more doom and gloom in the coming years despite frantic measures being taken by the government to stem the tide of bad data (AFP, 2009). These financial losses and net decrease in sales has resulted in DBRS downgrading the long-term ratings of Toyota and its subsidiaries from AAA to AA. DBRS also reported that recent fiscal reports were far below the expectations with total revenues dropping to 20.5 trillion yen, a decline of 22% and an operation loss of 461 billion yen, despite cost cutting

Macroeconomics Keynesian and Classical Model Essay

Macroeconomics Keynesian and Classical Model - Essay Example Given below is the diagram showing a horizontal aggregate supply curve in Keynesian Model. If there is a decrease in income, the reasons are assigned to decrease in government spending, increase in taxes or decrease in money supply and so on. The change in income leads to changes in a number of things out of which fall in demand is one of them. Aggregate demand depends on real money supply. The real money supply is the value of money provided by the central bank and the banking system. If we write the number of dollars in the money supply as M' and the price level as P, we can write the real money supply as M'/P. When M'/P falls, interest rates increase and therefore the investment falls, leading overall aggregate demand to fall as well. When there is a fall in demand we need less output to cater the market, this is another reason for fall in investment, and an increase in unemployment as well. This was a briefing of how things would change with a decrease in income. The below given diagram shows AD as the aggregate demand before the reduction in income with E as the equi librium. Once the demand decreases due to above-mentioned reasons another line AD' is formed showing the current level of demand at the given price level. ... Now consider how wages adjust when the demand for labor decreases and firms do not need any over times. In the short run when the demand decreases workers are being paid more as compared to the output produced. The employer would want to reduce the wage expense. Change in wages is a slow process hence the employer will have to look for an alternative like looking for those employees who would be willing to work at a lower wage. This would increase some of unemployment. The employer has to be very careful in setting the wage through negotiations with the employee to consider the morale of the employee. If there is an overall decrease in demand then hiring new labor force may not be difficult, but if only one employer's demand of output has decreased then the employer may have to pay higher wage in order to keep the employees attracted to their current job. The Keynesian theory believes that, the employment offered by firms depends on the demand for their output, workers would be unemployed if the output produced exceeds the demand of the products excessively. Which would mean too much of unnecessary labor force. As such, demand-deficient unemployment is not caused by labor insisting on a wage incompatible with full employment. Since that unemployment is not the fault of the workers, but is due to factors beyond their control, it may be termed 'involuntary unemployment'. Labor market is not depended on the rate of real wages but infact on the quantity of output required. Therefore wage does not have much to do with unemployment. When the aggregate expenditure equals to AD', the equilibrium level of income is established at Y', which happens to be lower than Yf (full employment). Referring to the production function diagram [sector (b)] we see

scope of feminist method in social science research

scope of feminist method in social science research This paper examines the distinctive contribution of a feminist methodology in social science research. The Introduction outlines both the historical and future perspectives. The paper is then divided into two distinct parts (1) Feminist Research What this means in terms of social science research, the methods used together with the challenges and choices involved. Concluding with the epistemological issues raised by doing feminist research (2) considers the different perspectives and critique of conventional research. This illustrated by appropriate case study examples. Most researchers in sociology tend to agree that there is no single distinct feminist methodology. There is more a collective consciousness that was born from feminist movements in the 1960s and 1970s where a group of women talked openly, developing a mode of inquiry that challenged the conventional norms of research. These women collectively became known as feminists and enlightened individuals that formed a new bas is for knowledge. Although the original works were conducted outside of an academic setting, it soon became apparent that there was a lack of feminine representation in mainstream sociology or social science. (Devault 1996). Over the last 25 years female sociologists have made significant advances in pushing back the prejudices against women and in general interpreting the workings of society. Feminism was essentially born from a movement and a belief in resolving gender inequalities. Within the general claims to male dominance in social theory, three challenges have emerged (i) the criticism against that of female knowledge and its inability to demonstrate adequate work that illustrates scientific or unbiased knowledge. This resulted in feminists coming under scrutiny in order to demonstrate abilities to rationalise knowledge, perform verification, subjectivity and freedom from political bias. Secondly, how different influences shaped womens lives. Examples cited included that of cultural divisions, social divisions and power relations (Caroline RamazanoÇlu 2004). The danger here is one of stereotyping and simply branding women as one gender that provides a uniform result. The third challenge intertwines that of knowledge and gender whereby in essence women are taken for granted. In 1987 Sandra Harding (Harding 1987) provided insight into the difference between that of Method, Methodology and Epistemology. She equated Epistemology to that of a theory of knowledge with the objective of answering specific questions. Further, that there are two distinct epistemologies namely that of a Feminist empiricism and a Feminist Standpoint. The empirical part is that where a response is provided to bias and traditional responses (Harding 1987). Whereas, standpoint refers to a specific feminist opinion founded upon an explanation of knowledge. In order to understand and complete a feminist standpoint the reader needs to become more involved with the intellectual and political struggles that a womens experience is built upon Sandra Hardings views on Standpoint Epistemology focused more on the concepts of objectivity. Harding advocated a new concept of strong objectivity, as opposed to that of the weak concept which she referred to as objectivism. She stated that objectivity must contain all social values and interests from the research that is carried out. She was aware that certain social values could adversely impact the research and cause potential distortions. As such Harding viewed traditional research concepts and objectivity as the denial of cultures best beliefs (knowledge), whereas the new version fully embraces both political and historical origins. Harding believed that her new theory holds validity, particularly from the feminist standpoint i.e. women are part of an oppressed group and as such they approach research problems in a less arbitrary way. They are more likely to evaluate theories that might otherwise be overlooked or denied by more traditional concepts or viewpoints. Harding states that that the standpoint has a substantial foundation in the empirical experiences of women and although this may not constitute a foundation of knowledge, nevertheless it does create a more diverse contribution leading towards increased objectivity. (Stanley 1990). Historically the most common expression of female action has been associated with that of liberation and the emancipation of women. This has ranged from the concept of radical