Society and Culture in Provincial America

The article titled, Crime and social control in provincial Massachusetts, by David Flaherty is basically a review of criminal activity in modern America. The analysis is majorly focused in the state of Massachusetts which in real sense represents a big part of what is generally referred to as provincial America.Advertising We will write a custom article sample on Society and Culture in Provincial America specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The article tries to bring out the importance of social control in addressing the issue of criminality in the United States. Among the major issues highlighted include the maintenance of homogeneity in the population, the establishment of a proper system for the prosecution of criminals as well as the involvement of certain interest groups (such as church leaders) in commending appropriate behavior and rebuking undesired character. This article is very relevant to the course as it clearly provides an illustration of how different components of society influence each other’s development over certain periods of time. Aside from this, American history focuses on various aspects of societal development including the development of criminal law and its application in conjunction with other strategies to reduce vices in society. The author’s main line of argument is that society makes criminals. This is drawn from his proposition that in order to address the issue of rampant crime, it is important for persons to first look at the roles they play in ensuring that the society around them is safe (Tolles 1957, 102). This includes encouraging the individual to personally exercise ideal morality before trying to establish ways of making the community function as a strong cohesive whole. According to the author, crime keeps on developing new facets as the years pass by. Provincial and national crimes are basically on an upward trend this is the main reason why the relevant crime-prevention authorities need to draw on the resources and skills of different members of their teams in order to arrest the situation. The author explains that crime cannot only be tackled using policing methods only. He asserts that there are some types of criminal activities, such as those linked to drug abuse, which are prevented by tackling the underlying challenge. These, the author says are dealt with by modifying the environment in which they happen or sometimes by altering the social conditions that are purported to have basic linkages as far as the activities are concerned. Flaherty also asserts that in order to reduce crime, a conscious effort has to be made in order to provide support to those individuals who fall victim to the acts of criminals. This, according to him provides the required support to police investigations as well as to ensure that victims are not targeted again.Advertising Looking for article on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Ge t your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Using facts from the Massachusetts provincial criminal records over a given period of time, the author establishes that the art of crime prevention is an analytical process that starts by establishing the causes of criminal acts, the damage they cause to the victims and the amount of resources and skills that will be used to properly mitigate the situation. In this regard, Flaherty suggests that the prevention of criminal activities is most likely going to be effective if the strategies are based in the regions closest the occurrence, i.e. the interventions are more effective if carried out at a provincial level than at a national level. The approach taken is even more effective if a number of problem solving strategies are directed towards the solution of one criminal activity (Frank 2008, 238). Provincial governments, therefore, have a very critical duty as far as the control and prevention of crime is concerned (McDougall 2005, 46). The article has served to enlighten me in a number of ways, both as a scholar and as an individual. First is the fact that I have been able to establish the correlation between individual conduct and its effect in the security and character of society. In this regard, the article has shown me that change in society starts with the individual and that it is only until every member of a given community decides to lead a positive life that change happens. Secondly, I have been able to understand how the provincial culture determines the outlook of the entire society and that the input of various key social groupings can impact on a regions history. Pertaining to this, I have been able to link the basic social unit i.e. the family to the development of individual character which in turn has an impact on proper societal functioning. In his article, David Flaherty has raised a number of important questions. Top on the list is whether or not the destruction of the family structure is responsible for the surging crime rates. His discussion appears to support the ideology that stability of the family set up is important in the raising of a responsible citizenry. Another question raised by the author and which has also been resolved is the connections are between various social vices such as alcoholism and crime. The author suggests that it is imperative for agencies handling crime to address the underlying issues while seeking solutions for criminal activities.Advertising We will write a custom article sample on Society and Culture in Provincial America specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Reference List Flaherty, David.1981. â€Å"Crime and Social Control in Provincial Massachusetts†. The  Historical Journal, 24, pp 339-360 Frank, Andrew. 2008. American Revolution: people and perspectives. California: ABC-CLIO McDougall, Walter. 2005. Freedom Just Around the Corner: A New American  History: 1585-1828. N ew York: HarperCollins Tolles, Frederick. 1957. James Logan and the culture of provincial America. New York: Little Brown This article on Society and Culture in Provincial America was written and submitted by user Jul1ana to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Nineteenth Century Responses to Industrialization essays

