Monday, September 30, 2019

How Does McEwan Tell the Story in Chapter 9 of ‘Enduring Love’? Essay

Ian McEwan uses a variety of techniques in order to tell the story throughout the novel ‘Enduring Love’. Looking at Chapter 9 in close detail I am going to analyse the ways in which McEwan tells the story with the use of form, structure and language. The majority of the novel is told in the first person however chapter 9 has a third person narrative and is in the present tense. McEwan uses Joe’s narratives in order to explain Clarissa’s perspective. This shifting perspective gives the reader a chance to see Joe from another person’s point of view. By using Clarissa’s perspective, McEwan has created a sense of empathy towards her as Joe is ‘conversationally deaf and blind’ towards her feelings. However it could be argued that this chapter of the novel is more Joe trying to understand Clarissa’s point of view rather than actually telling the story from her perspective, showing the reader only what Joe think she feels other th an what she actually does. Creating an unreliable narrative. Also in chapter 9 the genre is portrayed as more of a romance than a thriller as McEwan uses contemporary romance rather than scientific vocabulary within the narrative, ‘Where’s my kiss? Hug me! Take care of me!’ The use of this romantic narrative takes the novel away from the typical thriller genre in order to tell the story. Although chapter 9 is shown to be of a romantic genre, it still includes conventions which McEwan uses to suggest that the novel is a psychological thriller. The use of a relationship breakdown within this chapter gives the reader this idea. As well as this, towards the end of the chapter the reader is reminded of Joe’s stalker, ‘he sees Parry waiting for him at the end of the brick path he does not even break his stride’ The fact that Jed Parry is waiting at the end of the road for Joe also brings back the idea of a psychological thriller genre. McEwan uses the pace within this chapter in order to effectively tell the story, at the beginning the pace of the narrative is slow, Clarissa is tired and the use of sentences and description suggest that she is calm. It isn’t until the argument breaks out between Joe and Clarissa that the pace begins to pick up. This increased pace within the narrative shows the anger and frustration within Clarissa and is the first sign of the relationship breakdown. Throughout the chapter McEwan shows a sense of frustrated within Clarissa, ‘She stands in the bath and snatches a towel to cover herself’, the idea of ‘snatching’ seems out of character for Clarissa and helps to portray her anger towards Joe and his growing obsession with the accident and the idea that Parry is stalking him. Furthermore, McEwan uses figurative language in order to tell the story, ‘he’s raising his voice over the thunder of the taps’, this use of language could be seen to foreshadow the thunderous argument with is later going to happen between Joe and Clarissa. The irritation within Clarissa is presented in this chapter through the use of figurative language, ‘Joe is hanging in the frame of the bathroom door like some newly discovered non-stop talking ape. Talking, but barely self aware’ Using this quote within the narrative shows how much Joe is getting on Clarissa’s nerves, supporting the idea of a relationship breakdown. The fact that Joe won’t stop talking while she’s trying to relax builds tension within the narrative as Clarissa’s frustration begins to increase suggesting that an argument is about to happen. Throughout chapter 9, Clarissa presents the idea that Joe may not be sane as she discards his claims about Jed Parry, ‘you were so intense about him as soon as you met him. It’s like you invented him’ she suggests to the reader that Joe is imagining everything to do with Jed and the idea that he is stalking him, Clarissa believes that it is just an effect after the traum a of the balloon accident, leaving Joe unstable and ill. McEwan uses this to give the reader another perspective of Joe’s claims as until now we only see the idea that Jed is following Joe. Within this chapter of the novel, the reader becomes aware that Joe is in turn becoming obsessed with Jed, ‘you ought to be asking yourself which way this fixation runs’ Clarissa suggests Joe’s obsession at the same time as discarding this claims about Jed. However at the very end of the chapter we see that Jed is waiting for Joe at the end of the road, reassuring the reader of the reality of the stalker and giving the conventions of a psychological thriller. McEwans use of Jed in this chapter is important as it gives the reader an element of trust within it’s narrator as they begin to believe Joe’s perspective over Clarissa’s.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Nursing Expertise Self-Report Scale Essay

I think that it is important to understand where you are in your nursing practice. After completing the Nursing Expertise Self-Report Scale, I realize that I still have a lot more experience to gain as a nurse. I believe that nurses must be life-long learners to stay current in the ever-changing field of healthcare. I have only been a nurse for two years. Before beginning the test, I thought that with my few years of experience, I would be a novice nurse. However, I am a competent nurse. According to Arnold and Boggs (2011) the competent nurse â€Å"views the clinical picture from a broader perspective and is more confident about his or her role in health care† (p. 127). I have been organized and able to manage my time successfully. I feel that I can consciously make decisions without direct supervision. I can assess the patient and look at all the variables before proceeding with care. I can think more long term now than I did in the beginning. I feel that in order to improve my communication skills in the healthcare setting, I have to continue to think more long-term. I need to stop being so task-oriented and start looking at the patient as a whole. Instead of doing something just because it’s ordered, I need to be diligent and make sure it is appropriate for my patient’s specific condition. I realize how important it is to be able to communicate with the physicians. We are with the patients much more than they are, and we are their eyes and ears. I feel that it is also vital to have good communication with the patients and their families. They depend on us to be honest in all that we do. When the patient trusts us, they will be more open with us. My facility does bedside shift report. I think this is important because it gives the oncoming nurse the chance to understand what the patient is going to need for the next 12 hours. It also gives the patient the opportunity to become involved in their care. As nurses, we are always communicating so it is  important to make sure that we do it correctly and efficiently. References Arnold, E., & Boggs, K. U. (2011). Interpersonal Relationships: Professional Communication Skills for Nurses (6th ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Lives of Pre-Contact Indigenous Americans Research Proposal

Lives of Pre-Contact Indigenous Americans - Research Proposal Example First of all, Native Americans were not a single nation – there were more than 160 different tribes inhabiting territories from Alaska to Mexico, and they all had different languages, cultures, and lifestyles (UsHistory.org). Some were living by fishing, others – by hunting, gathering or growing food. They used to grow wheat, yams, rice, corn, potatoes, and pumpkins among other cultures in order to make their living. Everything surrounding the Natives was made of natural products: animal skins served for clothes and drums, mud, stones and wood – as a building material, bones and other animal parts – as means to make tools (University of Michigan). So, they greatly depended on nature: weather (if they were growing food) and presence of game in the territories (if they were hunting). With the highly developed technology of making spears and bows with arrows, along with developed by centuries art of hunting, Indians were very successful at hunting and fishing. However, they didn’t kill more game or catch more fish than they could consume: they had no need to "deplete the animal resources."1 The Natives practiced a "principle of least effort"2, and, consequently, were preserving the population of animals vital for their survival. Hunting for food only, they were taking care of preserving the natural resources by either "rotational use of the territories, or by an increased use of alternate resources"3 to replace animals in the ration. Understanding their dependence on natural forces, Indians had a great respect to the nature, and animals in particular. Animals, being a source of food, and, consequently, life, were revered as spirits: meat was never wasted. Totem poles were one more important part of the culture: the Natives believed each person was naturally given a spirit of a certain animal. For those

Friday, September 27, 2019

The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Investing In Real Estate Essay

The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Investing In Real Estate - Essay Example Is there such a thing like that? I believe there is. However, tantamount to the success of an individual in the field of investment are his or her invested efforts and generated knowledge. Today, there are many investments to choose from. The choice of one good investment is subjective or in a way, selective based on someone’s evaluative criteria. It is promising to invest in real estate, but it is still cannot be realized until someone learns to exert his or her efforts and critical analysis on related things, which are needed in order to successfully perpetuate in this kind of business. It takes extra effort to finally achieve the fruit of all endeavors. However, all exerted efforts are still subject to someone’s core skills. Just like any other investments, skills are needed to be successful in real estate investment. It can be actually viewed this way. The value of land does not depreciate. The law of supply and demand can actually be applied into this. Considering that the world population is increasing year by year, people are looking for resources to survive. The demand for land will increase. Land on the other hand will become a scarce resource. The higher the demands for land resource while its quantity decreases, the higher the price will become. This is one of the reasons why investing in real estate seems a good idea that somebody can carry on. In addition, as population increases, many people will be looking for homes. For those who cannot afford to buy a piece of land, the most convenient way is to look for housing for rent or affordable apartments for lease. This definitely makes investment in real estate an area of choice since a strong demand for shelter is integral to the existence of humanity. Many people are trying to invest in real estate for as mentioned, it promises good opportunity. Like any other investment, real estate is

Thursday, September 26, 2019

The Oil Spill in The Gulf of Mexico Research Paper

The Oil Spill in The Gulf of Mexico - Research Paper Example This phenomenal and epic oil spill tragedy has remained so potentially capable of every single soul around the globe that no one is oblivious to the negative consequences it produced. This paper presents a thorough discussion particularly related to the infamous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that affected many and is still continually affecting the Gulf despite many human efforts made at a global level. Both short and long-term effects of this astoundingly horrific man-made disaster are scrutinized and results are presented in this paper backed up with recent research reports regarding the disaster. Myriad efforts made to control the mass destruction caused by the oil spill are also highlighted and discussed in the paper in special relation to the differences made by those efforts, and their contribution to the restriction of the devastation. The worst ever disaster that could be imagined by anyone turned into a reality-based incident when a semisubmersible offshore drilling rig ca lled Deepwater Horizon exploded in the Gulf of Mexico and got engulfed in indescribably horrendous flames before sinking in the deep waters in 2010. Immediate casualties reported following the incident did not appear to be do large as to wreak disastrous havoc in the surroundings and the rest of the world. About 17 turned out to be injured out of 126 people who were on board and 11 are still reported to be missing who are presumed to be dead now. (Raines). This presumption is based on the viewpoint that those missing ill-fated workers must be within immediate vicinity of the unpredictable explosion, as a result of which they remained incapable of finding an escape. The Deepwater Horizon did not immediately sink in the Gulf after the dreadful explosion, rather it remained afloat for almost two days engulfed by fiery flames and leaving behind plumes of thick black smoke that were phenomenal enough to be seen from space as well as the smoke plumes were reported to be more than many mil es long. The real disastrous reality was discovered some two days after the Deepwater Horizon had sunk in the Gulf. No person could imagine that the explosion of the oil drilling rig would lead to worst imaginable consequences concerning the casualties reported initially. It was only after the discovery was made regarding thousands of barrels of oil being dumped surreptitiously on daily basis into the ecosystems of the Gulf of Mexico that the real devastating consequences of the oil drilling rig explosion came to limelight. The story would definitely have ended with the sinking of Deepwater Horizon had it not been for the technical defect in the riser structure of the oil drilling rig that is meant for connecting the rig with the well. After the discovery was made about the daily loss of thousands of oil barrels in the water, immediate concerns regarding the Gulf’s ecosystems created a wave of pandemonium around the globe and a seemingly ended story turned into a vibrant live ly disaster in full swing. The oil leakage presented a major problematic and intricate issue because researchers reported that even with the use of the best and latest scientific technology like using sophisticated robots for detecting the bedrock of the problem, the oil leak effect could take months to be suppressed and finished forever. The catch-22 faced by the US Coast Guard