insistence, to clarifying the purpose of research and ultimately to transformation in terms of political action. It was Maria Mies that proposed feminist research should be consistent with the overall political goals and aspirations of women. Hence, there needs to be a full integration of social and political; action appropriate to the emancipation of women. (Mary Margaret Fonow, Beyond methodology: feminist scholarship as lived research 1991). FEMINIST RESEARCH Feminist research can essentially be defined as research conducted by what has become known as feminists, essentially drawing upon experiences of women in what is perceived as a male dominated world. The objective of research is based the creation of useful knowledge in order to make added contributions by different perspectives of thought. Feminism is based upon a praxis of women sharing the same agenda with men and overcoming the struggle relative to gender, race and class. The foundation of this was really built in the 1980s. Feminist research has since become more focused on how the lives of women have become materially altered by men and the development of strategies in order to resist this process (Mary Maynard 2005). Feminist research in general terms has had a lack of agreement to what precisely defines feminist theory and practice. As such there is not really a single unifying theory. It was Patricia Maguire (Breyton 1997) that offered the premise that feminism is (i) An understanding and belief that women face some form of oppression (ii) A commitment to understand female oppression and exploitation in all of its forms (iii) A commitment towards elimination of all forms of female oppression. (Breyton 1997). FEMINIST METHODS IN SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH: Feminist methods may have four main objectives: (i) the ability to uncover and overcome types of bias in research (ii) The ability to detect and create social change (iii) a concept or method to illustrate human diversity (iv) An acknowledgement of the credentials and position of the researcher. In order to create social change any method must include and respect the participants as change agents. The method needs to acknowledge diversity and that not all women see the social world in the same way e.g. the method approach to interviews and inquiry that explore the experiences of different religions. (Sprague 2005)i.e. evidence has been presented to support theory presented. Feminist studies use both qualitative and quantitative research techniques, although qualitative research is more readily used. The term methodology relates to more of a process of how to conduct research i.e. what you need to select, empirical study of what to observe, what to measure and how to conduct analysis. The method id more related to the precise technique of carrying out the study. (Sprague 2005) A common assumption has been that methodology and epistemology are identical. This has created a relatively narrow technical approach towards carrying out and conducting research. The concept of methodology essentially opens the way for conducting choice i.e. the implications of what we should do and how we might do it. It facilitates questions on data collection and assimilation. As such methodology paves the way for critical reflection and creativity within the social sciences. THE CHALLENGES AND CHOICES: Feminist researchers have taken very different approaches to the adoption of methodology. As such they have adopted differing means to the acquisition and validation of knowledge. This has tended to lean towards a more scientific and evidential base of presenting knowledge. This has avoided the more serious challenges of refuting feminist research and rejecting it on the basis that it contains no scientific method. The example being the study into child abuse, as such it never becomes a clear cut case but contains many complex shades of grey and is nearly always disputable. In many situations feminist researchers are particularly vulnerable in this regard. (Caroline RamazanoÇlu 2004). In current terms it is important to recognise that a large number of women are employed in science, engineering and academic positions. As such they offer a diverse range of opinions on a wide range of subject matter. The female positions tend to have two distinct types of focus (i) that engaged with the sciences and (ii) that focused upon society. Researchers have emerged from former marginalised groups and as such have had a profound way of changing the pattern of inquiry and thought process. There are still those however that holds the opinion that feminism is a threat to the objectivity of science. Sandra Harding pointed out that if all knowledge is socially constructed it will pose a major threat and challenge to science. For example with most scientists the notion that their views of the natural world are subjective is counter to their professional training. (Wyer 2008) It is important to note that the feminist researchers have made a significant impact over the last thirty yea rs. This has included a significant contribution to methodologies in the social sciences; particularly responding to the challenge of how women have been silenced in both society and research. The feminists have obtained significant success in bringing about social change and creating a degree of equity in both professional and personal lives. Whilst much of the success has been in the first world countries, there still remains a significant challenge for women in the third world and those emerging economies. In particular the native women of Africa, the women in the Islamic communities and others in the emerging countries like India and China. LEADING CONTRIBUTIONS: Early contributions in the 1970s were made by feminist sociologists that include the likes of Marcia Millman and Rosebeth Moss Kanter.  [1]  They made a number of suppositions in sociology that focused on issues or problems with existing use of sociological methods. In essence they objected to how assumptions to sociological theories manifested themselves. They challenged the empirical views of male sociologists and demonstrated a new vision as seen purely from the female perspective. (Harding 1987). The researcher and author Carol Gilligan  [2]  [In a different voice: Psychological Theory and Womens Development] agreed the point that conventional theorists are wrong to dismiss the wisdom of women on grounds of lower maturity. Gilligan asked that we listen to women in their different views and not try to compartmentalize them but credit women for the significant contributions over many disciplines in the sciences and the arts. (Harding 1987). Evelyn Fox Keller  [3]  had completed a great deal of ground breaking work that exposed sexual bias in the sciences. She predicted that women needed to be careful in rejecting concepts of objectivity and rationality as they would not be regarded as the icons for creating a new frontier but were more likely to be doomed and marginalized outside of the political mainstream. Fox herself later found herself in the dilemma of having to choose between feminism and science. Fox stated that the more we questioned methodology the greater it generated papers on epistemology and as such methodology became an end-in-itself. (Winnie Tomm 1989). Maria Mies  [4]  (McDonald 2004)concluded that the quantitative survey method is itself not free from androcentric bias, further there is a contradiction between the prevalent theories of social science, methodology and the political aims of women (McDonald 2004). Meis argued that if we revert to these old traditional concepts they will again be turned into instruments of repression new wine should not be poured into old bottles (McDonald 2004) One of the most influential people in the field of standpoint epistemology was that of Dorothy E Smith. Smith is famous throughout the world as a developer of theories and as such she has advanced the academic position from a feminist standpoint. Smith developed theories and concepts around the subject matter of gender and particularly that of the ruling texts of man. She advocated that many texts were compiled from