Nineteenth Century Responses to Industrialization essays The industrial age brought about a series of political, economical and social changes that were generally reflected by the art works created at that time. We can think of many such works: Dickens and his novels of course or some of the paintings of mid-19th century. These works of art reflected not only a period of change for the society, but also the use of new means of production that endured faster made and usually better quality This is also the case of graphic design- in many ways, it followed the evolution of any other industry. The Gutenberg press was in use for several centuries when the steam engine was invented in the 18th century. "The development of the steam engine impacted on the mechanization of the printing presses"[1]. As in any other industry, the apparition and development of the steam engine and the "mechanization" of the design process made it possible to create more in much less time[2]. Even thus, as in many other areas, the negative consequences of graphics designs was quite high: an increase in speed was usually not reflected in the quality of the final product and the usual case was that the graphic designs were not of the same quality as before. The workers' experience and quality had also decreased and, in the end, it all impacted the quality of art. The graphic designs art began to pick up a serious commercial air in the second half of the 19th century, when the works began to be more than works of art and more related to the economic issues of the times. The label designs began to be registered as trademarks and were more and more used as commercial products rather than works of art. It was also during this period that the label with signature, attesting the product's quality that we see today in many commercials made its appearance. However, as I have shown in the lines above, this quest for speed and ...

Black July and the Fallout Thereafter

Black July and the Fallout Thereafter On July 23, 1983, Tamil separatists, known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), stepped up militant attacks in northern Sri Lanka and killed 13 Sinhalese soldiers who reported for duty only a day earlier in Thirunelvely, Jaffna. The LTTE was fighting for a separate Tamil state in the northern and eastern parts of the country. This day became known as the beginning of Black July, an organized, ethnically-charged massacre of the Tamil people. After the incident in Jaffna, Sri Lankan soldiers killed 51 civilians in Jaffna. The violence in the country lasted for several days and approximately 3,000 Tamils were killed. The death of the 13 soldiers was propaganda used to justify violence against Tamils. Shops that Tamils owned were looted. People were stripped naked. Women were raped. Tamils were even burnt alive. In Colombo and provincial towns, soldiers stood by and even supplied gasoline to help set the cities ablaze. Thousands of Tamils fled to Jaffna, believing that staying in a Sinhalese area was not safe for them. To root out Tamils in the area, many Sinhalese would show suspected Tamils objects and demand to know the Sinhala word for it. There was government complicity and gangs operated at the behest of hardline ministers. On July 27, 1983, the then President JR Jayewardene made his first speech on the events, offering no sympathy to the minority and instead emphasizing Sinhala grievances. More killings followed. By the time the violence dwindled on July 31, 1983, tens of thousands of Tamils had fled to the northern and eastern provinces or abroad. Black July was a recruiting agent for Tamil militants. The incident started a civil war that lasted 26 years between the Sri Lankan military and the LTTE. The Sri Lankan military forces finally defeated the LTTE in May 2009. Approximately 700,000 Tamils were sent into exile during these 26 years and at least 100,000 people were killed. Sri Lanka’s ethnic conflict remains unresolved. Abductions, arbitrary arrests and sexual violence perpetrated by the military have not decreased. Military involvement in the North and East is still strong. Most military camps have become permanent and Sinhala colonization is on the rise. The idea of a separate Tamil homeland—an illegal as a political platform—became more powerful because so many Tamils fled to the areas of the island where they were the majority. Since 1983, many Tamils have not felt comfortable living in southern Sri Lanka, apart from the capital. Four years after the war victory, the government says there are no minorities and everyone is equal, yet Sinhalese nationalist sentiment and speeches are on the upsurge. There remains nervousness, not only among Tamils but also amongst Muslims who have seen their mosques attacked and their lifestyle under sustained assault from Sinhalese Buddhist nationalists, including monks. With the Tigers crushed i n 2009 and unknown numbers of Tamil civilians killed as the war ended, hardline ministers now advocate reducing devolution for the Tamil areas despite a constitutional clause meant to increase it.