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

The Invasion of Kuwait in 1990 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Invasion of Kuwait in 1990 - Essay Example The essence and purpose of this essay is to analyze how the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq has affected the relationship between these two countries to date. To achieve this goal, the researcher of the essay analyzes several different oficial and unofficial reasons for the invasion, the results of the war, and the United States factor in the invasion discussed. In addition, several reasons were advanced by Iraq to justify the invasion which was contrary to international law, and article 2(4) of the UN Charter which forbids the use or the threat of use of force against the sovereignty, territorial integrity or political independence of another country. The official reason that was discussed in the essay and advanced by Iraq is that it was invading at the request of revolutionaries who were dissatisfied with the regime. However, the researcher mentiones that the real reasons for the attack behind it were conspicuous and were revealed later, for example by Saddam Hussein during his interrog ation by the FBI. The researcher analyzes the consequences of the war and discusses how the Invasion affected Kuwait-Iraq relationship today. In conclusion the researcher states that the Iraq invasion of Kuwait had serious repercussion on the relationship between the two countries. It not only strained its relationship with Kuwait, but also major superpowers. However, following the removal of Saddam Hussein from power, the relationship between the two countries are slowly normalizing again.... Therefore, Iraq sent officials to Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and other gulf member countries to convince them to fix the price of oil. The OPEC member states finally agreed at a price, but which the Kuwait said would not honor, and Kuwait was throughout violating their quota. Consequently, this gave rise diplomatic and economic disputes between these two countries (Gulfnews, 2009). Secondly, the other issue related to debts that Kuwait had advanced to Iraq to fund the war with Iran. At the end of the war, Iraq could not repay the debt that amounted to $14 billion. Hence, Iraq approached Iran to forgive the debt, a request which Kuwait rejected. This compromised the other avenue that Iraq could use to secure funds to help in rebuilding, that is through securing loans. This is because the amounts extended had already been registered as loans, and therefore Iraq could not secure loans from third states. Iraq argued that the word ‘loan’ had been used to disguise the real nature of such funding to Iran. Iraq was of the view that these amounts were not loans but free grants to aid in the fight against Iran under Ayatollah Khomeini which was threatening to overran the whole Arab region. The failure to forgive these debts acerbated the tension between these two countries (Gulfnews, 2009). The other reason advanced by Iraq, was the accusation that Kuwait was ‘stealing’ oil across their international border through slant-drilling especially in Rumaila oil fields. The oil field borders the two countries and during the Iraq-Iran war, while Iraq had cut materially production of oil from Rumaila oil fields, Kuwait increased its production in the same area. Iraq accused Kuwait of employing advanced drilling methods to its oil. It argued that Kuwait had

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Response 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Response 2 - Essay Example Though the paper presents both models almost similar in such a way that these models are comprised of five steps within it, the PMMM is a general business model that can be used on any project type, but RAD is a software development model that cannot be adaptable to other engineering disciplines. Do RAD model users need to follow the five phases sequentially? The paper comes to a conclusion that there is no need to follow it. The paper fails to provide more reasons or more arguments that can support this conclusion. Meanwhile, it says that PMMM cannot be considered as an agile model since it is not adaptable to changes quickly in the model structure when new project management processes take place. As a conclusion, the paper gives detailed discussion on whether both models can be used simultaneously. It is rather better conclusion as it provides reasons such as the PMMM model will work well in requiring some level of project management for the software development teams using the RAD model to create new programs. The paper offers an analytical outline of RAD and PMMM models with comparisons, scopes and application levels. The L O paper is an attempt to outline the differences between two project management methodologies; Project Management Institute’s (PMI) study plan and Rapid Application Development (RAD). Though it is not a detailed discussion of comparison between these two methodologies, it provides the features of each method and outlines the areas that are adaptable to each one. The paper would be exceptionally good and extremely easy to the readers to grasp the features, if the paper includes the differences between these methods along with the advantages and disadvantages of each method in regard to particular application level. The paper explores some features of RAD development. RAD is represented as an agile methodology that works well associated with software and industrial products. This paper gives the efficiency as

Monday, September 23, 2019

Liberal Arts current political controversies Research Paper

Liberal Arts current political controversies - Research Paper Example Simply speaking, if one takes into consideration the ethical, political and strategic issues related to the usage of drones as warfare devices, one simply comes to the conclusion that the drone usage is not only unethical and wrong, but pragmatically speaking, it is also counterproductive. One salient factor that both ethically and practically puts to question the combat usage of drones is the number of civilian deaths that could be attributed to drones (Clodfelter 252). Though the CIA and the military emphatically try to dilute the overall emotional and ethical significance of the civilian deaths caused by drones by labeling these deaths as the ‘collateral damage’, yet, the fact is that a responsible and ethics driven nation like the United States of America simply could not resort to the usage of a technology that has the potential to cause unwanted civilian causalities (Clodfelter 252). The Bureau of Investigative Journalism tends to put the civilian deaths caused by drone strikes between 446 and 978, of which 179 to 209 happened to be children (Matthews 1). There is no denying the fact that the usage of a technology that has the potential to kill innocent children and civilians simply could not be justified by extending any tactical or strategic reason. Besides, the global association of drones with the death of innocent children and civilians jeopardizes the very image and reputation of the United States of America (Brunstetter & Braun 340). The civilian deaths caused by drones make people associate US with arrogance and highhandedness and makes them go against the US (Brunstetter & Braun 341). Thereby this depletion of the nation’s image and the unwanted and unwarranted civilian deaths must immediately be stopped by putting a ban on the usage of drones for tactical strikes. Besides, the drone usage in the light of the civilian causalities is counterproductive as it embarrasses the politicians who have to deal with the ramifications of such blunders and many a times make the non-combatants take the enemy side. The other big factor that puts to question the tactical usage of drones without US is that the drones not only negatively impact the collective moral of the military personnel, but they also hamper the gaining of situational awareness by the forces deployed on the ground (Hazelton 30). Deployment at the forward posts or behind the enemy lines, while evincing a sense of camaraderie with the fellow colleagues and working on the basis of the inputs facilitated by the intelligence agencies and the informers, turns the military personnel into highly motivated and skilled combatants. Besides, the forces deployed on the ground do have the ability to differentiate between the civilians and the enemies and this immensely decreases the scope for collateral damage. The other thing is that an effective military campaign is always based on the situational awareness gained by the forces at the ground level (Hazelton 30). The warriors operating on the frontline have a thorough understanding of the ethical and tactical objectives they aspire to achieve. However, both these objectives are simply curtailed by the usage of drones. The people operating drones from the faraway locations neither tend

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Treaty of Versailles Essay Example for Free

Treaty of Versailles Essay The Members of the League recognize that the maintenance of peace requires the reduction of national armaments to the lowest point consistent with national safety and the enforcement by common action of international obligations.The Council, taking account of the geographical situation and circumstances of each State, shall formulate plans for such reduction for the consideration and action of the several Governments. Such plans shall be subject to reconsideration and revision at least every ten years. After these plans shall have been adopted by the several Governments, the limits of armaments therein fixed shall not be exceeded without the concurrence of the Council. The Members of the League agree that the manufacture by private enterprise of munitions and implements of war is open to grave objections. The Council shall advice how the evil effects attendant upon such manufacture can be prevented, due regard being had to the necessities of those Members of the League which are not able to manufacture the munitions and implements of war necessary to their safety. The Members of the League undertake to interchange full and frank information as to the scale of their armaments, their military, naval, and air programmes and the condition of such of their industries as are adaptable to war-like purposes. The Members of the League recognize that the maintenance of peace requires the reduction of national armaments to the lowest point consistent with national safety and the enforcement by common action of international obligations. The Council, taking account of the geographical â€Å"situations† and circumstances of each state, shall formulate plans for such reduction for the consideration and action of the several Governments. Such plans shall be subject to reconsideration and revision at least every â€Å"five years.† After theses plans shall have been adopted by the several Governments, the limits of armaments therein fixed shall not be exceeded without the concurrence of the Council. The Members of the League agree that the manufacture by private enterprise of munitions and implements of war is open to grave objection. The Council shall advise how the evil effects attendant upon such manufacture can be prevented, due regard being had to the necessities of those Members of the League which are not able to manufacture the munitions and implements of war necessary for their safety. The Members of the League undertake to interchange full and frank information as to the scale of their armaments, their military, naval, and air programmes and the condition of such of their industries are adaptable to war-like purposes. A permanent Commission shall be constituted to advise the Council on the execution of the provisions of Articles 1 and 8 and on military, naval, and air questions generally. A permanent Commission shall be constituted as having as members representing all nations to advice the Council on the Execution of Articles 1 and 8 and on military, naval, and air questions generally. Sources: http://net.lib.byu.edu/-rdh/wwwi/versa1.html â€Å"Treaty of Verailles† Microsoft Encarta 2006 (DVD). Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2005.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

The weaknesses of the Ontological argument give support to Atheism. Discuss this statement Essay Example for Free

