~Questionnaire~

Age? 19

Sex? Male

What is your degree subject (both if joint)? Social Care & Social Policy

Does ‘Being Bad’ relate well to the other modules you are taking? Yes kind of

If so, how? And if not, why not?
Because it can highlight social issues that individuals have within society.

Have you found ‘Being Bad’ too demanding, too easy, or at an appropriate level?
Appropriate level

Do you think the list of topics covered on the module was appropriate?
Most however I’m not to sure about bandits and outlaws or bad cinema

Are there any topics not included in the module that you would like to see included?
Yea possibly, gun crime, drunk and disorderly, and drugs.

Do you think that the format for classes has worked well?
Yes the room and day was convenient.

What did you think of the module team?
Good

Do you think it would have been better to have had more:
Small group discussions? Yes as we can share views and ideas.
Discussion and debate among the class as a whole? Nope class is too big
Information and talk from lecturers? Not sure



The approach taken in the module is interdisciplinary (drawing on perspectives from English Literature, Film Studies, Creative Writing, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Media Studies and Politics): do you think this a useful way of approaching the topics covered in the module?
Yes because it enables us to gain different perspectives.

Do you think that interdisciplinary modules are a good idea? Yes

Do you think you have benefited from the interdisciplinary approach taken in the module? Yes

Would you like to see more modules that cover this kind of subject matter?
Yes

Are you planning to take the follow-up module PH2004 ‘It Shouldn’t Be Allowed’ at level 2? Not sure yet

Would you recommend ‘Being Bad’ to a friend? Yes

Do you think that the blogs (web logs) were a good idea? Yes

What did you think of the other assessments (e.g. would it be better to have one longer assessment rather than two shorter ones?)? No

What have you learned from the module?
I would just say the module has widened my knowledge on a variety of topics.

What parts of the module have you found most useful and why?
The web logs, as they allowed me to express my views and get an insight of other peoples.


What parts do you think were a waste of time and why?
Some of the lectures as they weren’t what I expected e.g. bandits and outlaws came across more as a history lesson.

Are there any other comments you wish to make regarding ‘Being Bad’?Nope.

Gambling

Let’s face it, we all like to gamble. But like everything else theirs different level to gambling., what ever it is we're betting or gambling on, the odds are always most likely not to go as we hoped. The National lottery for instance, I know a lot of people that believe it’s fixed, whether this is true or not who knows. But many people have been regular betters on the lottery since day one, and the clever ones that decided to stick to the same 6 numbers each time find that they can’t go without knowing they have their ticket because as far as their concerned one day they will see their winning numbers appear on screen. Wishful thinking? Who knows? I used to do the lottery when I first turned 16, I managed to win the odd £10 here and their, but couldn’t b bothered to keep up with it. if all those lottery players put their £2 a week into a jar then they could be £96 better of each year or even more, I suppose because the price is reasonable we don’t really feel like where loosing out, but if were dishing out more than our winnings then shouldn’t we stop to reconsider?

http://topcondition.com/images/mymindfield/gambling_addiction.htm

Drunk & Disorderly

Having a drink can make a night out a more enjoyable social event, but nowa day’s people tend to take it to the extreme. Many people when drunk act as if they are untouchable and feel they can get away with anything. This is the danger of drinking too much as it encourages you to do and say things that you wouldn't dream of doing if you were soba.
I think a lot of people like to drink and act rebellious for the sake of being able to wake up the next morning and blame it on the drink. The amount of times I've witnessed people acting 'Drunk and Disorderly' getting into fights or being sick all over them self is more than i can remember. Drink results in a lot of people making a complete fool of them self.
I am happy to say that I have never got drunk and been sick all over myself or got into unnecessary trouble, and i don't intend to.
Alcohol can bring on seriously damaging outcomes. People that get too drunk often get into fights or think their stable enough to get behind the wheel of a car and end up harming, or even killing someone. Its incidents like these that force society to connect bad things with drinking alcohol. My advice is feel free to enjoy your alcohol, but know you limits and make sure your actions don't effect or spoil other peoples night out.
If what i said doesn't encourage yo to be wiser about drink then maybe watching the clip below will.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM6vzMpf-GI

Porn (",)

