Concept of Delinquency Essay Example for Free

Concept of Delinquency Essay The National Criminal Justice Reference Service defines the offenses committed by status offenders as the following: â€Å"behaviors that were law violations only if committed by a person of juvenile status. Such behaviors include running away from home, ungovernability (being beyond the control of parents or guardians), truancy, status liquor law violations (e. g. , underage drinking, and other miscellaneous offenses that apply only to minors (e. g. , curfew violations and tobacco offenses. In the Federal Criminal System, juvenile delinquents are juvenile offenders processed in the Federal justice system, with charges of delinquency, which are in violation of state or federal laws. Looking at the definitions of these two, there seems to be a very thin line dividing the two which is why the justice system treats them similarly, which is by having the cases processed by the juvenile courts. From the point of view of the law enforcers, the treatment should be the same as both are violating certain laws and regulations. The other sectors however believe that the treatment should not be the same as status offenses are considered as minor offenses while the juvenile delinquency offenses are of graver status. Therefore the status offenders should not be processed in the same manner as the juvenile delinquents. The latter are considered to have more serious violations of either state or federal laws or municipal or local ordinances. A master’s study that was archived with the Central Connecticut State University Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice supported the claim that the treatment should not be the same. A review of a state program created to deal with status offenders was made and here it is asserted that the treatment of status offenders should not be the same. The paper asserts that status offenders should not be punished without having committed crimes and that they should not be referred to the courts as they have not committed crimes. Further, the juvenile courts should not be used to order children into placement. Why are males more delinquent than females? Is it a matter of lifestyle, culture or physical properties? A study of gender and delinquency entitled Crime Delinquency in the United States presents official statistics that suggest that males are significantly more criminal and delinquent than females. Data show that the teenage gender ratio for serious violent crime arrests is approximately 6 to 1, and for property crime approximately 2. 5 to 1, male to female. Similarly, the study by Melissa Sickmund (Juvenile Justice Bulletin, Oct. 2000) indicates that the males are involved in about 8 in 10 delinquency cases each year. Although they constitute only half of the juvenile population, males were involved in well over 70% of person, property, and public order offense cases and in 85% of drug law violation cases handled by the courts in 1997. The male proportions were somewhat higher in 1988. Here it is seen that males are more likely to be â€Å"frequently delinquent† than females and more likely to engage in serious felony-type acts. The explanations range from the biological to the sociological to the social. Each of the reasons identified in the question is a factor to consider: lifestyle, culture or physical properties. As to the lifestyle, males are more extroverted and therefore more exposed to the environment outside the homes. Even in the modern non-patriarchal societies, the males are seen to perform more roles outside of the house. Culture is an important reason too. Our general notion of the females relates to being mothers and therefore also naturally clinging to maternal support. This natural tendency explains why females will more likely not want to commit crimes. The physical or biological properties are also helpful in explaining this gender issue relative to delinquency. In their physical development, females are more expressive of their emotions, more open to family bonding and ties compared to males. Females have the tendency to be more closely monitored by the parents compared to the males. Should there be mandatory incarceration for chronic juvenile offenders? Those who are in favor or mandatory incarceration are of the opinion that offenders, regardless of gender or age should be incarcerated and that chronic offenders should be punished on a mandatory basis in order to reduce and deter crime . On the other hand, those who do not favor mandatory incarceration are of the opinion that for reform to take place, rehabilitation and not incarceration is the remedy. The paper written by Joseph B. Sanborn Jr. asserts that the traditional primary purpose of the juvenile justice system, which is rehabilitating young offenders, should be preserved. Because of the problem of excluding some juvenile delinquents from being prosecuted in the juvenile courts but only in the criminal courts, Sanborn believes that there must be developed a rationale