The weaknesses of the Ontological argument give support to Atheism. Discuss this statement Essay Anselm’s ontological argument described in part (a), was refuted in his own lifetime, by Gaunilo, who demonstrated in a reduction ad absurdum of his own, that if the logic of the argument were applied to things other than God, it led to invalid conclusions. Gaunilo didn’t identify any specific fault with the argument, but argued that something must be wrong with it, because if there wasn’t anything wrong, then we can use its logic to prove anything, which we may have no reason to believe to be true. For instance, Gaunilo argued that it’s possible to construct an argument in the exact same form as the ontological argument, that claims to prove the existence of the perfect island: this island must exist for if it did not then it would be possible to conceive of an island greater than that island than which no greater can be conceived, which is absurd. Therefore, if the ontological argument works, then the argument for the existence of the perfect island must work too. They are both logically similar, so they stand, or fall together. However, the argument for the island is clearly spurious, as we have no reason for this ‘perfect island’ to exist. Unless a theist can point to some relevant difference between his argument for the existence of God, and Gaunilo’s argument for the existence of the perfect island, the theist will have to abandon the ontological argument for the existence of God, as well as Gaunilo’s, because if one fails, then they both do, as they are so similar. This weakness of the ontological argument adds fuel to the fire for atheists through Gaunilo putting forward his argument for the existence of the perfect island as an objection to the ontological argument. He knew that they would both fall, which shows that neither argument works which further supports atheists. Another weakness of the ontological argument which gives support to atheists is Immanuel Kant’s objection to it: Existence is not a Predicate. Fundamental to both Anselm’s and Descartes’ form of the ontological argument is that existence is a predicate, an attribute or a quality that can be possessed or lacked. These qualities for example, may or may not belong to a thing or being and their presence or absence is part of our understanding and apprehension of it. Kant observed however, that existence isn’t associated with the definition of something, since it didn’t add to our understanding of that thing. This supports atheism as existence is merely something that we can have or not have, and it is absurd to say what something is like without it existing. It also supports atheism as an atheist would say that we can’t ascribe existence a priori to a definition of a perfect being. Bertrand Russell furthered Kant’s observations, proposing that ‘existence’ was not a predicate, but a term used to solely indicate the instance of something in the ‘spatio temporal’ world. To say something exists only tells us that that thing occupies a space on the earth. For example saying ‘Cows are brown, and exist’ tells us only one thing: they are brown. The ‘and exist’ shows that they are on the earth, however it’s a tautology since to say they are brown, effectively suggests that they exist and aren’t imaginary. Thomas Aquinas had already questioned this aspect of the ontological argument, claiming that Anselm was guilty of making ‘transitional error’ – moving from the definition of God to the existence of Him. He observed that Anselm also was guilty of making an assumption about the definition of God that was not necessarily shared by all believers. This supports atheism because not all believers believed in Anselm’s definition of God, which poses the question, if people have different views on the right or wrong definition of God, what’s to say that they could ALL be wrong, and atheism is the truth in it all? Furthermore, Aquinas said that understanding the term ‘God’ means that God exists in the understanding, not in reality. God’s existence in reality must be demonstrated a posteriori, with evidence or experience. Atheism is supported in this way, as atheists could argue that anyone can believe what they like in their minds, but something has to be evident in material form in reality to be actually real. Overall, the weaknesses generally give support to atheism as they show alternatives and flaws in the ontological argument. The ways in which atheists interpret the critic’s objections leads to further belief that God does not exist. Atheists are supported primarily by the fact that the ontological argument is a priori, so does not rely on empirical evidence, therefore if there was empirical evidence for God’s existence, they might be swayed slightly in their beliefs.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Influences of Biological Factors on Individual Personality

Influences of Biological Factors on Individual Personality Examine to what extend biological factors account for an individuals’ personality? The term ‘personality’ is used in general conversation in many ways. When psychologists discuss personality they are concerned primarily with individual differences – the characteristics that distinguish one individual from another. This essay discusses personality in terms of the biological approaches that view characteristics as traits and considers the roles of genetics and environmental influences in the stability of individual characteristics. A lot of evidence points to the conclusion that individual differences, mostly measured as psychological traits are substantially influenced by genetic factors (Carver Scheier, 2000). This conclusion raises questions about research and theory in Psychology in terms of the variation of these traits in the population and the existence of psychopathology (Bouchard, 2004). Trait psychology has a clear set of assumptions including the heritability of traits and a causal model attributing individual differences in brain function into behavioural and learning differences (Gale Eysenck, 1992). The behaviour and molecular genetic evidence confirm that biology has its role in personality traits (Carey, 2002). Since the 1950’s Eysenck claimed that most of the differences we observe between people’s personalities can be accounted for by just three factors, expressed as bi-polar dimensions: (1) introversion-extraversion; (2) neuroticism-stability and (3) psychoticism. Eysenck (1994) also gave his typology a biological basis, linking it not with body fluids but with the central nervous system (introversion-extraversion) and the autonomous nervous system (neuroticism-stability). He proposed that individual differences in introversion-extraversion are explained by inherited differences in the excitatory potential of central nervous systems (CNS). Individuals whose excitatory potential is low are predisposed towards extraversion since the bias in their CNS is towards cells being inactive (inhibition) rather than active (excitation). This means extraverts require more going on around them for their brains to function adequately, and to maintain a reasonable level of alertness, than introverts do. Extraverts are ‘stimuli-hungry’ and not only have a CNS which switches off more readily, they take longer to dissipate the inhibition that has built up in their CNS while attending to a stimulus. Conversely, introverts, through their high excitatory potential, are already reasonably alert and thus less prone to switching their attention to other sources of stimuli; in other words, introverts are less easily distracted than extroverts. Introverts would also be less likely to have what is termed as ‘micro sleeps’ (switching off for a few seconds), because they dissipate any inhibition much more rapidly than extraverts do. Even before Eysenck’s theory was available, large individual differences had been observed in the ease with which individuals, in some occupational settings, doing jobs like radar and sonar operations, could cope with the low levels of signals on their screens or reported signals when none were present, while the performance of others seemed relatively unaffected by the low level of simulation (Eysenck Eysenck, 1985). Eysenck’s theory seemed to offer an explanation of this and other similar differences of behaviour. Extraverts because of the low level of activation in their nervous systems, find it difficult to cope with environments which provide low levels of unvarying stimulation. Introverts, on the other hand, with central nervous systems already reasonably activated find these environments ideal. Conversely they would be swamped by high levels of stimulation, which would cause a considerable reduction in their performance. Much of the impact of these physiological differences on psychological differences between individuals was presumed to arise from its effect on an individual’s conditionability (Eysenck, 1994). Introverts, since they build up inhibition slowly, are easier to condition than extraverts. This implies that introverts are constitutionally more likely to assimilate, through conditioning, the rules, obligations and attitudes of their social environment. Conversely, the impact of socialisation on extraverts is attenuated by their weaker conditionability. Extraverts are therefore less likely to acquire conforming and conscientious behaviour patterns than introverts. Though Eysenck, for the most part, has focused on exploring the biological substructure of the introversion-extraversion dimension, he has suggested that an individual’s position on the second dimension, neuroticism-stability, reflects the stability of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The ANS is the part of the nervous system, not directly under the conscious control, that carries a number of reflex activities; it is also involved in certain emotional responses. Some people inherit a labile ANS, which responds vigorously to stress and also takes some time to return to baseline. In addition, they experience more spontaneous activity, that is, shifts in activation which are not clearly attributable to external events. Conversely, some individuals are born with stable ANS characterised by weaker responses to stress, a more rapid return to baseline and spontaneous activity. This means individuals with a labile ANS are constitutionally more prone to worry, anxiety, embarrassment and stress than those with a stabile ANS. Thus, individuals towards the neuroticism end of the dimension have greater ‘free floating’ anxiety which, through conditioning, can become attached to events or people. This may mean that social interaction can, for some individuals, become ‘loaded’ with a considerable amount of anxiety. However, an important implication of Eysenck’s theory is that neuroticism is normally distributed along a continuum. In other words, there is not a discontinuity between normal people and conditions such as agoraphobia (i.e. fear of open spaces), which are simply the result of somewhat higher levels of anxiety response. If the agoraphobics can learn a more neutral response he or she will be able to resume a normal life. However, despite clear connections between an individual’s biological status and neuroticism, there are clearly very significant environmental considerations. Tong et al., (2000) found that levels of neuroticism (N) were causally related to environmental factors and, in particular, to the failure of affect ional bonds provided by a social network of friends and acquaintances. Similarly, Bouchard (2004) found that women with children at home under 15 years old and men and women who are unemployed are more likely to have neurotic problems. Thus, 25.4% of unemployed women and 13.6% of unemployed men had neurotic illness as compared with 8.9% of employed women and 5.5% of full or part-time employed men. The employed status of the subject’s spouse also plays a part in the prevalence of neurotic symptoms. Men with a wife at home are less at risk than those who have a wife at work. In women, those with an unemployed husband at home are more at risk than their peers with a husb and at work. Thus neuroticism, though having a large genetic component, seems to be also partly environmental, although the direction of cause-and-effect in such studies should not be presumed. Children in maturation process value immensely consistent parental, familial and peer encouragement and emotional support (Bouchard, 2004). Inadequate or culturally atypical child rearing practices, parental illness, marital disharmony and family disturbance are all associated with personality disorder. Nevertheless, the role of learning cannot be over-estimated. Many personality disorders, for example, can be described in terms of inappropriate thresholds to incoming stimuli (Krueger Markon, 2006). Low thresholds to frustration or tolerance lead to impulsive behaviour or loss of temper. A high threshold in relation to emotional sensitivity leads to over defensiveness and emotional coldness. Thus, a child with little innate tendency to loss of temper but, in a family where tempers are regularly lost and are socially effective and valued, will model this behaviour and lower her threshold. Impulsive behaviour may be more likely in children where impulsive behaviour flourishes in the f amily and subculture. In terms of genes and cognitive abilities, several researchers have estimated the separate effects of genes and environment in the expression of intelligence by comparing monozygotic and dizygotic twins raised in the same environment with those raised in different environments (Bouchard et al., 1990). These can be viewed as experiments of nature (monozygotic and dizygotic twins) and experiments of nurture (raised in birth or adoptive families). Genes and environment are both correlated in birth families because the same parents provide both genes and environment. In adoptive families, the birth parents provide the genes and the adoptive families provide the environment. These studies have demonstrated that the correlation of the IQs of siblings raised in different environments is low, just over 0.20 (Bouchard McGue, 1981). Monozygotic twins of course share 100 percent of their genes, whereas dizygotic twins and other siblings share 50 percent. Clearly genes have stronger effect on I Q. However, the outcomes of twins studies do not refer to individual members of the populations under investigation. In other words, conclusions about the relationship between genes and IQ do not apply to individuals regarding the research evidence available. Nevertheless, the decreasing role of the environment in IQ seems to be counter-intuitive because research by Petrill et al., (1998) has shown that the longer twins experience different environments the more dissimilar should become. In other words, the effect of the environment on IQ is important in childhood but becomes increasingly unimportant in adulthood (Petrill et al., 1998). Nowadays, trait psychology has been challenged in terms of whether or not should we maintain individual differences in the functioning of broad neural systems as the principal explanations of personality? Cognitive and social-cognitive models may provide viable alternatives considering the impact of moderating factors. Further, both Eysenck and Gray assume that each trait relates to a single, key underlying system, but there might not be any simple one-to-one mappings between brain functions and traits (Zuckerman, 1991). These challenges presented by cognitive theorists and multiple-systems models of traits may be met in various ways. For example, improvements in the methodology for assessing brain functions may reveal that Eysenck and Gray are correct. Another approach maintains the centrality of neurophysiological explanations and seeks to develop more complex physiological models (e.g. Zuckerman, 1991). Furthermore, an alternative is to consider cognitive variables as mediating co nstructs so that they facilitate neural processes. In conclusion, some personality characteristics (such as general mood and energy level) are influenced by inherited biological factors. Eysenck (1985; 1994) thought that personality was determined more by genes than by environmental factors. Various personality attributes seem to be identifiable within weeks of birth and remain relatively stable in each child during the first three years. Although this clearly attests to the large genetic influence on early personality development, these biological factors cannot be viewed in a vacuum. Experiences that are common to the culture and the subculture group (such as gender roles) and experiences that are unique to the individual interact with inborn predispositions to shape personality. Personality develops in a constant interactive process between biological potential, environmental circumstances and social opportunity. References Bouchard, T. J. Jr. (2004). Genetic Influence on Human Psychological Traits: A Survey. Current Directions in Psychological Science, Vol 13 (4), August, 148-151. Bouchard, T.J. Jr. McGrue M. (1990). Genetic and rearing environmental influences on adult personality: an analysis of adopted twins reared apart. Journal of Personality, (58), 263-292. Carver, C.S. Scheier, M.F. (2000). Perspectives on personality. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Carey, G. (2002). Human Genetics for the Social Sciences. London: Sage Eysenck, H. J. (1994). Personality: Biological foundations. In P. A. Vernon (Ed.) The Neurophysiology of Individual Differences. London: Academic Press. Eysenck, H. J. Eysenck, M. W. (1985). Personality and individual differences. New York: Plenum. Gale A Eysenck M W (Eds.)(1992). Handbook of individual differences. London: Sage. Krueger, R. B. Markon K. E. (2006). Understanding psychopathology: melding behavior genetics, personality, and quantitative psychology to develop an empirically based model. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 15 (3), 113-117. Matthews G. Gilliland K. (1999). The personality theories of H. Eysenck and J. A. Gray: a comparative review. Personality and Individual Differences, 26, 583-626. Petrill, S. A., Plomin, R., Berg, S. (1998). The genetic and relationship environmental relationship between general and specific cognitive abilities in twins age 80 and older. Psychological Science, 9, 183-189. Tong, H. J., Donald, W. P. Wade H. (2000) Genetic Influences on Neural and Behavioral Functions. CRC Press. Zuckerman, M. (1991) Psychobiology of Personality. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