the male perspective and as such were responsible for defining gender. She further advocated that such rules written by men determined the rules of society and defined the way in which we live and conduct our lives. Amongst the books that Smith referenced were the US Constitution, The Holy Bible and the Communist Manifesto. Smith stated that the rulings defined in many of these books were completely opposite to the manner in which women conducted their lives today. Such obsolescence creates the way for transformation of thinking and revision in these areas. Ryan B Johnso n (Johnson, Standpoint Epistemology Summary 2010). EPISTEMOLOGICAL ISSUES OF FEMINIST RESEARCH: Epistemology of feminist research broadly refers to the value of knowledge or the scientific method applied in order to conduct the research. An example being that of empirical or qualitative research. One of the important issues relates to the variation between quantitative and qualitative techniques in feminist research. The historical association that exists between the two research methods have been documented; however the logical associations remain debateable. As such feminist methodology cannot be firmly anchored to either camp of quantitative or qualitative style of research. Gilligan  [5]  pointed out that qualitative research represents the voice that is most consistent with female research values. Equally the researchers often use the perspective of a different voice, this being done in order to provide the distinction between that of a male opinionated voice. The female voice seeking to be far more evident in defining in the definition of connection and relationships. Mies stated that because women have been well versed in repression they have greater objectivity than men in this subject area. This is evident when they are involved in researching exploited groups. In essence women have more empathy and are able to better understand the important issues in a different light or perspective. (Janet Holland 2010). There is also the concept of stereotyping all women as feminists. Many female researchers have been primarily trained in traditional qualitative methodologies and despite the fact that they may have alternate or other views are most likely to revert to the traditional methods of carrying out research. Psychologist Laurie Rudman has completed research that has changed the views on negative stereotyping of women. Rudmans research found that negative stereoptypes of women are very widespread and even include educated young women. Her research further substantiated that strong independent women have satisfying romantic lives and their men are happy too as opposed to the widely held convention that feminists are man hating harpies (Branson 2007) SUMMARY PERSPECTIVES Female researchers have made a number of distinctive contributions to feminist methodologies in social science research. It remains questionable however as to whether a distinct feminist methodology exists, rather it is an approach to which female researchers have enlivened the debate by bringing fresh perspectives and valuable new insight, thereby challenging traditional methods. There have been some outstanding contributions to social science research from leading female researchers Goelting and Fernstermaker,  [6]  1995; Orlans and Wallace, 1994 and Thorpe and Laslett, 1997 are to name but a few. (DeVault 1999) Many sociologists agree that the original feminist movement had a core objective of changing the method of consciousness that was historically rooted in concepts of empirical research. Women became more aware of an alternate base for knowledge and the concept of introducing the womens experience into the methodology deployed. The early movement thereby highlighted the omission of this perspective. In addition, the group highlighted the racism that was faced by African/Americans in the USA and how white women had an advantage in obtaining academic research jobs. From these early beginnings female researchers have learnt to respond to the issues in social sciences and improve the overall field of inquiry. The female approach has been compared to that of excavators (DeVault 1999)where female researchers have been used to identify gaps or missing components in research or that which has been ignored. The unique voice of women often lends itself to a more empathetic approach to those delicate research areas i.e. child abuse, drug or substance abuse, juvenile crime etc. This often results in a more holistic and complete enquiry than would otherwise have been obtained from the traditional male dominated approach. (DeVault 1999). The emancipation of women in social science would provide women with an increased knowledge of their own social circumstances within society. Any feminist methodology therefore needs to be grounded in objectivity in social science. The feminist movement, in achieving liberal values, must not itself become an instrument of repression against the male community. As such the concept goes beyond methodology to more of a process of transformational change and make research more inclusive and objective. Feminist research is therefore aimed at the liberation of women. In achieving these objectives they increase the base of knowledge and add value to the overall method approach in social research and inquiry. (Mary Margaret Fonow, 1991). All the decent people, male and female, are feminists. The only people who are not feminists are those who believe that women are inherently inferior or undeserving of the respect and opportunity afforded men. Either you are a feminist or you are a sexist/mi sogynist. There is no box marked other.- Ani DiFranco. (M. P. Johnson 2005). 3406

Combining Thrilling and Killing:Use of Violence in Psychological Thrill

Combining Thrilling and Killing:Use of Violence in Psychological Thrillers As we speak, there is a man holding a gun to the back of your head. The cold muzzle stings the tender skin of your scalp and blood trickles to the floor from where the handcuffs have cut into your wrists. Your heart, sensing death approaching, struggles in vain to slip through its cage of ribs and run screaming into the night, much like how the scream just behind your eyes makes your vision blur and muscles twitch spastically. But perhaps you know the man behind you. Does that make you more or less afraid? Perhaps there’s no man at all. Perhaps it’s you who’s holding that gun. Maybe that gun isn’t there either. Is such a thing possible? A loud BANG is your only answer. Now you stand up, brush the flecks of popcorn off your shirt, and leave the theatre. Tomorrow, when you tell your friends that the movie was exciting, thrilling, and heart-stopping you’ll most likely be describing one thing - violence. Never mind the unanswered questions of identity; it’s the gun that made your heart race, the blood that made your hair stand on end. Does this mean you can’t be thrilled without violence? Certainly not. What it means is that violence does thrill. Aside from being a biological fact, it also happens to be one which filmmakers have learned to expertly exploit. When properly employed, almost any object or action can set the heart thumping and send a chill down the spine, but to do so requires greater-than-average skill on the part of writers, directors, and actors, whereas simple violence requires relatively little of these things. What motivates filmmakers to put in all that effort to replace a â€Å"cheap thrill† with a sophi sticated one? Why do extremel... ...because to us, it exists as a part of our very selves. Works Cited Harris, Sally. â€Å"Original Purpose of Escalating Violence in movies Backfired, Virginia Tech Film Critic Says.† Virginia Tech News and Information, Oct 1999. Mar 2004 . Kelley, Richard. The Donnie Darko Book. Faber & Faber, 2003. Klein, Andy. â€Å"Everything You Wanted to Know About Memento.† Salon.com ArtsEntertainment June 2001. Mar 2004 . Nolan, Christopher. Memento: A Screenplay. Oct 1999. Piluso, Robert. â€Å"Ah, Bloody Hell: Violence in Film†. Script Magazine Dec 2003. Mar2004 . Wood, Robin. Hitchcock’s Films Revisited: Revised Edition. New York: Columbia University Press, 2002.