Anthropology and kinship with Dr. Mindy Morgan Essay

Anthropology and kinship with Dr. Mindy Morgan - Essay Example Anthropologists study kinship relations because it structures and influence the lives of many individuals and family organization, which affect larger cultural, political, and economic institutions. Family organization influences the larger cultural institutions because cultural practices such as weddings are referred to as total social phenomena (Rosman, Rubel and Weisgrau 114). Consequently, Different cultures hold diversified norms, values, and beliefs, which in return bring into play the political organization as well as the economical activates. Increasing gay lifestyles has led to a heated debate on the definition of marriage and family. Gay marriage constitutes of two men with sexual relationship, which is outlawed by statutes of many states. However, part of the American culture has consented to the anthropologists study on marriage and says marriage cannot be defined in such that it excludes the relationships of same-sex couples, which raise questions on the parentage and childbearing process (Rosman, Rubel and Weisgrau 150). Biologically, two men cannot reproduce; hence, even though there are other innovations to have children, the gay family will not have adopted children, redefining marriage and family through only one aspect, love (Rosman, Rubel and Weisgrau

Law Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Law - Research Paper Example 1. Arguments in support of firing the teacher (Pros): There are numerous grounds on which the aforesaid high school teacher is liable to be punished and they are stated as follows: I. The act of posing for an adult website is an immoral act by itself and should not have been committed by the teacher. II. Any teacher is a role model for his students and as such the high school teachers’ act of posing in an adult website gives a bad effect on the ideology of the students. Thus, the teacher should be penalized to prevent further damage on the students’ ideology. III. As a teacher of a school she should have conformed to some public, moral, business, and ethical standards as her actions affect her students and indirectly a larger community, which she did not, making her eligible to be dismissed. IV. Before getting hired by the school, the teacher signed an agreement which read, â€Å"I agree to promote this schools mission of training good and law-abiding citizens who will make this society a better place to live.† The act of posing for the adult website creates a bad impact on the students. It can happen that the students start posing for adult websites following the teacher. The teacher violates her contractual obligation â€Å"of training good and law-abiding citizens who will make this society a better place to live† (Contract clause) and therefore she should be fired. V. It can be presumed that the teacher has caused harm to the students by posing for an adult website once students have come to know about it and this makes the teacher liable to â€Å"be sued personally for causing student injury† and she may â€Å"also lose her job† (Kaplan and Owings 252). VI. The high school teacher was also negligent in doing her duty towards preventing harm to the students. She never thought for an instant that when her act of posing for an adult website is disclosed she may cause a bad impact on the ideology of the students and in directly the future of the students. Moreover, â€Å"neglect of duty and negligence† is a ground for dismissal of a teacher in 26 states of US (Neal 86). 2. Legal provisions in support of firing the high school teacher (Pros): There are numerous legal grounds which entail the dismissal of the high school teacher in this case, which includes dismissal of the teacher for immorality, causing harm, violation of contract, injury to the students and negligence. The burden of proof is on the school for proving through evidence that the teacher actions fulfill one of the aforesaid categories, making the teacher liable to be dismissed. The statutes of many states of US allow the dismissal of a teacher for immorality or unprofessional conduct. Immorality or unprofessional conduct authorize firing of teachers for behavior and choice of lifestyle the community or school board holds wrong or unfitting for teachers (Imber and Geel 193). In the instant case, the act of posing for an adult w ebsite is an immoral act and the teacher is liable for immorality. As stated by Essex in his book that immorality â€Å"is often cited as grounds for dismissal† (197). Immorality is a conduct that offends the ethics of a particular community that makes the teachers unfit to teach. The courts tend to view unprofessional acts of immorality as those actions that have an adverse impact on the teacher’