The Symbol of Ignorance :: Gun Control Freedom Essays

The Symbol of Ignorance Political emblems and logos can symbolize various things to various people. People see the same image but they do not look at it the same. To some, the representation may be positive, while to others it denotes a negative connotation. The National Rifle Association's emblem conveys ignorant ideologies. The National Rifle Association (NRA) founded in 1871 developed an icon that entails a n eagle grasping rifles in its feet while standing atop a shield painted like the American flag. To some, this icon displays pride and the rights granted to us by the United States Constitution. Some individuals are staunch believers that say gun control should have no restrictions and that anyone over the legal age should have the option of owning a firearm without questions asked. The NRA is comprised of these people who are under the assumption that they can justify their actions by shielding (like that the eagle is perched upon) behind the 2nd Amendment of the US Constitution which states that "a well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." Despite this legal shield, gun control laws need to be enacted. "The right to bear arms" should be loosely interpretated. It was created in 1791 to prote ct the American colonists in times of crisis with either the Native Americans or the British soldiers. Instead, the members of the NRA take this right to the extreme and argue that any form of arsenal is appropriate to own. A few problems arise with this belief. No one can argue validly that owning a machine gun or an AK-47 is necessary. If a husband and his wife feel safer with a gun in the home in the case of burglary or other unsuspected catastrophes, by all means they should be able to have a hidden gun in their residence. If someone is an avid hunter, by all means they should be able to own a rifle. The key word in the last to sentences is "a." A small, hand-held gun would be appropriate for the family who lives in fear and feels safer and more protected. It is pure ignorance to argue that owning deadly guns is a "right" in the United States.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Ethnocentrism Essay example -- essays research papers

Webster’s dictionary defines ethnocentrism as â€Å"The tendency to evaluate other groups according to the values and standards of one's own ethnic group, especially with the conviction that one's own ethnic group is superior to the other groups.† When first reading this definition, one would naturally agree that ethnocentrism does exist in our world and society, often confusing it with patriotism. However, many do not realize that ethnocentrism is, has been, and continues to be a leading cause for violence in America. Different ethnic groups such as African Americans and Native Americans have suffered through years of violent crimes against them because of the white man’s ethnocentric views of themselves when compared with other races and cultures.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ethnocentrism began to develop in America long before we were officially a nation. When Europeans first came to America and had their initial encounters with the Native Americans, the Europeans were so surprised about how different the Natives were. Their differences in language, dress, and skin color made them doubt that the Native Americans were even human. Stemming from this notion, the Europeans eventually began to consider the Natives as the â€Å"other† and felt that they were more civilized than the â€Å"others.† Amerigo Vespucci wrote that the Native Americans were â€Å"worse than heathen; because we did not see that they offered any sacrifice, nor did they have a house of prayer.† Consequently, these feelings...

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Police: Racial Profiling in America

POLICE: RACIAL PROFILING IN AMERICA Naomi D. Hopkins Stevens-Henager College APP 101 9 February 2013 Abstract This paper will discuss the relationship between Fear and how it relates to Racial Profiling in Police Practices. We will also discuss and illustrate real life examples under which Racial Profiling has occurred and how it is scientifically defined. The communication between peace officers and ordinary everyday citizens will also be examined. Police: Racial Profiling in America The issue of Racial Profiling in America by our Police Force is an undeniable truth and tragedy.Steve Holbert and Lisa Rose in their book the color of Guilt & Innocence recount a story of a Caucasian woman who is forced to walk alone with her young daughter down dark unfamiliar San Francisco streets at night in the dark. We’ll call this woman Lisa. She had just exited a train car with her young daughter and was walking down the dark streets unsure of her surroundings when she noticed that a stran ger man, whose features she couldn’t make out, was following her and her daughter.Lisa had heard and seen reports about a young man in his mid-20s that was dark complected and had been robbing tourists. She felt her body tighten as she began breathing rapidly and she had quickened her pace pulling her daughter along without realizing it, until her daughter started pulling her in the opposite direction because she had dropped her candy cane that she had gotten from the cable car employee earlier that evening. After her experience in the city, she began to question whether the irrational fear of monsters conjured up in the mind of a four year old was so different from the â€Å"monsters in the closet† we perceive as adults, the only difference being that the â€Å"monsters† we see as adults have a face and the face is of those who are different or those whose skin color is darker than our own. (Holbert, S; Rose, L 2004). This begs the question, â€Å"Did she fear this man because it was nighttime and she couldn’t see him and was unsure of her surroundings?Or was it because the man following her reminded her of that minority man who had been on the news who was robbing tourists? This brings to mind another quote I found while writing this paper: â€Å"Rather, racial profiling is more about our human response to an instinctual and primitive fear buried deep in each one of us. † (Holbert, S; Rose, L 2004) On the subject of Fear and Racism, I’m led to another quote in the book used primarily for my research on this very subject as it relates to American Law Enforcement practices. When we ponder the concept of fear in the comfort of a classroom, almost all would agree that to fear a person because of skin color, religious affiliation, or appearance is irrational. In the phobic sense, this fear is xenophobia, the fear and/or hatred of foreigners or anything that is foreign. † (Holbert, S; Rose, L 2004). I would even go so far as to say that contempt prior to investigation is in itself, a form or fear and intolerance. How can we judge a situation, let alone a person, accurately without all the facts?Do we assume we are Gods or Goddesses that are worthy to judge our fellow men or women? If so, what makes us so different, or dare I say, â€Å"Superior† to another? I am reminded of my own feelings, when as a small child; I made the decision to say that â€Å"all white people are racist. † This statement in and of itself is in fact, a form or racial profiling. That is, I was judging a certain race of people, in this case, whites and assuming that I had gathered enough information to do so.This brings me to another quote out of my research, â€Å"To understand the complexities of prejudice, racism, and racial profiling, we must first explore the origin of fear and understand how it can dictate the way in which our body responds to outside stimuli long before we become consciously aware of the racial implications. † (Holbert, S; Rose, L 2004). In fact, the word â€Å"fear† comes from the old English word for â€Å"danger. † When we, as human beings, experience fear our brains respond to perceived danger by using three distinct systems.The first is called Primal or Primitive fear system, and is found in most animals and mammals. This system responds first by alerting the body to any danger. This reaction is automatic and triggers our â€Å"fight or flight† response. The second is triggered by the â€Å"fight or flight† response and is the mind’s Rational or logical fear system. â€Å"This system takes over in an effort to assess the potential danger and weighs options for survival or escape. † (Holbert, S; Rose, L 2004). This system effectively plans possibilities we need to consider to escape an immediate or future threat.The third system is called a person’s Consciousness or Awareness, and acts as a mediator bet ween Primal Fear and Rational Thought. This system will strike a balance between the mind’s emotion and reason and will become the ultimate decision maker in the entire process. Now, let’s examine some history on racial profiling that is actually quite interesting. This thought brings me to another quote I pulled out of this book I used to research this topic/ â€Å"Start with a good idea. Test it thoroughly, and use it with care.Put it in the hands of those who don’t have the experience and training to apply it properly. Add a little discrimination and pressure, and turn up the heat for 20 years. What do you get? Racial Profiling. (Holbert, S; Rose, L 2004). â€Å"In a nutshell, this is the story of Howard Teten, a former FBI Chief of research in the late 1950s who many criminologists credit with popularizing the concept of â€Å"criminal profiling. † A man who lived the best of both worlds, Mr. Teten studied psychology at the University of California at Berkeley while working crime scenes in San Leandro, California.Back in the 1950s, cops typically looked for clues at a crime scene to try to tie the crime to a particular suspect. Teten took this concept one step further by looking at the manner in which the criminal committed the crime in order to develop a psychological profile. This profile ultimately helped officers identify a criminal’s personality traits and mental state and led to a classification of potential suspects who could have committed the crime. † (Holbert S; Rose, L 2004). This very method, which is called â€Å"criminal profiling†, has been widely distorted, especially when it comes to the United States â€Å"War on Drugs. For example, it is assumed that if a person, particularly a person belonging to a minority group (that is not white or Caucasian), is seen wearing gold jewelry that is large in size, a â€Å"corn roll† hair style, baggy clothes, and perhaps gold teeth, Law Enforceme nt Officials automatically assume that this individual is a â€Å"drug courier,† or an individual that smuggles drugs or money into or out of the country. It can be said that a person’s appearance, jewelry, and travel habits can be used as a basis for identifying and prosecuting those involved in the â€Å"drug trade. The end result of these discriminatory attitudes is that these â€Å"profiles† do not demonstrate â€Å"good science† or offer sensible approaches to productive Law Enforcement procedures. Now, let’s examine the other side of the coin, as it were as it relates to basic race relations. When we all think of a police officer, we all have this stereotypical view that they are tough, intimidating, and very arrogant. In actuality, police officers have learned their very behavior and personality traits from the general public. Most people, when contacted by a police officer, become irritated, hostile, overbearing, and even belligerent.So, i n turn, officers have learned how to desensitize or become â€Å"numb† to their emotions and feelings. It wouldn’t be a far cry to say that they have learned to behave as â€Å"not human† just so that they can get through their day without having to worry about what they said, was it rude, right or wrong, what the repercussions might be, and so on. So it is accurate to say that the general public ourselves, have contributed to the attitudes and behaviors of our own Police Force in America. What we don’t hear about or realize often times is that when an officer goes on duty, he or she faces any number of different variables.For example, having a gun pulled on them, being attacked, being shot, taken hostage, being kidnapped, and any number of other things that would threaten or endanger their lives either mortally or fatally. I will illustrate an example of what ought to be advertised when hiring police officers: WANTED: LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS: Must be a social worker, mediator, a fighter, a priest. Must be savvy to the criminal element yet have an unblemished criminal background. Candidates should be compassionate yet distant. Intimidating yet gentle. Aggressive yet always in control. Daily risk of death.Low Pay. Must be willing to work all hours of the day and night in hazardous and extreme conditions. The Faint of Heart need not apply. (Holbert, S; Rose, L 2004) WANTED: LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS: Must be a social worker, mediator, a fighter, a priest. Must be savvy to the criminal element yet have an unblemished criminal background. Candidates should be compassionate yet distant. Intimidating yet gentle. Aggressive yet always in control. Daily risk of death. Low Pay. Must be willing to work all hours of the day and night in hazardous and extreme conditions. The Faint of Heart need not apply. Holbert, S; Rose, L 2004) Realizing these facts, we all ought to be a little gentler with the officer next time we are pulled over for speedi ng or contacted about a conflict resolution issue. Police Officers deserve respect, but they also do not have the right to demand respect, and it is the same with the rest of us. That being said, when we think of â€Å"use of force† by police officers, we all know the familiar image conjured up; the Rodney King beating on March 3 1991. In case you’re wondering, the case went to trial and all of the officers involved were NOT convicted. The result was the L.A. Riots of 1992. When we think of this case, we wonder, what could have gone so wrong in our justice system? The answer is not as clear as one might speculate. The â€Å"code of silence† is as much to blame as ignorant and wrong attitudes are to blame. â€Å"The Code of Silence† also known as â€Å"The Blue Wall of Silence† is based on the premise that an officer does not reveal negative information about a fellow police officer. (Holbert, S; Rose, L 2004). I can recall an experience I had in Ca lifornia with an officer who responded to a call about me when I was homeless and sleeping in my vehicle.The officer responded alone, without backup, and contacted myself and two friends of mine. He falsely accused us of smoking weed, arrested my friend for a warrant she had, shined his flashlight deliberately in my face, and pulled his Taser on me when I reacted unfavorably to his â€Å"bullying behavior. † I then had to demand that he call his Watch Commander, or Supervisor out to the field to discuss what happened and what I wanted done about his misconduct. I told the Watch Commander that I wanted an apology, both written and verbal, but to my dismay, he responded and told me, â€Å"I’m sorry ma’am I cannot do that.If I promise to talk to him about this incident, will you refrain from reporting it? † I was appalled to say the least. I later had to go through the channels to report this incident at the Police Department in person, but this is a prime r eal-life example of â€Å"The Code of Silence† in action. How many times has this happened to other citizens, but for whatever reason, they are too afraid or intimidated to report such misconduct. If we as a society wish our Police Force to be more accountable, we must take the action to make sure that happens. Otherwise, we are just birds preaching to a choir with deaf ears.The sad fact is that many Police Departments still retain the right to â€Å"police† themselves on such issues of misconduct and â€Å"use of force† incidents. This is the main reason that the officers involved in the Rodney King beating of 1991 were cleared of guilt. First of all, to even file a complaint against a police officer, citizens must endure a lengthy and time consuming process that involves appearing in person at the police department, then weeding through the trouble and intimidation of even telling a department employee or filling out a report about the alleged incident, and so metimes are refused and intimidated out of that process.Second and most important, even after all that trouble has been endured by the complainant, little or nothing is ever done about the problem other than to refer it to the Internal Affairs Division of the police department and they in themselves have their own policies and procedures which may or may not include final review by the Chief of Police and even then, the issue may not be resolved to the satisfaction of the complainant. In conclusion, I have learned it is sometimes better to ignore arrogant and racist comments by officers unless I have the time to devote to a complaint and investigation process.I’ll end with this quote from Martin Luther King, Jr. â€Å"We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people. † (King Jr. , Martin Luther 1963) References Holbert, S; Rose, L (2004) the color of GUILT & INNOCEN CE RACIAL PROFILING AND POLICE PRACTICES IN AMERICA King Jr. , Martin Luther (1963) â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† April 16, 1963 Retrieved from www. history1900sabout. com/od/martinlutherkingjr/a/mlkquotes. htm