for this exclusion. Summarizing the arguments for or against mandatory incarceration, a study on Serious Juvenile Offenders , quoting Schuster (1978), observes that the serious violent delinquent is an insignificant part of the total population and only a small part of the delinquent population. Because of their small numbers it is more appropriate to rely on the traditional juvenile court waiver mechanisms than to create new laws for the special handling of serious juvenile offenders. From another perspective, however, although serious juvenile offenders are few, they cause considerable social harm, such that measures must be taken to rotect society from them. This view, combined with an emphasis on crime reduction through incapacitation, has led to a policy of mandatory incarceration for serious juvenile offenders in some States. Another view holds that the incapacitation of chronic juvenile offenders will not substantially reduce the crime problem, because so many serious delinquent acts go undetected according to self-report data; however, the same studies suggest that the more frequent and serious violators eventually become â€Å"official† delinquents. Another perspective neither minimizes the problem of serious juvenile crime nor suggests that the rehabilitative goal of juvenile justice be abandoned. It advocates that juvenile justice develop programs that will facilitate change in serious juvenile offenders while providing adequate protection for society. While research can provide more information on what does and does work with such offenders, youth policy ultimately rests on ethical considerations that lie beyond the province of the legal and behavioral science realms. References http://www.ncjrs.gov/app/publications/Abstract.aspx?id=88858 http://www.ncjrs.gov/html/ojjdp/jjbul2000_10_3/contents.html

Brown v. Board of Education Decision Essay examples -- Civil Rights Mo

The Broken Promise "Histories, like ancient ruins, are the fictions of empires. While everything forgotten hands in dark dreams of the past, ever threatening to return...†, a quote from the movie Velvet Goldmine, expresses the thoughts that many supporters of integration may have felt because no one truly knew the effects that one major verdict could create. The Brown v. Board of Education decision was a very important watershed during the Civil Rights Movement. However, like most progressive decisions, it did not create an effective solution because no time limit was ever given. James Baldwin realized that this major oversight would lead to a â€Å"broken promise.† Before the decision of Brown v. Board of Education, many people accepted school segregation and, in most of the southern states, required segregation. Schools during this time were supposed to uphold the â€Å"separate but equal† standard set during the 1896 case of Plessy v. Ferguson; however, most, if not all, of the â€Å"black† schools were not comparable to the â€Å"white† schools. The resources the â€Å"white† schools had available definitely exceed the resources given to â€Å"black† schools not only in quantity, but also in quality. Brown v. Board of Education was not the first case that assaulted the public school segregation in the south. The title of the case was shortened from Oliver Brown ET. Al. v. the Board of Education of Topeka Kansas. The official titled included reference to the other twelve cases that were started in the early 1950’s that came from South Carolina, Virginia, Delaware and the District of C olumbia. The case carried Oliver Brown’s name because he was the only male parent fighting for integration. The case of Brown v. Board o... ...le knowing their identity, so that they do not have to face the judgments of others. "Man is least himself when he talks in his own person! Give him a mask and he'll tell you the truth!" (Velvet Goldmine). Works Cited Baldwin, James. â€Å"Down at the Cross.† 1955. James Baldwin: Collected Essays. Ed. Toni Morrison. New York: Library of America, 1998. 63-84. Ewing, James. â€Å"Desegregation: Progress Report.† New York Times 26 Sep. 1954. â€Å"Integration Gain is Noted in South.† New York Times 7 Jul. 1957. Irons, Peter. Jim Crow’s Children: The Broken Promise of the Brown Decision. New York: Viking Penguin, 2002. â€Å"Text of Supreme Court Decision Outlawing Negro Segregation in the Public Schools.† New York Times 18 May 1854. Velvet Goldmine. Dir. Todd Hayes. Perf. Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Ewan McGregor, Christian Bale, Toni Collette. Miramax, 1998. Brown v. Board of Education Decision Essay examples -- Civil Rights Mo The Broken Promise "Histories, like ancient ruins, are the fictions of empires. While everything forgotten hands in dark dreams of the past, ever threatening to return...†, a quote from the movie Velvet Goldmine, expresses the thoughts that many supporters of integration may have felt because no one truly knew the effects that one major verdict could create. The Brown v. Board of Education decision was a very important watershed during the Civil Rights Movement. However, like most progressive decisions, it did not create an effective solution because no time limit was ever given. James Baldwin realized that this major oversight would lead to a â€Å"broken promise.