The Issue and History of Illiteracy Among African Americans

The Issue And History Of Illiteracy Among African Americans Becca White Writing 123 Instructor Sydney Darby 27 May 2008 Illiteracy is a growing issue in America. The U. S. Department of Education funded the National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS) in 1992 that estimates over 90 million Americans fall well below an eight grade literacy level (Rome, 2004, pp. 84). Nowhere is this tragedy more prevalent than among the impoverished African Americans. Illiteracy has always been higher among African Americans now the gap is growing even wider due to a verity of reasons.According to the National Assessment of Adult Literacy Prison Survey (2003), the number one deterrent to becoming a criminal is having the ability to read past the eighth grade, and the number one preventive for an inmate becoming a repeat offender is to educate in literacy past the eighth grade level. â€Å"Today, the definition of literacy is based on what is called functional literacy. That is, someone is literate if they a re able to function properly within society,† (Roman, 2004, pp. 81).This definition can cover a variety of skills not only reading and writing but also the skills required to process general information from one’s surroundings (Roman, 2004, pp. 81). To truly begin to understand the issues surrounding illiteracy among African Americans you have to go back to the beginning. America saw 7. 7 million slaves imported from Africa between 1492-1820 more than half the imports of slaves took place from 1700-1800 (Foner, 2006, pp. 112). By the 1830’s laws were in place to make the education of slaves illegal, thus only 10% of slaves were literate (Foner, 2006, pp. 48). At the time slavery ended only about 10% of the African American population could read and do sums – A vitally important ability in a Jim Crow society. Jim Crowism came to embody the laws, customs, and policies of segregation (Foner, 2006, pp. 310), but more importantly the post civil war ‘separ ate but not equal’ mentality. The phrase from Brent Staples (2006) article, ‘Why Slave-Era Barriers to Black Literacy Still Matter,’ caught my attention as he wrote, â€Å"literacy was a form of social capital that could be passed from one generation to the next. While post Civil War America moved toward the 1880’s laws were passed in the South making it legal to arrest any unemployed African American and the penalties for petty crimes were vastly increased the punishment all were sentenced to labor camps (Foner, 2006, pp. 557). Labor camps it appears were created for forced labor pools; this is also the first large influx of African Americans into the penal system. African Americans were barred from Unions, participation in Democracy, and from skilled employment.Further more men and women were desperately poor and unaffected by the laws regulating hours and conditions that labor was under (Foner, 2006, pp. 645). On the eve of World War I, 90% of African Americans still lived in the South, barred from all but the most menial, unskilled, labor and paid the lowest wages. Many African American women had to work outside the home in order to help the family survive (Foner, 2006, pp. 650). During WWI mass migration of more than 1 million African Americans took place out of the South and into the Northern ghettos of New York, Detroit, Chicago, Buffalo, and Trenton (Foner, 2006, pp. 85). Industrialization, thousands of jobs had opened in the North and many African Americans were looking for a chance at living wages, for their children to go to school, and escape the constant fear of lynching (Foner, 2006, pp. 685). The last to enter the workforce of the industrialized jobs they were the first to lose them as the economy slumped. Now instead of being confined in the deep Southern countryside the impoverished African Americans were in ghettos across America’s industrialized cities.The 1980’s witnessed the deindustrialization of Northern cities as thousands of African Americans lost jobs as factories closed across the Nation. The national unemployment rate of 1981 was 8. 9% but African Americans exceeded more than 20% of the total unemployment due in part to the inability to transition over to more technical jobs due to poorer education. The eighties saw African American males fall further than any other group in terms of wages and jobs (Foner, 2006, pp. 920).The eighties also saw the War on Drugs begin with new sentencing laws making prison sentences longer and harsher for possession of much smaller quantities of crack and cocaine (Foner, 2006, pp. 951). With the waning of the crack epidemic, crime rates dropped across the country however prison population are still on the rise (Foner, 2006, pp. 951). In 2000, over 2 million men were in prison with approximately 4. 2 million more on parole, or probation, convict labor is now in use again in several States (Foner, 2006, pp. 951).Among prison inmates, Africa n American men make up more than 70%, and represents only 6% of the total US population. The common thread is most of the black inmates cannot read, they also are less educated than their fathers had been (Nealy, 2008, pp. 21). It is estimated that as much as 70% of inmates are illiterate, and that 40-70% have not finished a GED or high school program (Drakeford, 2002, pp. 139). The cost according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons (2001) was $22,632 per inmate per year or $62. 01 per day. The total population under correctional supervision includes more than 7 million people, or about 3. percent of all US adults (Western, 2007, pp. 512). Research has shown that literacy is directly linked to lower crime rates, and that intensive education programs implemented in prisons drastically lowered recidivism rates of inmates after release (Drakeford, 2002, pp. 139). The cost of incarceration is on the rise along with prison populations it seems that Nationally we are drawing ever closer to a crisis point where the issuers of illiteracy among the African Americas especially will need to be addressed and handled appropriately.In all the research and history I covered that goes into the issue of illiteracy what has yet to address is why illiteracy is such a persistent issue among the African American males. The closest explanation comes not from a research paper but from an article by Orlando Patterson (2006), titled ‘A Poverty of the Mind,’ where the author claims in interviews with young African Americans the heart of the issue lies in the â€Å"cool-pose culture† of the young males trying to live a life of parties, drugs, hanging with the homies, sexual relations, and