The porn industry is one of many BIG money makers. But is porn being bad or is it just having a bit of fun and entertainment?
I think people are beginning to accept it more and more each day. Some people think it’s becoming more open. The amount of shops you can walk into and see naked women plastered all over the front cover of a magazine is uncountable. It’s something we're all starting to accept because we're all used to seeing it. I suppose this could be due to adverts on TV that contain the odd image or reference to sex. Let’s face it sex sells and many businesses have already begun to use sex as away of gaining the views attention in order to sell their product, this isn’t uncommon.
There are many different levels of porn and there are many different ways of indulging in it. The most popular way of accessing porn is via the internet, but you can however go out and buy/rent movies if you brave enough to ask for it over the counter. Many people like to deny encountering porn especially women, but it’s a good thing really because I don’t think it needs to become any more common or acceptable as it already is. I don’t particularly think there's anything wrong with porn but I do think its best kept private.

http://lawguest.blogspot.com/
I totally agree with Laura, porn is best kept private. It shouldn’t be open to the degree of being able to sit on a bus reading a porn mag, image the way people would look at you!‘Footballers Wives’ is a fine example of a TV programme based around sex, it does involve a lot of explicit scenes, which is quiet a shock considering the time it comes on. I strongly believe this is one of the reasons why it may have so many views because like I said sex sells. So I suppose Laura is right in saying that to a degree it is becoming more acceptable in society, the top shelf in your local shops is living proof of this.

Racism

I think it is completely unacceptable, know one should be discriminated against just because of the colour of their skin. I think racist people are ignorant, narrow-minded and simply lack knowledge of other cultures lifestyles.
Take the Big brother incident with Jade and Shilpa for instance. I’m shocked that big brother allowed it to go so far. Jade, Joe and Daniel displayed some really unacceptable behaviour, which showed no regard towards Shilpa's feelings. I think it was a combination between bullying, ignorance and racism. They made racial statements without even realising and were completely unaware of how offence it was until it was repeated back to them by Big Brother. I still don’t understand how an oxo cube managed to trigger off such a big argument. Some people may not think that Jades behaviour was racist, but I think she was completely out of order to refer to Shilpa as Shilpa "POPPADOM" and claimed she got it wrong on accident. When at the end of the day there is no need to mention someone’s sir name when talking to or about them. She was obviously to busy shouting her mouth off to remember where she was and who might be watching. I think people would of had a lot more respect for Jade if she had stated on her eviction interview that she didn’t have racial intentions and simple didn’t realise how unacceptable her behaviour was, and that watching it played back made her realise that maybe she is a bit ignorant. But when she came out I don’t think she even managed to constructive one sentence that she could argue in her defence.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,11049-2007030153,00.html

Telling Lies

I believe there are different levels for lying. First of all everyone doesn’t some people even do it without realising, it’s just a part of who they are. There’s your little white likes like "who ate the last slice of cake"..."not me", which you know isn’t really much of a lie unless it was a wedding or Christening cake. But I suppose it depends what your lying about whether it's classed as a white like, for example lets replace who ate the last slice of cake to who ran up the phone bill (something we all can relate to) to respond "not me" in this scenario would be classed as a more serious lie as its actually costing someone something.
Some people lie to make themselves look good, e.g. saying they got an A14 on their web blogger when they really got D7. In my opinion people that lie like this are pathetic and on top of that stupid because they always get found out so they end up looking more stupid than before.
There are others that lie through their teeth in order to get themselves out of serious trouble; these types of liars are often compulsive liars as one lie in these cases often leads to another.
However there are people that lie in order to spare someone’s feelings, I don’t think this is a particular bad form of lying but again it depends on what there lying about.
Is telling a lie a lie if you don’t get caught out? If you can lie and never get found out then I take my hat off to you, providing your no lying about something that is going to seriously effect another individual or break the law.
I do believe its wrong to lie, if you lie to others your lying to yourself, people will always find out the truth a 99.9% of the time the outcome is always worse than if you had told the truth, so think before you lie, and remember honestly is the policy.

Abortion..."Why should my mother have the right to end my life"

Some women today go through abortions almost as if its like changing their sanitary towel and see it as nothing. Many people would argue that abortion is wrong, and that it’s killing another human being whether it the life has began or only just started, its still murder.
I can’t say I agree with abortion but on the other hand in some circumstances, I can understand why it has become an option. A lot of people especially young find that they are neither financially or mentally stable enough to be responsible for another human beings life, as they can just about take care of their own and recognise that if they do go through with pregnancy, they will be unable to give the child its best chances in life. And we all want to be able to provide for our children and give them the best possible chances in life don’t we?
In some cases some women don’t really want to go through with the abortion but are pressured by either their partner, family or even friends.
Like many other scenarios throughout life, we should be more responsible for our actions that way we wont have to face these life-changing decisions.
http://www.abortion-help.co.uk/