† Before the decision of Brown v. Board of Education, many people accepted school segregation and, in most of the southern states, required segregation. Schools during this time were supposed to uphold the â€Å"separate but equal† standard set during the 1896 case of Plessy v. Ferguson; however, most, if not all, of the â€Å"black† schools were not comparable to the â€Å"white† schools. The resources the â€Å"white† schools had available definitely exceed the resources given to â€Å"black† schools not only in quantity, but also in quality. Brown v. Board of Education was not the first case that assaulted the public school segregation in the south. The title of the case was shortened from Oliver Brown ET. Al. v. the Board of Education of Topeka Kansas. The official titled included reference to the other twelve cases that were started in the early 1950’s that came from South Carolina, Virginia, Delaware and the District of C olumbia. The case carried Oliver Brown’s name because he was the only male parent fighting for integration. The case of Brown v. Board o... ...le knowing their identity, so that they do not have to face the judgments of others. "Man is least himself when he talks in his own person! Give him a mask and he'll tell you the truth!" (Velvet Goldmine). Works Cited Baldwin, James. â€Å"Down at the Cross.† 1955. James Baldwin: Collected Essays. Ed. Toni Morrison. New York: Library of America, 1998. 63-84. Ewing, James. â€Å"Desegregation: Progress Report.† New York Times 26 Sep. 1954. â€Å"Integration Gain is Noted in South.† New York Times 7 Jul. 1957. Irons, Peter. Jim Crow’s Children: The Broken Promise of the Brown Decision. New York: Viking Penguin, 2002. â€Å"Text of Supreme Court Decision Outlawing Negro Segregation in the Public Schools.† New York Times 18 May 1854. Velvet Goldmine. Dir. Todd Hayes. Perf. Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Ewan McGregor, Christian Bale, Toni Collette. Miramax, 1998.

Learning Journal Having An Interest In Psychology Education Essay

At the start of educational psychological science 2102 this pupil references in their acquisition diary holding an involvement in psychological science and the many countries it is used. However, they felt discerning about their ability to absorb and understand the huge sum of cognition that would be delivered to them over the following 13 hebdomads. In the pupils first few diaries it is evident that clip direction and the huge sum of survey they have to accomplish each hebdomad is a concern to them. After reading all of the pupil ‘s diaries and analyzing their questionnaire consequences, it is evident this pupil is besides holding jobs with self-motivation and self-efficacy during the completion of single appraisal undertakings and the idea of tests. These types of jobs can impede the abilities of pupils to finish and bring forth quality assignments on clip. Besides these types of behaviours can hold unwanted affects such as emphasis and sleepless darks. Excessively much empha sis can hold an consequence on the ability of the scholar to retain information and remember it clearly when it is needed. Aforesaid pupil does place holding jobs treating new information and besides feels without any pier cognition of certain subjects they are unable to hive away this information in their long term memory. In one of the pupil ‘s diaries they identify a specific nexus to their memory dry run pattern ( care ) and understand how this pattern is unequal at traveling freshly learnt information from working memory to long term memory. Although this is non reflected in the pupil ‘s questionnaire consequences, it would look this pupil is fighting with their cognitive ability. The pupil admits being easy distracted, nevertheless has jobs cognizing when their concatenation of idea is broken and how to develop and utilize fix schemes to maintain the acquisition procedure traveling. Said pupil has many positive properties that will assist them come on as a scholar, by besides turn toing their failings utilizing the right theories and patterns they will go more adept and happen larning more gratifying and be on their journey to self-actualisation. This pupil like many others has a job with clip direction. The pupil recognises the demand to structuring their survey clip so they can finish readings and assessment undertakings on clip. Research by Snowman, Dobozy, Scevak, Bryer, Bartlett and Biehler ( 2009 ) into self-regulatory accomplishments found that inadequately regulated academic behaviors can hold durable damaging effects on pupil results such as, lower than mean classs and decreased chances for deriving professional makings and employment subsequently in life. To get the better of this job the pupil downloaded the semester planing machine from