Monday, September 16, 2019

Concept Essay on Love Essay

Love is a complex emotion of attachment and obsession. Love cannot be classified so easily, though; it cannot be stuffed into a social concept and left there. Love has many different meanings to many different people; it can be tossed aside like a dirty rag, unimportant and forgotten, or cherished and cared for like a priceless gemstone. To me, love is a connection between the hearts and minds of two people. It is a feeling of trust and wholeness; a feeling that in the other person’s eyes, you can do no wrong. To explain the process of â€Å"falling in love,† I will use a hypothetical couple and analyze their relationship as it progresses. It begins with a spark. Two people meet and they make a connection which at this stage will be considered friendship. This connection may mature and expand through common interests such as admiring the same music or desiring the same expensive car. As time passes and these two people get to know each other, they begin to embrace each other for who they are inside, accepting each other’s flaws and overcoming obstacles together. The trust that these actions foster will be the couple’s Big Bang. The two friends, dazzled by the magnificence emanating from each other’s heart, will decide to take their relationship further; they will become best friends. When the future couple has reached the best friend stage one of the two may seek to engender his or her affection. This person will begin to make the burning, blinding love they are experiencing known; how the recipient reacts will determine the fate of this relationship. If there is true chemistry between these two, they will throw off the title of best friends and don the silk robe of romantic partners. At this point in the relationship, love, which has been smoldering inside each person like white-hot coal, becomes a true inferno; a firestorm for which there is no comparison. The couple is filled with blazing passion for each other and blind to all else. Our couple is in what is generally acknowledged as the â€Å"honeymoon† stage; they consider each other perfect in every way and believe that they will be happy forever. This is arguably the sweetest and purest part of the dating process; there are no fights, no lies, just love. This fiery maelstrom of ecstasy and excitement does not last long, unfortunately, and this happy couple will soon enter the â€Å"comfortable† stage. The â€Å"comfortable† stage is the tipping point, the point where the nebula of the relationship can be doomed for disaster or destined for a bright future. If the couple chooses to use this time to work on their relationship then the love they both enjoyed in the honeymoon stage may continue to burn, radiant in its beauty and purity. But, if the relationship is left by the wayside and problems are ignored or not resolved, the once-incandescent orb of devotion and fervor will begin to flicker, like a candle that has reached the end of its wick, foreshadowing the catastrophe of a break up. A dying relationship is akin to a dying star. What once hung bright and brilliant in the sky and lit up the night through a thousand pinpricks of light now sags, burnt-out and spent in the daytime and leaves this couple in the cold and dark at night. These two lovers now realize that they were never meant to be together, and that it was foolish of them to allow themselves to be blinded by love. After more arguments, lies, and perhaps a bit of cheating, the already-spent star will sputter and go dark. The relationship that the couple thought would last forever has finally ended. Love requires constant upkeep. All the movies and books that exemplify â€Å"easy† relationships where everything simply falls into place and the two lovers never have to deal with any strife are lies. Love is not easy. Love is not simple. Love is hard. Love is complicated, but love is also rewarding. If handled correctly and expertly, love can last an extremely long time. This can be seen in the elder couples that can claim to have been together for sixty plus years. These couples were able to overcome their differences and have been rewarded in each other. Their love still burns with the intensity and passion of those who have just found this wonderful anomaly of affection. These veteran couples have found one of the absolute truths in life: that we are incomplete. Our hearts, our stars, are built to require another. When and if that missing half is found, one may consider life to be at its best and resplendent in its wholeness; the missing piece of our soul has been found.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Key learning point: Perception Essay

Perception refers to how a person connects to their environment. In order to respond appropriately, people interpret messages and events in their environment as they perceive them. However complexity of the environment may sometimes bring about perceptual errors as the individual tries to take short cuts to process all the information. Reason for Selection: Errors in perception may sabotage a great business prospect especially if the misconception is personal. Perceptual areas include stereotyping where an individual assigns to a person certain attributes just because he belongs to a particular class or group of people. A phenomenon called halo effect may also result from errors in perception. It involves generalizing a variety of individuals characteristics based on only knowledge of one attribute. An individual may also single out information that supports a particular belief while ignoring any contrasting information. This is referred to as selective perception. Other times one may find the need to protect their own self concept and assign to others characteristics or feelings they possess themselves. Application to a business or personal situation: While working in Kenya for a pharmaceutical company whose manufacturing plant is in India, I had to pick the Senior International Brands manager at the airport. Being his first time in Kenya his perception was Kenyans being Africans don’t have enough resources to own motor vehicles for personal transit and openly said so to a taxi driver, the driver stopped the car threw out our luggage and sped of angrily mumbling to himself and since it was raining and we were already a few kilometers off the airport we had to stay at the road for hours to get another cab. Action or steps taken to improve: Asking my clients in a friendly way how they do particular things appreciate and point out how wonderful it is to have diversity in our business world. Try to come up with ways you can make use of particular attributes that you possess in a positive way or try and change yourself. Whenever you are in doubt about any particular fact about your client to kindly ask for explanation from the client. References Squidoo (2010). A goldmine of journal Writing Prompts. Retrieved on 25th July, 2010, from http://www. squidoo. com/journalwritingprompts

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Philosophy- Locke Hume and Kafka

1. Explain how Locke and Hume view personal identity, or the â€Å"Self†. How do you see Kafka’s â€Å"Metamorphosis† as exemplifying these philosophical themes? You may choose Locke or Hume or both, or argue why you see neither of their theories as showing up in Kafka’s work. Locke’s theory of personal identity does not rely on substance to explain personal identity. Locke’s theory is person one at time two is the same person as person two at time one if and only if person one and person two are both persons and person one can remember at time two (his doing) what person two did or felt or what have you at time one.Hume’s theory of the self-held that the self is nothing but a bundle of experiences or perceptions linked by the relations of causation and resemblance; or, more accurately, that the empirically warranted idea of the self is just the idea of such a bundle. In â€Å"Metamorphosis† Kafka takes on Locke’s view of the self. Kafka illustrates that Gregor Samsa is the same person as he was when he was human even though he has changed into a bug.Kafka does this by showing that Gregor still has the same thoughts, memories, and tries to continue the same routine even though he has become a bug. Gregor stills tries to wake up and catch the train for work, he still knows how his sister, parents, and boss will act, and he still has the same feelings and emotions towards his life and the people who are in it. All of these explain go along with Locke’s view of the self verses Hume’s theory.