The main cause of the Wall Street Essay Example for Free

The main cause of the Wall Street Essay I do not agree wholly with that statement. The panic selling of shares was the immediate cause to the Wall Street crash. However, if there had not have been the panic selling of shares then there would not have been such a dramatic slump but a smaller one. America was doing well in the end of the 1920s; the boom had made half the population happy. However, now that all the people who could afford it had brought electrical goods, cars etc there was no one else left to buy the surplus products. This is called overproduction, this means that there are too many products and the market is saturated, this usually starts off a slump. The companies were then starting to do not as well, this meant a fall in the share prices. The people in the know at the time had sold their shares and then all the other people who had invested in them panicked to sell their own shares causing the Wall Street crash. In the 1920s the wealth had not been evenly split, blacks, immigrants and farmers were not doing as well, this meant that half the population could not afford to buy the new products being mass-produced causing overproduction to happen quicker, if the wealth had been evenly spread then I do still think that there would have been a crash, however, it would have been a few years later. To increase the boom in the 1920s America put taxes on products coming in from abroad to make it a stronger economic country. The countries in Europe then retaliated and put a tax on all American goods. This meant that there were a lot of extra products not being sold; this was a part of overproduction. In the stock market a lot of speculators were playing with borrowed money from the bank because they felt that they were confident enough to win it back. Speculators were people who knew nothing about stocks but saw that a company was making profit in shares so they would invest in them if they were confident enough. This meant that companys products were worth a lot more in stock than they were in real life. This meant that at the time of the crash there was a hell of a long way to go down causing many people to go bankrupt. Because of overproduction many experts in the know decided to sell their shares, other people who owned shares in the same company then started to panic and quickly tried to sell there shares causing the prices of the company to plummet. The panic selling of shares technically was the Wall Street crash. I do not think that the panic selling of shares was the main cause for the Wall Street crash; I think that it was overproduction. Overproduction was always going to happen, it could have been postponed a few years if the wealth in America had been spread evenly or if Europe hadnt put a tax on all American goods. Even if this had been the case overproduction would have happened sooner or later. Overproduction caused some people to sell their shares that then lead to everyone panicking to sell their shares causing the Wall Street crash. If speculators had not have put in so much money there would not have been such a big slump but there would have been one. The panic selling of the shares was the last thing to happen and probably the most influential thing to happen before the crash. However, the thing that started the crash off was overproduction.

Language as Freedom in Sartres Philosophy :: Argumentative Communication Imagination Papers

Language as Freedom in Sartre's Philosophy I argue that Sartre posits language as a medium of communication that is capable of safeguarding the development of subjectivity and freedom. Language does this in a twofold manner: on the one hand, it is an action that does not phenomenally alter being, but that has the capacity of altering consciousness; on the other hand, language, more particularly written text, is a mode of communication that is delayed, hence that occurs outside the present, i.e. in a different space and a deferred time. As such, it preserves the subjectivity of both writer and reader. The argument is as follows: first, I present Sartre’s definition of freedom and subjectivity in terms of his definition of consciousness of the For-itself and In-itself in Being and Nothingness; second, I draw on examples from La Nausà ©e to illustrate the link between language, consciousness and the expression of freedom and subjectivity; third, I refer to The Psychology of Imagination and What is Literature? to illustra te further the importance that Sartre places on writing and reading as means to establish a lasting impression of personal freedom and subjectivity in a manner that defies space and time. In this paper I shall argue that Sartre posits language as a medium of communication that is capable of safeguarding subjectivity and freedom. Language does this in a two-fold manner: on the one hand it is an action which does not phenomenally alter being, but which has the capacity of altering consciousness; on the other hand, language, more particularly written text, is a mode of communication that is delayed, hence that occurs out with the present, i.e. in a different space and a deferred time, and as such it preserves the subjectivity of both writer and reader. I present this argument in the following manner: first, I present Sartre's definition of freedom and subjectivity in terms of his definition of consciousness of the For-itself and In-self in Being & Nothingness; second, I draw on examples from La Nausà ©e to illustrate the link between language, consciousness and the expression of freedom and subjectivity; third, I refer to The Psychology of Imagination and What is Litera ture? to illustrate further the importance that Sartre places on writing and reading as means both to freedom and subjectivity. 1 In Existentialism and Humanism (1946), Sartre states that "if God does not exist there is at least one being whose existence comes before its essence, a being which exists before it can be defined by any conception of it.