Teenage Pregnancy

It’s something that is becoming more and more common in society today. To be a mother/father before even taking your first GCSE exam is starting to become the norm. Why is it that England & Wales have the highest rate for teenage pregnancy? Many people would argue that it’s because teenagers are not educated enough about contraception and precautions they should be taking whilst being sexually active. Really and truly i don't think a lot of young people don't realise that having sexual intercourse cab create new life, no matter how long or short the sex lasts. There hormones have set their brains to thinking of the here and now, rather consequence that could arise later. Its definitely not easy being a teenage parent because your still want to go out and enjoy yourself with friends, and your only just becoming responsible for your own actions never mind another human beings life. I understand that there are some genuine teenagers out there that did try to play it safe, but at the same time I'm aware that some actually planned it. We all know Its not the most ideal situation being a teenage parent but those that are single teenage parents can be under a lot of pressure, which could have long term effects on the child. I think the government should be doing more to push the knowledge of contraception on young people; school is probably the best way. Because face it you cant stop young people from having sex, so they should at least be provided with the knowledge to go about it wisely.

http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/teenagepregnancy/

Gun Crime

When will it ever stop? Shocking stories are hitting the news weekly about individuals that have suffered gun crime. Since 2007 in the space of 12 weeks I think 4/5 teenagers in London were killed as a result of gun crime. Many of these attacks where vicious, taking place in peoples homes, where the victim was shot in their sleep, or in busy places such as ice rings where victims where gun down in front of an audience. A lot of gun crime is gang related and to do with rivalry, and unfortunately in some cases innocent bystanders become the victims. It’s not fair because these gun handles are taking away lives and they have no right to be doing so, no parent should suffer by loose their young child to a gun.
Thankfully in Birmingham gun crime is nowhere near as common but it still does happen from time to time and it’s something that needs to STOP. Many of these gun handles are at young vulnerable ages, and so are their victims. I think young people should be educated about the seriousness of gun crime, because the loss of an individual to gun crime can have serious long lasting effects on their friends and family.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6363303.stm

Prostitution

Something that has been going on for thousands of years. Is it becoming more common? Or is it becoming more and more accepted in society today? The fact that it’s become legal in some countries such as Amsterdam could indicate the answer to that question.
Although prostitution is viewed as bad some women actually have good intentions, which are to provide for their family and they see this as the quickest way to do so. There is however many prostitutes out there that are only selling their bodies to support a drug addiction or are being forced to prostitute themselves against their will to benefit their "pimp". Many find it hard to get out of these circumstances and fear for their life if they try to do so.
So in some circumstances the prostitutes are not the bad people. They are the people in need.
In my opinion prostitution is wrong no woman should offer her body in exchange for money, they should go out and get jobs like normal people, but I suppose its a thing that will never go out of fashion, as long as there are desperate curb crawlers willing to pay for pleasure there’ll always be prostitutes.
http://www.politics.co.uk/issuebrief/domestic-policy/crime/prostitution/prostitution-$366674.htm

http://brumsfinest.blogspot.com/2007_02_01_archive.html

I think you had a good opening question to this blog entry, "are they bad people or people in need?" like myself you've acknowledge the fact that women can become prostitutes to either support their family or a drug addiction. I agree that this is way too far, and a very degrading way of making money. I also agree that curb crawlers are just as bad as the women prostituting themselves and if it weren’t for them, maybe prostitution wouldn’t still be going on.

Paedophiles

I believe this is one of the worst crimes anyone could ever commit, because it’s taking away a young child’s innocence and even 10 years down the line the individual will still remember the horrifying ordeal they had been through, because children never forget.
There is evidence out their that suggests that many paedophiles have been a victim of abuse, which has encouraged their brains to believe that is normal to be attracted to someone that is half their age or even less. It’s sad really because if this evidence is true this can continue a vicious cycle throughout the world.
I feel as if paedophiles in this country are able to get away with their offence as they only get served petty sentences, which doesn’t solve the problem and only leaves them hated on the outside world as well as physically abused by peers within the prison the end up in.
As much as I despise paedophiles I think more should be done to possible “fix” them because evidently no amount of prison sentences can stop them from feeling the way they feel and committing the same offence again, as many come out of prison and re-offend. I think they should be put in an institution that works like a prison but gives them some kind of psychological support in order to destroy the way they have been mentally conditioned. Because they are actually convinced that it is normal to be attracted to younger individuals. I think this could make a big difference because with the few years they do spend in prison they don’t exactly learn to change there ways, which is evident by the amount of paedophiles that re-offend.