Friday, September 13, 2019

A Detailed Review Of The Education System In Japan And Shinto Religions Teaching

A Detailed Review Of The Education System In Japan And Shinto Religion's Teaching Nowadays, some modern scholars considered that Shinto was not a really religion at all or that it did not exist as a separate religion until the creation of State Shinto in the Meiji period. However, in my opinion, Shinto already became a religion before Meiji period. In the Oxford dictionary, the term â€Å"religion† is defined as â€Å"the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or Gods† (Oxford Dictionary.com). Shinto in early Japan complied with this definition of religion to some extent. Why some scholars thought that Shinto was not a real religion in the early period is that Shinto was not completely the same as western religion. But there are some scholars who talked about this kind of debate that it is because the Japanese conception of religion is not the same as the occidental conception of religion. Woodard pointed at that the occidentals regard Christianity as what a religion should be. This conception could not und erstand Japanese religions because the nature of Japanese religion is different from Christianity. He thought that Shinto itself was different and so is Buddhism; if religion is to be defined solely in terms of the traditional occidental concepts, then neither Buddhism nor Shinto can be called religions (86). People cannot say that Shinto was not really a religion in early Japan, it just a religion which has some different characteristics from other popular religions. The reason why Shinto is different with other popular religions is that it’s based on Japan’s unique culture, polity and it’s centered on the imperial institution. Lots of scholars such as Hirai Naofusa considered that Shinto is the indigenous religion of Japan, and has continued in an unsevered line from prehistorical times to the present (Breeen and Teeuwen 4). Another scholar, Joseph Kitagawa, has a similar consideration with Hirai. He gives subdivisions of Shinto which are â€Å"shrine Shinto†, â€Å"folk Shinto† and â€Å"sect Shinto†. Kitagawa thought that Shinto as the indigenous religion of Japan has â€Å"no founder, no official sacred scriptures, and no fixed system of ethics or doctrine, Shinto may be regarded as Japanese types of religious beliefs, sentiments, and approaches, which have been shaped and conditioned by the historical experience of the Japanese people from the prehistoric period to the present† (139). Another scholar Teeuwen defined Shinto as consisting of â€Å"polytheism, animism, shamanism, divination, syncretism and ancestor worship† (373). Shrine Shinto can be seen as the origin of the Shinto religion. During the Jomon and Yayoi periods, except hunting and fishing for common life, people also acquired the spiritual life because the earthquakes, typhoons, and other natural calamities were common occurrences. Japanese people want some protections from spiritual world. Meanwhile, various cultural and religious customs were brought from Asian continent to Japanese island during this period. Japanese people built shrines and worshiped kami to show respect and thankful for world. A shrine is the place for worshipping kami (meaning of gods in Japanese). Japanese people go to the shrine and do rituals so that they can show their worship to kami. The worship of kami by the Japanese occurred much earlier than the formal establish of Shinto. In other words, the worship of kami by Japanese people at the shrine has started from very early period, but the formal name of Shinto, which written in Chinese characters are ç ¥Å¾Ã© â€œwe re appeared until sixth century A.D (Kitagawa 139). For example, the most important shrine in Shinto is the Grand Shrine of Ise. Ise Shrine was established sometimes around 300 C.E., when the sun god Amaterasu was moved to this place (Yusa 25). According Hirai’s view of Shrine Shinto, he considered that Shrine Shinto had existed from the beginning of Japanese history (4). Kami is a significant term in Shinto, kami is the first character â€Å"ç ¥Å¾Ã¢â‚¬ . Shinto defined that there are 8,000,000 kami in this religion. Kami can refer to sprits of nature—mountains, rivers, trees, rocks, and oceans—all conceived to be alive and sacred. Andreeva considered that kami were worshipped as supernatural forces controlling natural elements, or as hereditary deities and ancestors of powerful clans. Kami in Shinto are largely invisible but physically resided in Japan (679). Japanese people believed that different kami have different meanings and can give them different dei ties. The Japanese practice religious rituals in the kami’s shrines. Some of the shrines were official and some of them were non-official, and some of the shrines were in the outer space and some of them were in the inner space. In Shinto, kami can be both good and evil powers. This is different to other popular religions, gods in Shinto are not necessarily good. Starting from the Nara period, another religion took important position in Japan, which is Buddhism. In this period, Shinto and Buddhism interacted. The understanding of Shinto was influenced by the introduction of Buddhism. During Nara period, Shinto kami deities were considered to protect the Buddhist doctrines (Yusa 60). In later period, Buddhist created the idea Honji Suijiaku to associate with kami in Shinto from Buddhist deities. And some views, faith and ritual from Buddhism begun to be a part of Shinto. In other word, by the influence of Buddhism’s organization and way of rituals, the Buddhism help Shinto to build an organized structure. Similar with other popular religion such as Hinduism in India, Confucianism and Daoism in China. Shinto also used by Japanese government ruler to ruled people before Meiji period. The Emperor Tenmu (673-686) ordered the compilation of the early Japanese which resulted in the Kojiki. In Kojiki, the imperial family considered that they are the descendants of Amaterasu. The Emperor started to offered imperial protection to some major shrines. Emperor and Empress were described as living kami so that they can ruled local people very well and made them to obey or worship imperial family. Because of Shinto’s important role in the folk area of Japan or Kitagawa’s term â€Å"folk Shinto†, imperial family’s attitude to Shinto not only helped them successfully ruled local people, but also consolidated imperial family’s position in Japanese history. This can be a reason why imperial family can exist such long period from early Japan till now. Influenced by the imperial family, Shinto’s religious situation in Japan changed a lot. Shinto priesthood appeared and developed fast (Kitagawa 151). Men were chosen for religious of becoming kami-possessed, and some female shamanic diviners to speak on behalf of the kami. As far as the imperial court was concerned, lot of Shintoist and Shinto priestly families appeared to the stage of Japanese history. These priests, for instance, Watarai Yukitada, a Shinto priest of the Outer Shrine of Ise. He described various facts of Shinto tradition and Shinto symbolism (Yusa 63). The term â€Å"sect Shinto† which Kitagawa mentioned became an important thing in the history of Shinto by a famous Shinto priest Yoshida Kanetomo who further developed Watarai’s line of work. He is the head priest of the Yoshida Shrine in Kyoto. Yoshida asserted Shinto was the root and trunk of all truth, and Shinto should be pure and primal which was devoid of the influenced of other religions s uch as Confucianism, Buddhism and Daoism (Yusa 64). Move to the Edo period, the several lines of Shinto support were united and reinforced by a powerful movement called Restoration Shinto (Earhart 144). During the Edo period, Japan was isolated from foreign influence for about 2 centuries. This isolation both had positive and negative effects. Because of the exclusion of foreign influence, the national pride and national strength of Japan grew in this period. Shinto became a significant term in Japanese national pride. Japanese people began to consider Shinto was superior to all religions, and Shinto scholars have been great religious importance and have influenced the course of the nation and its cultural identity (Earhart 144). The Restoration Shinto later become the spiritual base of Meiji Restoration. In a conclusion, Shinto has already existed as a religion before the Meiji period. Differenced with other popular religions, Shinto didn’t have a clear and formal start or organized faith. But this kind of situation was caused by Japan’s environment and Japan’s unique culture. Shinto do have the contribution and influence similar as other popular religions do. Firstly, Shinto has the exact worship places which named shrines and gave the spiritual encouragement to local people; secondly, it not only influenced local people’s life but also the ruling class; thirdly, Shinto also has professional priests and sect. Even though Shinto was organized and become a pure faith in later period which is different from other religions that are built an official myth at the beginning, we still cannot say that Shinto was not really a religion before the Meiji period.

The Problem of Corruption Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 8500 words

The Problem of Corruption - Dissertation Example The dissertation "The Problem of Corruption" talks about the understanding the relationship between democracy and corruption which becomes imperative as corruption goes global. The problem of corruption is considered as â€Å"one of the greatest obstacle for socio-economic development†. The issue is no longer just a national concern, but it is now also considered as a global problem. However, it has been observed that the problem of corruption is more prevalent and its consequences more debilitating in developing countries. In fact, according to Hyslop, corruption in a poor country is not only an issue regarding economics, but it concretely becomes a question of justice since corruption in the health sector means no antibiotics and other medicines in rural clinics. Corruption in infrastructures means no feeder roads created. The experience of corruption in developing countries rebounds to experience and perpetuation of poverty among its people. In this regard, corruption becom es one of the most pressing issues that have to be addressed by all stakeholders. In the face of the global concern regarding corruption, one factor that has captured the attention of scholars and politicians is the role of democracy. For globalization to push through, market and economic democracy have to be embraced by countries. In this context, democracy is understood as the removal of trade barriers allowing the opening of the economy to foreign trade and investment. This current economic situation has opened the global reach of corruption.... Background of the Study The problem of corruption is considered as â€Å"one of the greatest obstacle for socio-economic development† (World Bank, 2001). The issue is no longer just a national concern, but it is now also considered as a global problem (Hartnell et al., 1999). However, it has been observed that the problem of corruption is more prevalent and its consequences more debilitating in developing countries (World Bank, 2001). In fact, according to Hyslop (2005), corruption in a poor country is not only an issue regarding economics, but it concretely becomes a question of justice since corruption in the health sector means no antibiotics and other medicines in rural clinics. Corruption in infrastructures means no feeder roads created. The experience of corruption in developing countries redounds to experience and perpetuation of poverty among its people (Hyslop, 2005). In this regard, corruption becomes one of the most pressing issues that have to be addressed by all s takeholders. In the face of the global concern regarding corruption, one factor that has captured the attention of scholars and politicians is the role of democracy. For globalization to push through, market and economic democracy has to be embraced by countries (Soros, 2002; Killion, 2003; Fischer, 2003). In this context, democracy is understood as the removal of trade barriers allowing the opening of the economy to foreign trade and investment. This current economic situation has opened the global reach of corruption vis-a-vis the necessity of democracy in globalization. Take for example, the condition of China. China’s integration in the global market requires the adoption of the open door economic policies. This action entails market democracies, which means less