just trying to looking cool becomes a way of life (pp. A). This is only a partial explanation but in searching through studies statistics, and the history of illiteracy among African Americans I’ve found the issue is as tangled as my balls of yarn. Illiteracy is an issue among A frican Americans especially prevalent among the prison population. Literacy is a key to unlocking the door to a crime free life for ex-cons. As to illiteracy being the cause of higher crime rates of that I have not seen any evidence for or against even though studies and research point to illiteracy being a strong indicator to future criminal activity it is not an absolute.Whether the issue of illiteracy will begin to be addressed in K-12 grade, or once a young man has become incarcerated is questionable. It appears that no matter what the answer the solutions will require support from all areas of the community in order to be successful in addressing the issue in its entirety. References Drakeford, W. (2002). The Impact of an Intensive Program to Increase the Literacy Skills of Youth Confined to Juvenile Corrections. Journal of Correctional Education, Vol. 53 Issue 4, p139-144, 6p. Retrieved April 17, 2008. from http://web. ebscohost. com Foner, E. (2006). Give ME Liberty! An Ameri can History.New York: W. W Norton & Company Ltd. Literacy Behind Bars: Results From the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy Prison Survey, http://nces. ed. gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo. asp? pubid=2007473 Nealy, M. J. (2008). BLACK MEN LEFT OUT AND LOCKED UP. Diverse: Issues in Higher Education. Vol. 24 Issue 26, p20-22, 3p. Retrieved April 17, 2008. from http://web. ebscohost. com Patterson, O. (2006, March 26) A Poverty of the Mind. New York Times. Retrieved April 17, 2008, from http://www. nytimes. com Roman, S. ( 2004). ILLITERACY AND OLDER ADULTS: INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIETAL IMPLICATIONS. Educational Gerontology. Vol. 0 Issue 2, p79-93, 15p. . Retrieved April 17, 2008 from http://web. ebscohost. com Staples, B. (2006, January 1). Why Slave-Era Barriers to Black Literacy Still Matter. New York Times. Retrieved April 17, 2008, from http://www. nytimes. com U. S. Department of Justice (2001) Federal Bureau of Prisons, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Special Report. Retrieved May 15, 2008. http://www. ojp. usdoj. gov/bjs/pub/ascii/spe01. txt Western, B. (2007). Mass Imprisonment and Economic Inequality. Social Research, Vol. 74 Issue 2, p509-532, 24p. Retrieved April 17, 2008 from http://web. ebscohost. com

Succubus Heat CHAPTER 20

Dante was waiting for me when I got home. I normally liked having the company, but after being with Seth, Dante's presence now made me feel uncomfortable and confused. He didn't seem to notice right away, though, and instead was immediately caught up by Maddie's condo packet. â€Å"What's this?† he asked, leafing through some pages. â€Å"Maddie's been playing real estate agent for me.† â€Å"Wow. I didn't think you were serious about that.† I leaned back on the couch, weary from dancing, sex, and the emotional miasma I seemed to be swimming through lately. Bringing up Maddie didn't make me feel so great. â€Å"I didn't think I was either. I mentioned it offhand, and she kind of went crazy.† â€Å"Alki Beach, huh? Some of these are pretty nice.† He held up one print-out. â€Å"Brand-new condo, still being built. You can weigh in on the colors and trim.† I shrugged. â€Å"I don't know. I don't have time to go shopping right now.† â€Å"One of the power spots on your list is near Alki. You could swing by.† I gave him a puzzled look. â€Å"Since when are you interested in me moving?† He sat down opposite me, still looking through the listings. â€Å"Well, if you buy locally, I can rest easy that you're sticking around. Besides, get a bigger place, and we could try some cohabitation.† That caught me off-guard. â€Å"Oh?† â€Å"You gave me a key. I might as well live here anyway.† â€Å"You're going to freeload off me for some more space, huh?† I teased. He sighed, looking pained. â€Å"Man, you really do think the worst. I'd pay you rent.† â€Å"With what?† I asked incredulously. â€Å"Business has been good. I think things are on the upswing.† â€Å"No offense, baby, but your business doesn't seem like the type that can maintain that kind of momentum. I think this has been a fluke.† I spoke too soon and felt bad when I realized I'd hurt him. â€Å"But we can play it by ear if you want to move in. Maybe your reputation's spreading, and business will keep booming.† He seemed a little mollified after that, yet as I spoke the words, I found I wasn't overly thrilled at the prospect of us living together. I still had Seth on the brain. Obsessing on him was foolish, I knew. This fling of ours could only last a few more days at most. I shouldn't be mooning over him when I'd just be going back to Dante anyway. Dante wanted to know how my beach investigation had gone, and I welcomed the change in subject. I gave him a brief rundown of my non-progress. â€Å"You want me to look with you?† he asked. â€Å"I've finally got some time tomorrow.† I hesitated. The truth was, just before we'd parted, Seth had said he'd look with me and that he'd bring Kayla. The afterglow could be very persuasive. Still, I'd had to do a lot of convincing that she'd be safe, and honestly, I hoped I was right. â€Å"I roped some other people into it,† I said. â€Å"We should be fine.† I feared he'd question me further, particularly about whether I had a psychic to go with me or not. Mercifully, he let it go. I honestly didn't think he wanted to wander beaches and was grateful for the reprieve. When we went to bed later, there was no way I could put his arduous advances off any longer, not without raising suspicion. I'd made a good recovery and no longer had my back excuse. Yet†¦something was nagging at me. Dante himself had been the one to first joke about whether I could get pregnant in my pseudo-human state. I still didn't know if that was possible, and even if it was, would it matter if I returned to my immortal state in a few days? I had no clue how any of this would work, but Seth and I hadn't used protection. And suddenly, I realized that if there were any chance in the world that I could get pregnant-if Nyx's vision might really come true-I didn't want to chance a paternity dispute. So, I turned on the charm for Dante and went down on him again, something he didn't really seem to mind. He tried to get me off in return, but it was to no avail. After being with Seth, I had zero desire of my own and found I couldn't come. And so, for the first time with Dante, I faked it. I was a pretty good faker. He never suspected. He slept late the next morning, so I slipped out early without waking him. Seth and I were meeting over at a restaurant in Bellevue, hopefully far enough away from anyone we knew to see us. While walking to my car, I felt someone fall into step beside me. â€Å"So, I hear you're spreading stories about me,† Cedric said amiably. Startled, I glanced over at him, unease spreading through me. Cedric was my suspect du jour, and I'd already seen one demon's reaction to my theories. Of course, he didn't look particularly destructive at the moment, and there was also the fact that I had yet to tell anyone my latest theories about him implicating Nanette. â€Å"What do you mean?