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,6903,1046614,00.html

http://bloggers-better-know.blogspot.com/
I agree with Lee that paedophilia is an indecent act of crime and the thought of it is sickening. . And I can see where your coming from with the idea that the British justice system is failing with sentences as the punishment favours the villain, rather than the victim. It’s exactly true that these people have no place in society especially where children are concerned; more definitely needs to be done!

Drugs!

Something that can have serious effects on not only your life but individuals around you. Those people that supply it are clever enough not to use the drugs they are dealing; it makes sense really because they would only end up eating away at their profit. But do the buyers ever stop to think, and acknowledge the fact that if the dealer isn’t even a user and encounter drugs on an everyday basis then it really can’t be as good as they may think.
Thousands of people walk the earth today addicted to drugs, many of them become users from a young age and are that addicted that they are willing to turn to crime or prostitution just to support their growing habit. Drugs are destroying our society it brings out the worst in people. Many people believe the supplies should be locked up and all their profit should be put into supporting addicts in rehab in order to turn their life around and help them kick the habit.
http://www.drug-rehabs.com/

One Night Stands

Everybody loves them. A young persons ideal night of fun with no strings attached. Very few stop to think of the many consequences that can arise from one night of "passion", an infection, a baby, or even worse, death. OK, yea most infections are easy to cure with antibiotics but still most would consider this an embarassing topic to consult their GP with .
Could you see yourself sharing the life long responsibility of bringing up a child with the potential baby mother/father your having this fun with? And living your life knowing that your child was a result of a one night stand with a stranger?
Yes we all will die at some point but our lives are worth more than dieing over a stupid mistake, having unprotected sex with a stranger and catching something as serious as HIV. Just remember think before you act and if you REALLY cant help yourself, just make sure you play it safe...

Infidelity

Infidelity is something that splits up many family's everyday, all because temptation gets the better of some individuals and encourages them to be unfaithful to their partner. Of course there are many factors that we should take into consideration. The main one is that some individuals feel the need to cheat on their partner because there needs are not being fulfilled so they seek it else where. There are many people that would argue that this is a valid reason to be unfaithful towards a partner. On the other hand there are people out their suffering in silence for the sake of their children in order to avoid the split up of a family. There is no reason to cheat and their is no reason to suffer in silence if you want out you should be entitled to it even if you have children with the partner you are intend on leaving. However people would argue that you should avoid splitting up at any cost if children are involved. The important thing is to end the relationship in the right way, because having an affair will not result in a happy ending.

http://www.infidelity.com/

Tattoos & Body Piercing

Some people just seem totally incapable of limiting themselves to one or maybe even three. I haven’t got a tattoo, and haven’t got any intensions of getting one.... yet. But yea the right one in the right place on your body can look good still. However there are people out there walking around looking a painting from the museum. People nowa days love to go OTT with tattoos and it just looks straight up tacky, but what can I say each man to their own, if you got the money spend it, or shall I say waste it...I’ve got one piercing in the usual place my left ear; it’s the norm these days for boys in my generation to have it done. But to no surprise there’s a growing minority of individuals out there that like to take body piercing to the extreme. I didn’t realise until I went to the lecture that you can practically have anywhere on the human body pierced, some places much more unpleasant than others, (I don’t need to mention where). The question is what makes people want to inflict that type of pain on themselves. Who knows, they obviously don’t care about the piercing getting infected and ending their life.
http://tattoo.about.com/

http://amie-beingbad.blogspot.com/
Amy raises some good points,Tattoos have been going on for centuries, and I guess they will survive and continue for millions of years to come. I agree that each individual should be able to do as they please with their body, (providing it isn't breaking the law).
It is true tattoos can allows people to express who they are and is away of showing a bit of individuality. I cant say I'd go as far as having three, but who knows one day i might be swayed to have one...