Thursday, September 12, 2019

The Representation of Women in Films in the 1930s Essay

The Representation of Women in Films in the 1930s - Essay Example 27). According to this choice of portrayal, the principles of womanhood conflicted with material and economic pressures, which touched upon class and gender identity problems as well. In the 1930s, Hollywood produced different styles of films depending on the eras and genres that synchronised with social trends. Numerous elements of cinematic style existed within the development of a film context. Since the 1930s, the role of women in films has differed conspicuously depending on social trends. This research paper examines the portrayal of women in films during the 1930s. The Portrayal of Women in Films in the 1930s Women’s position in films was subjected to gender discrimination as reflected during this era. Women stayed behind the scenes as undervalued and frail characters and were rarely featured as main characters (Adams, 2002, p. 210). They played the role of supporting a male lead character. In the film, Gold Digger of 1933, by Busby Berkeley, sound effects and women fea tured numerously in many scenes of the film. In this film, women were portrayed in an elegant and classic way. These times exemplified utter respect for women subject to the classy and dignified way of dressing and commentary. This film also portrayed women as equal to men especially in the many scenes they featured in and various lead roles they took in the film just like men. Starting from this film, it could be seen that women were given preference and were glorified unlike in the current films (Feuer, 1982, p. 80). Fashion in the 1930s was elegant and classy. During this period, the world faced many wrangles and financial depressions as depicted in Purple Rose of Cairo by Woody Allen. The only escape route from the depression was by going to the films. The stunning fashion of the 1930s corresponded with the glamour of Hollywood. People were eager to show that their fashion was copied from the films (Adams, 2002, p. 210). The United States (US) encountered the Great Depression an d its effects between 1929 and 1941 and was going through a difficult phase of international politics; the advent of World War II (WWII) was gaining momentum. Movie producers took it upon themselves to minimise the effects of the depressions by producing movies that were captivating and enthralling (Watkins, 2005, p. 10). The movies in the 1930s took a different turn with the introduction of the comedy category. These comedies focused on women with movies like Lady Eve, Nothing Sacred, and His Girl Friday. These films had the characteristic of women characters having more screen time and sharing equal rights with the male actors (Watkins, 2005, p. 10). The movie, The Women by George Cukor released in 1939 exemplified the ever-growing importance of female actresses. The film featured female protagonists and it comprised of three women who shared a bond with each other. The film included women gossiping about aspects of their lives as they spoke about men and matters concerning them. This film demonstrated a feminist viewpoint regarding womanhood (Lovas, 2007, p. 15). It comes as no surprise that during this era people experimented with new ideas for pleasing the audience. Movie directors did a cast of women with a sensual appearance and look. This culminated into the acceptance of the different roles that women can play in a movie thus initiating a new dimension of

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Alberty Valez v. Corp de Puerto Rico Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Alberty Valez v. Corp de Puerto Rico - Assignment Example The big question out of the case is: do the television stations qualify as employee or independent contractor? Discrimination of employees on the basis of gender and pregnancy are covered under Title VII. However, it does not cover independent contractors, which means that independent contractors cannot successfully sue under Title VII. The case brings into light what it means to be an employee as defined under Title VII. The court applied common law agency test in order to ascertain whether Alberty was an employee of the firm or if she worked as an independent contractor. Under common law, most factors linked the plaintiff to an independent contractor even though she maintained that the defendants control her work place, determined working hours and directed the films, thus thought of herself as an employee. The court held that she was an independent contractor because she provided the resources required for the performance of the contract. Her tax treatment, method of remuneration, and lack of employment benefits, indicated that the plaintiff was an independent contractor rather than an em ployee. This case clarifies the distinction between an employee of an organization and an independent contractor, thus remains crucial in the labor

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Elements of desighn (Run Forrest ) Research Paper - 1

Elements of desighn (Run Forrest ) - Research Paper Example They took part in all phases of the process of filmmaking. Therefore, the producers played a vital role in coordination, supervision and administration of key aspects of the film. Therefore, the producers complement the role of the director in the production of the film. The art director of the film was Eric Roth. He controlled the finest components of the mise-en-scà ¨ne and thus determined how the various entities expressed themselves within the plot of the film. This involves costume design, makeup, props, color, lighting and anything used within the film. He was in charge of aesthetics in the film (Wang, 2000). The lighter and darker areas within the background help create the composition of every shot made by Forrest as he dashes off. The light guides the audience’s attention towards the action at that time.In this film, the bright light sets up a scale of importance in regards to characters hence influencing how the audienceperceive and understand Forrest as a character(Wang, 2000). According to (Wang, 2000), it is notable that, despite the urgency of the situation, Forrest is naive and seeks solace in running in the event of impulsive action. Therefore, the lighting invokes the mood of urgency. The lighting in the scene affects the entire storyline since it creates a sense of fear and that the main character; Forrest, is always on the run. It creates suspense in the viewer.One is left to contemplate what will happen to Forrest incase the circumstance he is running away from catches up with him. Since there is a golden lighting, it seems to be direct from the sun hence natural. This creates a quixotic mood, which is very significant to the overall storyline of the film (Mast, 2007). According to (Wang, 2000), the film was presented in 1994 although it is based on a novel written in 1986. The film is located in America and it is filmed in various American states.

Monday, September 9, 2019

What kind of education did Cyrus receive in persia and media, and how Essay

What kind of education did Cyrus receive in persia and media, and how did these two education bring out what Cyrus is like by nature - Essay Example ?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Xenophon gives an account of Cyrus’s education in his childhood and boyhood first at the court of his father who is the King of Persians and secondly at the court of his father, the king of the Medes. With respect to the Persian constitution, the state educates the children and they learn the art of justice, moderation, and hunting as a way of preparing them for their future engagement in war. The number of citizens is restricted to 120,000 men who are referred to as â€Å"those equal in honor† and comprise those whose parents could give formal education. Any of the citizens (isotimoi) is allowed to hold office but the stress of the Persian constitution is strict law and regulation. If anyone does not fulfill any of the required steps in preparation to becoming a full citizen, then they are disqualified from the citizens’ body. Similarly, decisions concerning justice and rule of law are rigorously upheld. During one of his school days, Cyrus is whipped by his teachers because in a trial case brought before him, he decides in line with common sense instead of the written law. When he is twelve years of age, Cyrus leaves Persia for Medes where he lives at the court of his grandfather, the Medes’ king. Contrary to Persia, life at the court of Medes is excessive. At one time, Cyrus reproves his grandfather for drunkenness and lack of reasonableness. When Cyrus has to decide between remaining at the Medish court or going back to Persia, his mother compares the Medish and the Persian courts in strong terms. The mother describes the two courts as not being in agreement about what justice entails. She describes the Medish kingdom as tyrannical whereas the Persian kingdom is founded on equality which they believe constitutes justice. She describes the king of Persia as very observant on the law rather than his will. She warns Cyrus to be careful lest he is beaten alive when he returns home (Persia) on the ground of the tyrannical rather than kingship

Sunday, September 8, 2019

Business Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 2

Business Project Management - Essay Example The multibillion-dollar contract for sealing the border is called Secure Border Initiative Net (SBInet). In a nutshell this project will be centered on the Nogales, Texas to monitor and control about 6000 miles stretch of the border with Canada and Mexico. Boeing Company will be awarded this contract. It has a history in military contracts and weapon systems. Boeings Integrated Defense Systems Unit will be the main dealing unit. The reason for choosing Boeing is their experience in listening devices, motion sensors, cameras, monitoring tower and overall security system. The major constraint is the sheer stretch of the border. It is a common idea that the interdependent time related activities must be performed and completed within the given time limits (Gutjahr, Strauss & Wagner, 2000). It is not a small project in terms of cost, time and manpower required to properly seal and monitor the border. The biggest constraint is to get the approval of the Senate and the public to fund a multibillion dollar project. Narrative building is mandatory. The government needs to convince and win the sympathies of the people and the politicians to get the taxpayers’ money to fund such a project. The alternative analysis reveals that the situation on the border can be improved through indirect means. The Mexican border is notorious for providing sneaky passage for illegal immigrants. If the economic and security situation in Mexico improves, people would not be risking their lives to cross into the United States. But from the perspective of the U.S. this is almost impossible to achieve. The United States does not dictate the Mexican Government. The U.S. can only suggest improvements. The only option is to secure the border. Either the U.S. can build up fences and seal it shut or it can deploy so much manpower that they stop any illegal immigrant or drug smuggler that tries to sneak into the US soil. They

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Whether China's banking system should integration with the world Essay

Whether China's banking system should integration with the world - Essay Example The capital markets of china are also not accessed much by international investors for gaining profits. The lack integration of the Chinese economy with the world needs to be understood from the view point of the commercial and domestic interests of the nation individually. The priority of the Chinese economy in the past years has not been to be a part of the global economy, instead the focus has remained upon achieving growth and stability, while radically restructuring the overall economy and its sectors. The nation has directed its economic efforts towards developing adequate job opportunities and to be able to absorb layoffs. China’s labour market is quite large in size. The target of the economy has always been to provide adequate level of employment opportunities and maintain the stability of the economy. China has been successful in meeting these challenges adequately. The nation has been able to achieve economic growth of 10% annually. Market forces have been made free and to be able to promote efficiency. Privatization also had facilitated in the rapid restructuring of the economy. Integrating the Chinese economy with the world economy has therefore not been a high priority as China was able to maintain its stability. However, the maturity of the Chinese economy has however made it essential for it to participate in the global economy and sustain its growth. Moreover the Chinese economy possess as an important economic opportunity (Turner, Tan and Sadeghian, 2012). China plays a vital role in the global financial regulatory framework. The nation is a member of the G-20 Financial Services Board and the Basel committee. The Chinese banks and financial institutions have decided to implement the Basel III standards in respect of international bank capital standards from the year 2013 onwards (Lieberthal and Lieberthal, 2003). The implementation has already begun depicting efficient management of financial resources. The