† I asked. â€Å"Kristin said you said that I told Nanette how you thought she might have summoned Jerome.† He paused as though trying to make sense of that. â€Å"For the record, I didn't.† I nearly stopped walking. â€Å"Then who did?† â€Å"Hell if I know. Just figured you should know I wasn't responsible for what happened to you.† He offered no more, no condolences or queries to my health. I honestly couldn't expect that from a demon. The fact that he'd bothered to come talk to me was a rarity enough-and naturally, he could be lying. â€Å"Well, I don't know who else could have told her, then. Or why. I only told a handful of people.† The more I thought about it, the more I realized he had to be lying. I'd only told my friends. He maintained his perfectly bland face. â€Å"Like I said, I don't know.† We reached my car, and I paused, leaning against it. â€Å"You came all the way here to tell me this?† Not that it would have been an arduous journey for him. â€Å"Don't flatter yourself,† he said with a smile. â€Å"I'm here to chat with your demonesses. Hell's pretty much ruled out Jerome coming back. There'll be someone official here in days to settle the matter.† I tried to ignore the chill that sent down my spine and parse the rest of his words. Cedric was cozying up to Grace and Mei. Not a surprise. Whoever came here to assign a new archdemon would question those two the most. â€Å"Well, thank you,† I said. I didn't really know what else to say in that matter, so I switched to something else that had been on my mind. â€Å"Hey, I haven't heard much about your cult lately.† â€Å"Yeah, they've been pretty quiet. Maybe you helped after all.† â€Å"Well, I don't think I did much.† I was also starting to suspect the cult had nothing left to do. Now that their â€Å"Angel† had used them as an effective distraction during Jerome's summoning, they were no longer needed. I clicked my door open, and another curious thought struck me. â€Å"How's it going with Tawny?† Cedric grimaced. â€Å"Well†¦we went out a couple of times.† â€Å"And?† â€Å"My private life is no concern of yours.† â€Å"Fair enough.† I started to get in. â€Å"But if you must know†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I paused and arched an eyebrow. â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"Her conversation is†¦lacking a little,† he admitted. I couldn't help it. I laughed. â€Å"Are you seriously surprised by that?† â€Å"Beauty's skin deep, I know†¦I guess I'd just hoped for a little more depth.† I chose not to comment on what he considered beautiful. â€Å"Don't take this the wrong way, but I figured you wouldn't really want more than cheap sex.† He cut me a look. â€Å"Because I'm a demon?† â€Å"Don't look at me like that. Being romantic isn't really in your job description.† â€Å"True, true. But at the very least, I'd like to have a little understanding with my cheap sex. Someone who had some vague inkling of what I endure on a daily basis.† He was still being gruff and demonlike, but there was a faint whisper of something surprisingly human under there. I started to tell him that I didn't think that was very likely. Then, I thought of Kristin, Kristin who watched him with doe eyes and fretted over his well-being. â€Å"Someone who sort of gets your job and has an appreciation for its absurdity? Someone who's interested in helping you when you're stressed, in connecting with you and understanding things to an extent where you don't even have to say them anymore? Is that what you're looking for?† He snorted. â€Å"Yeah, like that'll happen.† â€Å"I don't know. Maybe there's someone out there like that.† â€Å"You may not have been human for a long time, but you still cling to their delusions. That's fairy-tale stuff. You can't have that. I can't have that. See you later.† He vanished, uncaring of any mortals who might see him. I stared vacantly at where he'd been, wondering if what he said was true. Was he missing a good match right in front of him? Or was Kristin deluding herself with her crush on him? And was I deluding myself with my feelings for Seth? Was I really feeling connected to him or was it all just lust? There was no use fretting about any of it now. Cedric didn't seem to want to kill me at the moment, so that was the best I could get. I drove over to Bellevue, just in time for the morning commute out of the city to be winding down. Bellevue was a suburb, a city in its own right, and the restaurant we'd chosen was in Bellevue's old downtown, one that had eventually been supplanted when a mall rearranged the city's trendy areas. The place was a quiet little bistro, tucked between a jewelry store and a bakery. Seth and Kayla were already there. She sat in a booster seat beside him, examining a stuffed unicorn while he leafed through a menu. Seeing both of them sent ripples of warmth and happiness through me. â€Å"Hey guys,† I said, sliding in across from them. Kayla gave me a shy smile, and Seth positively lit up. His hair was as messy as usual, and his T-shirt today advertised Trix, a cereal I'd forgotten even existed. â€Å"Thanks for doing this,† I said. â€Å"I really appreciate it.† Seth's smile grew, though I saw the tiniest bit of apprehension in his eyes. â€Å"Just so long as you're sure it's†¦you know†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He glanced over at Kayla, who was groping for her glass. Seth hastily intervened to help her before she could knock it over. â€Å"It'll be easy,† I said. â€Å"Maybe even boring. We'll just walk around and look for something resembling white stone or rock.† â€Å"And Kayla can help?† I turned toward the little girl. She glanced between both of us, her blue eyes wide and eerily knowing. â€Å"I think so. Again, at this point, she just senses stuff without really understanding why. If we get anywhere near Jerome, I think she'll show some sort of reaction, even if she doesn't know what it is.