chalkboard and allocated clip for each capable country and interruptions on completion of readings and parts of appraisal undertakings. Snowman et Al. ( 2009 ) besides recognised that self-denial and self-regulation are indispensable to accomplishing higher degree of academic accomplishment and that some pupils are better at geting these accomplishments than others. Snowman besides acknowledged the properties that are closely associated to and best explain fluctuations in self-regulation are perceived self-efficacy and self-motivation. Self-motivation is a important portion of being a proficient scholar, without it the scholar will fight with assessment undertakings and tests and are apt to neglect. Missing self-motivation can besides take to low self-pride, if this is non dealt with quickly it can gyrate out of control and have long term affects on the pupil. This pupil is cognizant of their deficiency of motive when finishing single appraisal undertakings and is diffident why this is. This is reflected in both their acquisition diary and questionnaire mark. William, Gloria and Irving ( 2003 ) suggest there are four theories when covering with student motive during undertaking completion. Their desire to take one undertaking over another, the degree of finding with undertaking even when faced with trouble or fatigue, the accomplishment and class class and the most powerful being the pupil ‘s personal features and beliefs. The pupil needs to hold an involvement in the undertaking and topographic point a value on its completion to keep motive. By analyzing the above theories and the pupils graphed questionnaire consequences it would look this pupil ‘s deficiency of self-motivation is caused by their perceptual experience of themself to make will in appraisal undertakings and their contemplation on past failures, which would associate to a theory termed erudite weakness. Learned weakness theory would explicate to some grade why this pupil lacks motive when finishing appraisal undertakings, harmonizing to this theory failure or lower than expected classs in anterior appraisals destabilises the pupil ‘s motive to try future undertakings. This can besides impact the pupil ‘s ability to execute in group work appraisal, the ground for this is a theory termed self-esteem protection. Self-esteem protection theory is based on the impression that the pupil does n't use themselves in group work in fright of being labelled as holding hapless rational accomplishments ( Witkowski & A ; Stiensmeier-Pelster, 1998 ) . However the pupils score in respects to group work is high and they admit they are more motivated in this type of larning environment. After researching the causes behind hapless motive accomplishments, it is evident that self-efficacy is a chief subscriber to self-motivation. Some facets of the pupil ‘s self-efficacy and self-regulation are apparent in their questionnaire consequences such as, general self-efficacy 2.3 and trouble devising determinations 3. However some of their other consequences do n't reflect the self-motivation jobs they have such as, cognition of knowledge 3.7 and a deep attack to larning 4.7. By construing these consequences one would state this pupil is cognizant of their abilities to be a adept scholar, but possibly unaware of how to use these abilities affectively. Their consequences indicate that they have a deep attack to analyze procedures. Butler ‘s ( 2002 ) research recognised that efficient self-regulated scholars decide on, adjust and may even make tactical schemes to finish assessment undertakings. Self-regulated scholars besides analysis feedback and Markss given by instructors on old appraisals. They use this information and remarks from equals to measure their ain public presentation and do accommodation co nsequently. Besides they appear to be comfy with disrupting the new information they are reading and can associate to it. cognition of knowledge By measuring Butler ‘s research in respects to the pupil ‘s questionnaire mark about Need for Approval High mark indicates turning away of undertakings where external blessing is at hazard, Unable to take aid Fear of exposure if external aid sought. This is because, during monitoring, pupils generate judgements about advancement and do determinations that form farther larning activities. Therefore, to advance pupil self-regulation instructors must help pupils to prosecute flexibly and adaptively in a rhythm of cognitive activities ( i.e. , undertaking analysis, scheme choice and usage, and self-monitoring ) . Further, cardinal instructional marks include advancing pupils ‘ building of ( a ) metacognitive cognition about academic work, ( B ) schemes for analysing undertakings, ( degree Celsius ) metacognitive cognition about task-specific schemes ( e.g. , for pull offing work, history studies, reading text editions, composing paragraphs, larning math ) , ( vitamin D ) skills for implementing schemes, and ( vitamin E ) schemes for selfmonitoring and strategic usage of feedback.