"Too Religious"

At first I thought too religious there's no such thing, but then having given it some serious thought, I realised there are actually people out there that without a doubt are considered as too religious. I'll never forget the time when I saw a middle age woman in Birmingham where I'm from preaching at the 70's bus stop, which is one of the busiest bus stops in town. She was literally shouting at the top of her voice as she walked up and down in the middle of the road preaching about God. Of course I couldn't believe my eyes, and as I began to watch peoples reaction as they walked by on that busy Saturday afternoon, there was nothing left for me to do but laugh. As always I thought that was just a one off and I'd never see anything like that again but weeks later my friend told me that she had located herself at another bus stop in town and got arrested for her preaching to my surprise she put up a fight because in her eyes she was doing the right thing. To this day I still see this woman in town from time to time, its got to the point where I cant even laugh any more I just roll my eyes and continue where I'm going. So there you have it, I suppose you can be to religious especially if it’s resulting in you getting arrested!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/

-Masturbation-

YOOO that lecture was a shock to the system! People actually willing to take notes and discuss on what they do behind closed doors. EVEN THE GIRLS!!! :O When back in the day girls would go on like they wouldn’t even dream of doing masturbating. It was hard to keep a straight face especially when I glimpsed over peoples shoulders and seen stuff like, started - age 11 frequency- 7 days a week, I didn’t think that was humanly possible, especially for a girl and hygiene factors began to run through my head. That hand out containing all those scandalous places masturbation had taken place just proved that women are just as bad as men.Here’s one question though, isn’t anyone wondering what actually did happen to all those papers with the response’s on, because if I remember correctly they was meant to be handed back out at some point.

http://subconcsious.blogspot.com/2007_03_18_archive.html

I agree with Louise-ann, its true men are more open about their sexual experiences, I'm not exactly sure why, but i guess its how its always been.You've acknowledge the fact that men's names for masturbation and women's are very different, women's tend to use more soft & gentle names that describe the actual activity, where as men's a far more aggressive. Your probably just as surprised as i am to find that women are more sexually driven than men, but deep down inside I'm not really that surprised because as Ive got older Ive noticed women can be just as bad as men if not worse! lol Your quiet right in saying that sex can possibly take the back seat, when compared with masturbation as it involves compromise and doesn't guarantee satisfaction, but then i again i believe it depends on the individual.

~Being Bad~

When i had to select my electives for semester two, i came across the "Being Bad" module. From the title i assumed it would possibly be about crime, criminals, and discipline. when i went on wolf and had a look at the module guide i realised it actually wasn't about what i thought. It was more about things that people considered as being bad, such as smoking, gambling and infidelity. some of the things were going to look at i don't particularly see as bad, but i suppose they are topics that could provide a good debate.

Smoking

Smoking can seriously harm your body and have effects on those around you. When you smoke, less oxygen reaches your lungs. Nicotine, the addictive stuff, stimulates your central nervous system, making your heart beat faster and raising your blood pressure. Tar from cigarettes ends up in your lungs. Every year thousands of people die from smoking related diseases.

Over the past few years there has been a drastic increase on encouraging people to stop smoking. And now putting a stop to smoking is about to reach its extreme. From 1st of July 2007 virtually all enclosed public places and workplaces in England will become smoke free. So how will all you smokers cope? Ready to give up yet?

http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Policyandguidance/Healthandsocialcaretopics/Tobacco/Tobaccogeneralinformation/DH_4002192

http://m1forward.blogspot.com/

Dan raises some good points about smoking. I must say when I did first seen you with a cigarette in your hand I was kind of shocked, because you don’t fit into that stereotypical appearance of a smoker. Anyways, you raise a good question...why do the government supply cigarettes knowing that smoking can lead to death? It doest make much sense really.
Our televisions do contain a lot of films, programmes and even cartoons that promote smoking. This could be why pre-teens and teenagers decide to try it "to see what its like" but I think it’s a very bad look and I don’t like to see young people smoke. I’m surprised that as a "part time" smoker you agree with the ban, but your right it will benefit known smokers like myself. I think it could possibly make it easier for smokers to give up because they know they can’t do it in the club or pub their in, and their not exactly going to stop going out are they. Face it a lot of people smoke just as a routine, once their put in a situation where their routine has to be broken they might eventually get use to change and give up all together.

ShopLifting

'Breaking out is hard to do', Family Guy, 2005, Fox.

Is shoplifting any different to any other kind of theft? Some may say yes because the effects of shoplifting are allot less harsh compared to other kinds of theft such as house robbery. When an individual’s home is broken into, often they can feel like their home isn't theirs because a stranger has been through all their personal belongings. If they do not have house insurance the goods cannot be replaced, and on top of that there is always a worry of whether the criminal will come back to break in again. Shoplifting on the other hand does not affect an individual to this degree, as the company make large amounts of profit so it doesn’t make much difference to their business. Why do people who can afford to buy things shoplift them? Usually because they get some kind of adrenalin rush from the fact that they have shoplifted and not been caught.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4477596.stm