† At least I hoped so. After that, we didn't mention our mission for the rest of the meal. We made small talk instead and fawned over Kayla, but it was almost something we did on autopilot, something we weren't even paying attention to. Really, Seth and I were consumed by each other. It was more than just lust too, though I certainly hoped he'd noticed my low-cut top today. I found myself just aglow from his presence. I loved being close to him, feeling the joy that spread within me. It was like falling in love again. It was that connection and understanding that Cedric had said was a fairy tale. And even when we finished up and went and scoped out our first beach, that electricity and warmth continued flowing between us. Kayla walked between us for a while, with each of us holding one of her hands. She struggled a little with the sand but seemed infinitely fascinated by the sights around her: the waves, the seagulls, other children. The rain had faded away today, and we had sunshine taunting us with the hope that spring had truly arrived. We found no white rocks, however, and Kayla had no out-of-the-ordinary reactions like she'd had with me in the past, or even with Dante. When we got to our second beach, she began slowing down, and I realized this wasn't going to be the aggressive day of hunting I'd hoped for. After a while, Seth picked her up and carried her. She managed to stay awake until we finished our search but promptly fell asleep in the car. I knew we'd have to call it a day, but we stopped off at a little caf? ¦ on the way home that served great desserts. We settled into a corner booth, Seth and me sitting side by side while I held Kayla on my lap. We decided to simply split a piece of cheesecake, and naturally, I required coffee. Kayla still leaned drowsily against me, but she'd valiantly woken up as though sensing the approach of sugar. I brushed her hair back from her face. â€Å"Hey,† I said gently. â€Å"Did you see anything magic today?† That was how she'd referred to me in the past. She shook her head and reached up to touch my cheek in a mirror of my own gesture. â€Å"When will you be magic again?† she asked. â€Å"I don't know,† I told her. â€Å"Soon.† Seth's leg against mine was starting to stir up some illicit feelings, something I felt a little ashamed of with Kayla there. I was further startled when I glanced up at him and saw not lust in his eyes, but rather, something soft and tender. â€Å"What?† I asked. â€Å"Why are you looking at me like that?† â€Å"Because of you,† he said. â€Å"Just the way you interact with her†¦it's remarkable.† â€Å"Because I can get her to talk?† He shook his head. â€Å"Nah. More than that. I've seen it with the other girls. You have a knack with kids. You'd make a great mother.† Maddie had made the same offhand comment. I don't think Seth had ever really and truly grasped how much I'd pined for children. His words filled me with both elation and sorrow. For an instant, I considered telling him about Nyx's dream and the bizarre pregnancy theory. Those things were too fragile and too precious to me, however, and the cheesecake's serendipitous arrival saved me from further deliberation. The cheesecake was lemon raspberry, a bit adventurous for Kayla, perhaps, but she ate it without hesitation. Seth gave up on his share before us, and she and I finished it down to the last bite. â€Å"Perfect,† he mused. â€Å"I'll return her to Terry and Andrea, just in time for her the sugar rush to kick in. They'll never let her go out again.† He frowned. â€Å"Will you need her again? I think she has some kind of play-date thing tomorrow.† I sighed, and reality dimmed my golden moment. â€Å"I don't know. I'm running out of close places. I'll have to head up north next, up around Edmonds, though Dante pointed out that Jerome could be farther out-out on the Olympic Peninsula or something. The summoners would want to keep him close, but ‘close' could mean ten miles or a hundred.† â€Å"You're not going to be able to go out to the coast in an easy day trip,† observed Seth. Under the table, his hand rested on mine out of sympathy. â€Å"I'm sorry.† I squeezed his hand in return. â€Å"It'll be as it'll be, I guess.† â€Å"I still want to help if I can.† I offered him a rueful smile. â€Å"You want to help me get back to being a succubus?† His return smile was equally bittersweet. â€Å"There's no way any of this can end well, Georgina. Sometimes†¦sometimes we have to choose the lesser of evils and simply enjoy our sweet moments while we can.† Like this one. And through some shared instinct, we both fell silent, savoring this brief interlude, this dream we'd gotten ourselves ensnared in. For now, it was enough to just sit together like this. His hand moved idly on my leg, offering comfort and love†¦at least for a little while. Before long, the sweet affection turned into something with a bit more desire. I met his eyes, and while it wasn't the same animal intensity that had thrown me against the wall last night, there was still a longing in his eyes that told me how much he wanted me, to be closer to me. My body responded to it, and then we both glanced over at Kayla, who had fallen asleep again. We laughed, realizing the absurdity of our current situation. â€Å"I should get her back,† said Seth. â€Å"Yeah,† I said, sad at the thought of parting but certainly not aroused enough to make out while his niece was around. He drove me back to my car in Bellevue. Our parting kiss was gentle and light, almost hesitant. It seemed typical of this entire affair, like it was hardly real and would blow away at any moment. â€Å"Anything you need, Thetis,† he breathed into my ear. â€Å"Anything you need, I'll do it. You know I will.† A flower of agony and euphoria burst open in my chest. He hadn't called me Thetis, his old pet name for me, since the day we broke up. â€Å"I know,† I murmured into his shirt. â€Å"I know.† I returned to Queen Anne not long after that, getting a nice spot right in front of my building. My head was swimming with Seth and Kayla and Jerome and a hundred other things. I was so distracted that when I stepped into my apartment, I nearly walked right past Grace sitting on my couch. Of course, considering she was the first demon all week who hadn't attacked me the instant I cleared the door, my reaction to her subtlety was understandable. â€Å"Grace?† I asked curiously, as though maybe it wasn't her. She was leafing through a copy of Seattle Metropolitan magazine, their issue on Seattle's best brunches. When she glanced up at me, there was a tiredness in her eyes that even demonic perfection couldn't hide. Seeing her alone was almost as strange as her being here at all. I'd grown so used to her and Mei being a unit that their forced separation lately seemed almost as tragic as Jerome's summoning. â€Å"There you are,† she said. â€Å"I almost left.