Literary Analysis St. Clare Of Assisi - 1471 Words

The sources composed or directed by the women are probably the most profitable in giving understanding into how women thought and felt. As one may expect, most female created works get by from women of higher economic well-being, since women of lower status were very nearly never taught to peruse or compose. Religious ladies, case in point, may describe their dreams, counsel, or directions, especially for the enlighten Hildegard were among the most lucid and most scholarly of medieval ladies, utilizing the composed word both to secure and aid her group. St. Clare of Assisi endeavored to do likewise through the rundown of standards she assembled for her nuns in the thirteenth century. Clare s Rule, truth be told, recognizes that just some of her nuns were educated: the individuals who could read were in charge of perusing the religious administrations with an elevated volume; the individuals who couldn t be given additional petitions to God to say. Undoubtedly, Clare did not think it advantageous to educate the nuns to peruse: rather, everybody ought to work and love as indicated by the gifts and aptitudes they had. Clare s Rule stressed acquiescence and modesty, admonishing her nuns to wear modest apparel, talks rarely, and comply with their abbess (Abelard Heloise, 1974). Reports, for example, those of Hildegard and Clare loan knowledge into the ordinary lives of religious ladies and the connections among them. Different sources created by religious ladies (counting

Ancient Rome - Most Powerful Empire of the World for Several Centuries - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 570 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2019/08/16 Category History Essay Level High school Tags: The Fall of Rome Essay Did you like this example? Ancient Rome was the most powerful empire of the world for several centuries, like the fall of every other civilizations, the fall of Rome also took place. At its prime, the Roman Empire stretched from the Atlantic Ocean all the way to the Middle East, with this size it was difficult to control. The Roman Empire greatest strengths was the cause of their downfall. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Ancient Rome Most Powerful Empire of the World for Several Centuries" essay for you Create order They were known for having a strong military called Roman Legions. As Rome kept expanding, so did the military with more soldiers to pay for, Romes currency devalued. Maintaining an army to defend the border of the Empire was a constant drain on the government. Invasions by the barbarians caused Rome to be in constant wars. This proved to be devastating to Rome. Numerous factors such as overexpansion, economic inefficiency, and barbarian invasions can be put forward as being contributions to the fall of Rome. In the early period of Romes development, they lived in a state of fear from their neighbor, Carthage. The Carthaginians was known for being great traders in the Mediterranean area. During this time, Rome wanted to expand its trading routes, so a war between the empire and carthage was inevitable. In 264 BC, the Carthaginians and Rome had their first war, in a series of three wars known as the Punic Wars. The Romans eventually defeated the Carthaginians in 146 BC. Rome burned the city of Carthage to the ground and all signs of them were destroyed. Romes Victory over the Carthaginians gave the Romans all the opportunity they needed to expand. Once Carthaginians were defeated, Rome became the powerhouse in the Mediterranean area. Romes persistent expansion was often responsible for provoking its neighbours to fight in self-defense. The most important goods that Romans took from their enemies was land. The Roman Empire was not content with conquering land near to them, instead they conquered lands that were far away with riches in them that would make the Roman Empire more wealthy. Eventually, Rome grew from a small town on central Italys Tiber River into an empire that at its peak stretched from Britain in the West to Syria in the East, including the Mediterranean region, Western Europe and North Africa. With such a vast land to look over, it was really difficult to govern. The more powerful the Romans became, the more they expanded their empire. Having large amounts of land prove to be a bad idea. The Romans were unable to communicate fast even with their excellent road systems. The Romans had trouble in maintaining power in all of their empire and supplying their army. By 285 CE the Roman Empire had grown so large that it was no longer able to govern all the provinces. The Roman Emperor Diocletian split Rome into Western and Eastern Roman Empire. The Eastern Empire, known as Byzantium, had its capital at Constantinople which constantly grew in power and wealth, while the west descended into economic crisis. The division made the empire more easily governable in the short term, but over time the two empires drifted apart and failed to work together. The Eastern Empire thrived while constant invasions and wars weakened the Western Empire. By 476 CE, the Western Roman Empire officially collapsed, which was the end of the Roman Empire. Overexpansion proved to be an awful decision in the long run by the Romans, and was credited as one of the reasons why Rome fell.