Friday, September 6, 2019

Medicine Men of Oglala Sioux Indians of Nebraska Essay Example for Free

Medicine Men of Oglala Sioux Indians of Nebraska Essay The  Oglala medicine men belong to the Sioux Indian Community in Manderson, Potato Creek, Kyle, Oglala, No. 4, Red Shirt Table, Wanblee. This Indian Tribe in Nebraska is watched over by a branch of the Office of Indian Affairs located within its territory. Civilizations have used different ways of curing their sick. The bible states that Jesus cured the sick by using miracles. The Chinese cure their sick using reflexology, acupuncture as well as the taking of the root of the plant ginseng. The American doctors use manufactured drugs like Tylenol or Aspirins to cure the pains of their patients. Admittedly, the different ways of curing the sick has been handed down from generation to generation. In fact, in some countries, the faith healers believe that they have the inner power to heal the sick if their patients will have faith in the doctors. Currently, many born again fellowships are centered on a pastor who cures the cancers (Aldredge-Clanton 11), diabetes, high blood and lets the invalid throw away his crutches because he can now walk. This type of healing is called miracle healing where the pastor impresses on the minds of their church members that Jesus and around and will remove their affliction. The following paragraphs explains the uniqueness of the Oglala Sioux Indians of Nebraska as they go about their daily festive activity of maintaining the community’s health by curing the ailments and the sufferings of their Indian neighbors. BODY His role in the community The role of the medical doctors or so called healers is to cure the sick and alleviate the pain of the dying Indian person. The healer brings hope the suffering and pain of their Indian neighbors. And the healers include in their medical armory the Sun Dance. The Sun Dance is the ritual part of the Indian doctors’ healing procedure. This dance is performed during the midsummer and indeed that most intricately complex part of the Indian healers curative process. Thus, their role in the community is to heal the patients using many processes. One such process is the ritual method. For, ritual and reciprocal communication between the patient and the medicine men and women is designed to start a biological and social rhythm motion through by influencing the neurophysiologial structures of the patients’ ailed body parts. Likewise, the Indian medicine man’s way of curing their patient is blanketed with myth which includes the use of the environment in the healing process (Lewis 169). To reiterate, the medicine men’s role is to keep as many of their Indian neighbors as healthy as possible. Evidently, a healthy people would spur the community’s economy to a more frantic pace. However, a population with many sick neighbors would eat away the community’s money because the government has lesser people to spice up the community’s economy. The medicine men and women here also help the community by influencing the policy makers in their community to craft laws, ordinances and statutes that focus on maintaining the health of the Oglala Indian community of Nebraska, USA (Lewis, 41). Thus, the role that these Oglala Indian medicine men play is very important. His status The status of the Oglala American Indian of Nebraska, USA’s medicine men and women here is such that they are being trusted and asked for advices in terms of health. In fact, many politicians in their community approve of the teachings and activities of the medicine. This is their way of enticing the medicine men and women to recommend to their patients, friends and every day contacts to vote for the politician and to support him or her plans and programs for the Oglala Indian community. Unquestionably, their major role is to keep the people healthy. (Lewis 71). For, these medicine men of Oglala, Nebraska exude an air of authority for what they tell their patients to do will often be done in most cases because the patients want to live longer. His knowledge The Oglala medicine men and medicine women are mostly comprised of senior citizens who started their medicine practice late or after the prime of their life. For, they had to gather enough experiences in life as well as theoretical knowledge that will give them necessary medical knowledge as they take up administrative positions in their Indian tribe. Many of the older women and men of the Oglala Sioux Indian settlement absorbed all they could to gain expertise in the field of medical practice that included the use of herbs as medicines. Specifically, many of the medical practitioners of this small United States tribe specialized in the study of the symptoms, causes and the herbal cures for various diseases. Also, some of the medicine men and women generally studied how to cure the physical and mind -related sickness (Lewis, 10). The Oglala medicine men are generally well versed in terms of which herbal plants will be very effective in alleviating many of the health risks of their constituents. Beliefs, and similar type of information that relates to the Medicine men. The people of the Oglala Indian settlement believe that some ritual songs can hasten the healing process. One such popular song is the Oglala’s Indian song. This magical song is believed to sprinkle the patients with the powder of cure. The Indian medicine men believe that this song is embodied with syncretistic and revivalist. For, this song brings out the embodiment of syncreustic and revivalistic elements of the Sioux faith and Pan –Indian movements. The Indian medicine men and women believe that the current ailments afflicting their constituents were caused by their intermingling with the White Americans. For, they believed that the normal Indian was healthy before these whites visited them and imprisoned them in Indian settlements. Thus, the present Indian sickness have been brought about by their change in lifestyles. For, The Indians freely roamed the prairie and other lands as they followed where the roaming animals would go during the pre –white days. This lifestyle had been cut because the whites placed them inside their Indian settlements for fear they Indians would endanger the lives of the Whites. The Indian healers believed that the Whites had forced them to live in log cabins. This is what caused their health to deteriorate to the level of the white’s health conditions. Also, the Indian lifestyles of free roaming of the desserts to search for their main dish of buffalo meat to their new log cabins resulted to a crowded home and school (Carter 103). Thus, their physical power to repel viruses and bacteria that is the root cause of many of the unhealthiness continues to this day. For, the Indians believed that living in their teepees ( Indian tent houses) brought them good health (Fletcher 81). Reference ceremonies or events the medicine men conducts or participates in. The medicine men and the medicine women of the Oglala Sioux Indian settlement studied how some of the herbs cropping up around their community could alleviate or even eradicate some or all their community members’ ailments. This also includes other mundane treatments of many of the diseases plaguing the Indian Territory. Also, the Oglala medicine men conducted their normal Sun Dance in their community to usher in health into their community. In addition, the medicine men and women of the Oglala United States Indian reservation included in some of their jobs to cure their fellow Indian tribesmen and tribeswomen several repertoire of what they identified as Sacred Indian songs. In fact, some of the tribe men and tribe women native doctors use a unique Indian method described as calling the healing process to start immediately. Normally, the healing process is a two way succeed. Meaning, the tribesmen and tribeswomen and their Indian patients must literally put their trust and fate in the medicine men and women to pluck them out of their pain or injustice. This trust is influenced by the strength and intensity of the medicine men, medicine women and their patients to have an unwavering conviction that their local community doctors here would cure them of their pain and suffering. Further, this only shows that the entire healing process of their local healers falls beyond man’s control and ambition. In short, the Indian healing process is classified by something clearly outside the normal realm of human control and ambitiousness. The medical training here is uniquely their own. Meaning, their medical procedures clearly run one hundred eighty degrees around the normal medical procedures that non –Indian medical practitioners use to cure or just alleviate their sick patients. Thus the long and energy sapping training that the Indians studying medicine in their local community willingly undergo in order to reach the prestigious status in their locality as a medicine man. In fact, only a few of the fresh graduates of formal schools are willing to continue their education in the new field of local Indian medicine. In contrast, many of the people studying medicine in this local United States Indian tribe in Lakotas (Faller 64) have also been introduced of the United States’ white men’s medical school among the Navajo Indians. However, this Navajo idea is not part of the wishes of the Oglala Indians because they do not aim to set up their own medicine schools. Here, the local Indians can sell their medical materials like the medicinal herbs as well as the ceremony programs. Usually, these Indian health programs allow the selling or giving of medicine materials and ceremonial disease -curing processes to be sold or given to another person needing them. The medical training of Indians aspiring to be medical practitioners includes starting out as assistant singer or drummer in a real live medical hearing process for several years. The Indian medical student must blend into the environment with their participation of much needed Sun Dance and other medicine rights so that the medicine trainees so they could increase their powers as well as reputation with their patients handled. For, the medicine men and women believe that they have reached that pinnacle in life where they could qualify as a representative of the spirit world. For the medicine men and women in this tribe normally also use the power of conjuring spirits to help them in their day to day medical practices (Lewis 39). A healing process includes consulting the parents and relatives of the sick patient in order to get a historical background the patient from the patients’ health issues as well as the sickness that the patients parents, grandparents and the like normally have. Also, the medicine men and women ask additional information from their patients’ advisers as well as intermediaries. Also, the Indian healers show the same techniques and processes as they go about curing sick patients with the same illnesses. A formal healing session always starts with the patient visiting the Indian healer several times in a casual way in order to entice the Indian healers to accept this person as a new patient. Accepting this patient is a new contract. The medicine men and women normally command the patients to first fast, to seek visions, to abstain on some things, to pray for divine healing from God, and to prepare food for inns. Accepting the new patient is then followed by the Indian healers’ full concentration of healing powers and time to a full implementation of the proper medical healing procedures to be imposed. In turn, the patient can now sit back, relax and wait for their medicine man or medicine woman to help him or her cure his or her medical condition. The medicine men and women recognize some of the medical practices of white doctors. One such belief shared by both types of doctors is that time is an ally in many medical cases. For, these Indian healers believe that time helps in their patients’ recovery process. Also, time heals some fears or phobias like what the white psychologists and psychiatrists adhere to. Naturally, the arrival of the medicine man or woman ushers in the patient a sign of relief because finally something and something will step into the painful world to extricate them from their miseries (Lewis 40). Normally, the Indian medicine man or woman’s healing repertoire includes a drama –like presentation. Meaning, the curing process includes a stage, actors as well as music. For, the patient is now transported into a world where the patient is not placed in darkness, immobility and a world of healing songs which sometimes includes dances. Consequently, the patient is healed because of the trance they enter into where the medical songs bring healing into their afflicted body part or parts (Lewis 42). This picturesque orchestra –like description of the medicine man’s or medicine woman’s work shows that he or she plays a pivotal part in the Oglala Nebraska, USA Indian community. On the other side of the United States, the Navajo Indians also use their kind of traditional healing. The medicine men here use the medical technique of gazing. The medicine men just gazes in their patients to feel the aura of the patient. For, the Navajo Indian medicine men will feel the vibrations that tell him what caused the patient to fall victim to a virus, bacteria, to succumb to high blood, diabetes, cancer, epilepsy and the like. The Navajo Indian doctor then moves some of the patients’ parts like the hands and feet to confirm his first impression of what the patients’ ailment is (Davies 83). The medicine doctors of Oglala Sioux Indians of Nebraska, USA’s main role is to maintain the health of their small Indian community. The medicine men use primitive ways of curing the sick. One such way is to use the Sun Dance. The Sun dance brings health to the community because this festive dance is believed to absorb the vital elements of the environment and funnel it to the people in the community. Also, the medicine man uses the communication process as part of his healing procedures. Here, he gathers much needed information from the patient, his family and his relatives in order to come up with the cause or causes of his unhealthiness.