† â€Å"Sorry,† I said. I meant it. I seemed to be on her and Mei's good side lately and wanted to keep it that way. Demons didn't like waiting, and without that innate connection of an archdemon, she couldn't instantly find me across time and space. Grace gave a half-hearted shrug. â€Å"I don't mind. It's rather pleasant having a few moments' respite from all the politics and bickering.† â€Å"I can imagine.† I frowned. â€Å"No, wait. I don't think I can.† I swear, I thought for a second she might laugh, but she kept that same stone face she excelled at. â€Å"It'll all be over soon, which is why I came to see you. Mei and I have been talking to all of the other lesser immortals today. The day after tomorrow, a corporate demon named Ephraim will be making his final decision on who will replace Jerome.† A cold lump settled into my stomach. â€Å"So soon?† â€Å"Hell doesn't like to waste time and resources.† â€Å"I guess not.† â€Å"Ephraim's already in the area and may come speak to you as he attempts to assess the situation. He'll want to know about your job, how things ran under Jerome, etc.† With each word, my spirits sank further and further. My window to find Jerome was shriveling up. We were going to get a new archdemon anytime now. â€Å"Don't be afraid to speak the truth,† she advised. â€Å"I know that's often a concern among lesser immortals, for fear of causing offense.† â€Å"Something like that,† I muttered, thinking of Nanette. â€Å"Clearly, you don't want to actively anger Ephraim, but he has no affiliations with anyone currently involved in the dispute here. He won't punish you for stating your opinion.† â€Å"I'm guessing he might not listen to it either.† There it was. A tiny quirky of her lips, gone so quickly that I wasn't even sure I saw it. She rose from the sofa and absentmindedly tugged on her blazer. It was deep, deep red, paired with sleek black trousers and patent leather heels. Underneath the collar of her coat, I caught a glimpse of that same chunky necklace she'd worn at the meeting. I recalled Mei's sleeker one and couldn't resist my next words. â€Å"This may sound weird†¦but I can't help but notice you and Mei are dressing differently lately.† As soon as I said that, I hoped she wouldn't get mad at me essentially calling her and Mei copycats. Fortunately, she remained as blas? ¦ as usual. â€Å"In these times, it's wise to distinguish yourself. None of our jobs are secure right now.† I did a double-take. In all of this madness, it had never occurred to me that Grace and Mei might have something to fear. But of course they did. When Hell did re-orgs, they tended to tweak the larger structure. They could very well decide to transfer Grace and Mei and institute a whole new set of demonic leaders here. I didn't like that idea any better than losing Jerome. I wanted things to stay the same. And studying that fatigue I'd seen on Grace's face, I realized I wasn't the only one with a lot to worry about. â€Å"Well†¦for what it's worth, I think you're doing a great job. You've had to do so much clean-up and damage control, and then with all these demons†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I shook my head. â€Å"I don't know. They'd be stupid not to recognize that.† The strangest look came over Grace's face. I would have almost called it surprise, but her careful, icy composure made it hard to say for sure. â€Å"Thank you, Georgina.† Her voice was stiff, like dealing with compliments made her uncomfortable. â€Å"I hope you'll share your feelings with Ephraim, should he speak with you.† â€Å"Sure,† I said. â€Å"No problem.† After a quick glance at my kitchen clock, she turned back to me and gave a smart nod. â€Å"I have to meet with the others. I'll speak with you again soon.† She vanished, but I could offer no farewell in return. I had just seen something. Something that changed everything. I stood frozen. This whole time, for the last week, something had been percolating in my head. I'd noted Grace and Mei's dedication to their job, how they were always there to help when chaos broke out. I'd noted also how they'd been forced to split up a lot lately with the new workload, and as Grace had said, they would now probably be scrutinized individually. And why wouldn't they be? If someone was going to scout for a new demon to run Seattle, why not look at the ones who were already running it? â€Å"Oh my God,† I breathed. But there was more to it than that. It wasn't just that Grace or Mei had the perfect motive to get Jerome summoned. I had more than motive before me. I had proof. Sprinting to my bedroom, I searched frantically for the photo of Mary's medallion, certain it would be gone. Nope. It was still there, knocked off my nightstand to the floor. I picked it up. â€Å"Oh my God .† There it was. When Grace had turned her head, I'd caught a fuller glimpse of the chunky necklace and its network of brown and black stones. The answer had been right in front of me. At the Cellar meeting, I'd noticed a piece of the necklace's stonework shaped like a crescent moon. I hadn't recognized it as anything more than ornamentation, but now, comparing the photo to what I'd just seen on Grace, the truth was obvious. Grace had part of the seal. It was the left side of the medallion, separated in an irregular way to give it that fanciful crescent shape. But I'd seen the fine etchings of the symbols when she tilted her head. They were the same. It was the seal. The picture fell from my hands, and I ran back to the living room, grappling for my cell phone. My hands shook, and I could barely dial. Of course, for a second, I wasn't sure who I was dialing. Hugh, I decided. I had to tell him and the rest of my friends that- â€Å"Drop it.† A strong hand covered my mouth and jerked me backward. My back hit somebody, a tall man with a rock-solid chest. His other hand reached out and wrapped around my wrist, making the links of my watch dig in painfully. â€Å"Drop it,† he said. â€Å"I know what you saw. I saw it too. But you can't tell anyone. Not yet.† I could barely hear through the pounding of my heart in my ears, but it didn't matter. I knew this voice, knew it intimately. It had haunted my dreams-or rather, my nightmares-for the last six months. It was a sign of how truly out of it I'd been after Nanette attacked me that I hadn't recognized his voice that day. I dropped the phone. He released his grip on my wrist, and a moment later, the hand on my mouth moved away as well. Miraculously, I didn't start screaming. Slowly, slowly, I turned around, knowing exactly what I'd find. Blue-green eyes, just like the sea I'd grown up around. â€Å"Roman.†