Inclusion And Full Of Half Truths Essay - 1210 Words

Introduction In 2000, Professor Geneva Gay wrote that culturally responsive teaching connects students by their cultural knowledge, prior life experiences, in a way that legitimized and validated what students already know. By embracing all socio-cultural realities and having a thorough understanding allows the culturally responsive teacher to negotiate the classrooms with their students and have an accurate reflection of their communities where students develop and prosper. In doing my research, I found this topic to be fascinating, somewhat bias and full of half-truths. Of course, there was research conducted, statistics, graphs, and charts, by so called professionals within education who want people to believe their conclusions. These findings are merely illusion of inclusion and used as tools to utilized as it relates to the educational system. Let’s study this a little deeper. For instance, I teach criminal justice in a predominately black high school. This subject affects all cultures, races, and economic status despite educational levels. It’s real, authentic and most of all troublesome. I must raise several questions of concerns as it relates to culture and diversity on educational attainment. The words â€Å"educational attainment† is used mostly by statistician’s and defined by the Census Bureau as the highest level of education one has completed. Educational attainment is one of the primary indicators of social class in the United States (Ehrenreich, 1989). Is thisShow MoreRelated Inclusion Essay1621 Words   |  7 Pagesexists about the definition of inclusion, it can usually be agreed upon that inclusion is a movement to merge regular and special education so that all students can be educated together in a general education classroom. Because of the lack of consensus, inclusion is a hotly debated topic in education today. Mainstreaming and Inclusion are used interchangably for many people. This is where the confusion may lie. For the purpose of this paper I will be using the term inclusion. I interpret this to mean:Read MoreWomen s Rights Of Women899 Words   |  4 Pagesscience? Are they being under supported? Underrepresented? The short answer - yes. But does it really mater? In truth, it does matter that women are being underrepresented in STEM fields because not only are we suppressing the current population in STEM fields, we are also discouraging future potentials from ever joining. Although society has drastically changed in the past 50 years, the inclusion and support of women in STEM fields are meet with challenges. These challenges range from society biased genderRead MoreThe Period Of European Global Exploration2002 Words   |  9 Pagesthe phrase from what we hear. These words imply the narrator has no direct contact with these soldiers, so the truth of this information is based solely on what the government has told the people. The veracity of soldiers only making trouble happen rather than fighting trouble or keeping order seems puzzling, and evidently the narrator is not satisfied he has the whole truth. Thus, Larkin is able to utilize these justifying phrases to demonstrate a certain passive aggression on the part ofRead MoreThe Death Of William Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet1660 Words   |  7 Pagesone looks closer at the other figures, a key character can be seen. One of the most interesting figures in the painting, is the man to the far left, sitting half in the light, half in the darkness. His head hangs low, body slumped over, hands neatly folded, and his eyes shut. This figure is a depiction of Plato. The problem with the inclusion of Plato, is that he is depicted as an old man, when at the time he would have been only a youth. More importantly, Plato was not present at this execution,Read MoreAnalysis Of Voice Lessons The Belle Epoque 1688 Words   |  7 Pagesaccepts it as its hard-to-define defining quality that makes it such a special part of the art song repertory. Perhaps Bergeron’s most ingenious technique in educating on the beautiful, mysterious expressive qualities of the French art song is her inclusion of a companion website with listen-only recordings of some great interpreters of French song, such as Claire Croiza and Jane Bathori. It also features poetry readings by Sarah Bernhardt and Guillaume Apollinaire. Utilizing this kind of technologyRead More Benefits for Disabled Students Essay3410 Words   |  14 PagesBenefits for Disabled Students The inclusion of special needs students is increasingly popular. In the 1984-5 school year only 25% of disabled students were educated in inclusive environments. The number almost doubled to 47.4% by the 1998-9 school year (Fine 2002). 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By skillfully navigating these currents of deceit, too, Wexler is not only able to portray them to the reader in full form, but also historicize this muddled record in the context of certain larger historical truths. In this fashion, and by refusing to cede to a desire for closure by drawing easy but inherently flawed conclusions regarding the individuals directly responsible for the 1946 lynching, Wexler demonstratesRead MoreThe Legal Battle Between Pro Choice Activists And Pro Life Supporters Essay1354 Words   |  6 Pagestime since Roe v. Wade, for many women of all backgrounds, it is hard to receive an abortion safely and privately. Modern laws and policies have so greatly decreased the progress made in the 70’s/ 80’s in Women’s Health care that women who don’t see a full term pregnancy as an option for them are risking their own lives to acquire unsafe, often out of country, medical help. The issue of abortion rights is only a component of the struggle women in the united states face when obtaining female specificRead MoreDevelopment Of Behavioral Disorders : Essay1534 Words   |  7 Pagesthe Indian boy s throat injury, but he is also unfamiliar with the language. The symbolic voicelessness could represent the voicelessness of 19th century Native Americans, or it could represent Zits s own shame, his inability to voice either the truth of his own crimes or of the suffering he has endured. Having earlier praised himself for emotional distance, this second interpretation has extra weight since it implies that a life of emotional distance has a downside. It might make Zits feel less

Hanging (Out) with the Masters Free Essays

At first glance, it is easy to think that not much is happening in Mark Kostabi’s Hanging with the Masters. We get to simultaneously view works of art from various art movements as they dangle motionlessly from their taut strings. Everything is nonchalant and serene against the sky blue background, the threat of gravity underneath disappears, and even the anonymous human figure tied to a noose by the neck has surrendered. We will write a custom essay sample on Hanging (Out) with the Masters or any similar topic only for you Order Now Whatever was supposed to happen in the painting has already happened. No action is caught. This is the state in which we find things because we have unfortunately arrived late. This apparent lack of motion is what makes Hanging with the Masters so busy. By kidnapping an assortment of works of arts, miniaturizing and tying them in place to become manageable spectacles (classic paintings within a present-day painting), Mark Kostabi has converged, or more appropriately eroded, time and space. There is no nostalgia for the kidnapped paintings at all; just a matter-of-factness. Very postmodern. Taken out of their contexts and arranged in a whole new landscape, the works of arts inside the painting call attention to themselves. Each one of them competes for our attention. Even if we recognize only one of the paintings/mobiles/cartoon character Hanging with the Masters blatantly references, we still get the feeling a kidnapping has happened. Something has been violated and celebrated at the same time. The verb hang takes on two meanings: Hang a picture, Hang a person. As if decoration and decoration are the same thing. And Mark Kostabi is unapologetic. DEAD MAN PERFORMING In the middle of it all, there is the faceless, sexless artist with the paintbrush pointing downwards, the hanged human,—all red (red-faced, red-bellied, and red-handed) from an unseen light source. It is as if he/she has failed a mission. In the essay The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, Walter Benjamin tells us that â€Å"[Mankind’s] self-alienation has reached such a degree that it can experience its own destruction as an aesthetic pleasure of the first order† (681). After exhausting every possible medium and subject of art, from Campbell’s soup cans to elephant dung, we only have to turn to ourselves next, explore and defy the thresholds of our own body and mind, as if they are the next frontier to turn into art. True enough, the hanged artist in Hanging with the Masters is engrossed in his/her own performance art. He/she is both a subject and object. If in modernism the subject is a â€Å"rational, individualistic, responsible, unified self†, in postmodernism, that subject is dead (Chernus, â€Å"Fredric Jameson’s Interpretation of Postmodernism,† par. 7). What replaces is an â€Å"identity [that] must be conceived as an intersection of conflicting subject positions† (Collins 337). Kostabi’s hanged artist is neither male nor female. We can’t tell if he/she is just playing dead. We are not sure if his/her execution was forced or self-willed. If this were punishment, we don’t know what the sin was. We aren’t even sure if he/she really is a painter, or just someone with a good grip on the paintbrush. Like a true postmodern subject, everything about the hanged artist is open to speculation. One thing we are sure of though is that now he/she has laid claim to being a work of art. And who doesn’t want to be a work of art, a shiny spectacle, in our YouTube generation? MEETING HALFWAY Hanging with the Masters instantly inherits timelessness just because it gathers samples of classic works of arts all in one place. What’s more is that these works of arts are tied in place. As if we are looking at a museum wall and the theme is A Very Short History of Art. Hanging with the Masters cleverly showcases cultural artifacts of the past (a nude, a cartoon character, a Warhol-style portrait, a mobile, an op-art painting), and at the same time it gives a commentary on those cultural artifacts. According to Jim Collins, â€Å"[†¦] the past is not just accessed but ‘hijacked’, given an entirely different cultural significance than the antecedent text had when it first appeared† (333). In postmodernism, such â€Å"highly self-conscious forms of appropriation and rearticulation have been used by postmodern painters, photographers and performance artists† (335). But because they have been hijacked, the works of art have lost their â€Å"aura† and â€Å"quality of presence†, terms which Walter Benjamin uses to describe the authority of the original work of art that is not yet reproduced or recopied (667). For Benjamin, this diminishing aura of the work of art every time it is reproduced or finds itself in a different context (Edvard Munch’s screaming man in a mousepad, for example) is okay because it â€Å"enables the original to meet the beholder halfway† (667). Also, according to Benjamin, it is perfectly natural and okay for cultural artifacts to lose their original intentions and change into something else. His example is that of an ancient statue of Venus. For the Greeks, it was an â€Å"object of veneration†, but for people in the Middle Ages, it became an â€Å"ominous idol† (669). â€Å"Both of them, however, were equally confronted with its uniqueness, that is, its aura† (Benjamin 669). What we see now in Kostabi’s painting are works of art that are classic examples of the art movements they are part of. They are works of arts that are exclusively tied to a genre, tied in place in the painting’s unseen ceiling, just like the hanged artist. If there is any aura left, it is only a memory of that aura as we try to identify each work of art. Yet, ironically enough, Hanging with the Masters’s style itself is tied to the surrealist art movement. The painting itself cannot escape the same bonds which have taken the other paintings as captives. But of course, this is okay. Everything in postmodernism is okay, and things are not judged based on whether they are good or bad, but only whether they work for us. According to Chernus: †¦a cultural artifact is now just a random collection of signs momentarily existing side by side, ready to change at any moment into another random collection. So it cannot point beyond itself to any meaning. It cannot represent any reality outside itself. It cannot even raise the question of its relationship to any reality outside itself. It refers only to itself; it is its own referent. [†¦] Since the signs are not supposed to relate to anything beyond themselves, it makes no sense to ask what they mean. So the problem of meaning simply disappears. (Chernus, par. 19). THE MEANINGLESSNESS OF IT ALL The meaninglessness of postmodernism can be depressing but that’s what is happening right now. The millions of YouTube video clips uploaded every day don’t have to make sense at all, but we enjoy watching them all the same. The more stupid and the more disgusting, the better. YouTube has given us a platform where we can be our own celebrities, our own artists, our own works or arts, where we can be viewed by millions other simultaneously. And we all wish we’d get lots of hits every day. Just like the hanged paintings in Hanging with the Masters, we try to be amazing so we can be worthy of being looked at. Underneath it all, just like the paintings, we are all just competing for each other’s attention. Maybe we can call each YouTube clip a cultural artifact in its own right. They, after all, tell a narrative. They tell us a little something about the person who uploaded it. They tell us that at one point in time, somewhere in the world, this person took the trouble of recording a clip of himself/herself, never mind the ulterior motive. Sure, for a cultural artifact, it may be fleeting, and it is not even tangible, but as each footage weaves into the next one and a medley of voices occur and we are overwhelmed by the sheer number of people out there in the world, a whole community our parents’ parents never knew existed back then, we lose the urge to explain things or make sense of them. We simply turn on our curiosity and enjoy the fact that all these are happening right here right now. As Chernus has said above, there is no reliable meaning anymore and there is no point in finding the relationships of things. It is quite possible then that Hanging with the Masters is really, at the end of the day, meaningless. That, really, it is just a collection of images randomly picked. If the audience recognizes one or two paintings embedded in Hanging with the Masters, then they’re lucky and good for them. That will add a new layer to whatever meaning they decide to put into it. If not, then the painting is still nice, and deep, and mysterious, still very marketable. Which is the fate of cultural artifacts in late capitalism: to become commodities in an everything-is-for-sale world (Chernus, par. 7). It is okay to not find or force any connections among the images trapped inside Kostabi’s painting, or even reunite them with other images outside the realm of the painting. For Chernus, the postmodern way is to â€Å"accept the images living side by side in an ever-changing kaleidoscope† (Chernus, par 26). In this postmodern world where diversity is very much welcome, Hanging with the Masters, as a present-day cultural artifact, makes a strong statement about harmony. In the end, it’s not just about works of art with clashing differences in style and opinion and meanings being able to coexist peacefully in a single canvas. Substitute â€Å"people† for â€Å"works of art† in the sentence and you get the bigger picture. How to cite Hanging (Out) with the Masters, Papers