Are Some Ways of Knowing More Likely Than Others to Lead to Truth? Essay

Most people believe that money makes the world go round. But scholars believe otherwise. It is the knowledge of how to acquire wealth and of how to make the most of it is really the decisive factor. Humans couldn’t have mastered this world with all its richness in resources and mysteries without ample knowledge of how to do so. It is the gift of knowledge that has set humans apart from any other living species. So it is just proper that scholars delve into studying the concept of knowledge for us to understand it better.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To be more specific, this school of thought is called the â€Å"Theory of Knowledge.† Theory of knowledge is also known as Epistemology. What is so special about Theory OF Knowledge is that it is widely considered as the most important sub-field of philosophy. The Theory of knowledge had made significant advancements since it was first formally studied.   But even though it has already presented many different ways to obtain the â€Å"truth†, many still ask: Are some ways of knowing more likely to be successful to lead to the â€Å"truth† than other methods (Ways of Knowing).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Scholars have dedicated their studies for the further advancement of the Theory of Knowledge. They have gone through countless debates and research for the advancement of the field. This is because of the demand for better understanding is ever-increasing as humanity progresses. The truth is what everyone wants.   What makes things difficult for scholars studying the Theory of Knowledge is that many philosophers also argue that the â€Å"truth† cannot be contained, it cannot be resolved, it is unattainable. However, the Theory of Knowledge counters the argument by presenting to us five ways of knowing that could assist us in obtaining the truth. The five ways of knowing are logic, revelation, language, sense, and emotion. Let us give further details about the five ways of knowing and see if one can be the best way of getting to the truth (Butchvarov 1970). Sense   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For psychologists, sense or perception pertains to the processes that involve the acquisition, organization, interpretation, and selection of information acquired through the bodily senses.   These conventional senses that we are familiar with are namely sight, taste, touch, smell, and hearing. Sensory information is basically acquired through sensory organs that can be found in the human anatomy. We can be easily familiarized with this particular way of knowing because we put it into use on a daily basis. We use our eyes to view colors, we can tell the difference in taste between an ice cream and fish, we use our hands to feel rough and smooth surfaces, we use our ears to listen to music. These are practical things we do everyday that we put into use to â€Å"know†, to obtain truth (Gibson 1966).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Beyond the five senses that we are familiar with, there are also addition to the classical senses like temperature, balance, pain, and other recently studied sense that would be too technical to discuss in this paper.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Maurice Merleau-Ponty, a French phenomological philosopher, argues that sense is the foundation of all knowledge and sciences. Even though sense itself cannot give meaning to the objects it â€Å"senses† in this world, the person is able to give meaning from his or her own consciousness. The use of the senses requires constant use for it to give meaning to the objects in this world. As we put into practice our senses, we develop what is called â€Å"mental models.† As the word suggests, as sensory information is sent to our brain, we develop models that we can use as reference if ever the senses encounter the object again. It is like making imprints in our brain about the things around us.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With the use of sense as an approach to obtaining truth, humans can obtain the truth, or at least have an idea, by using the brain’s capabilities. In simpler terms, with the use of senses, humans make the full use of what they intrinsically have, our very own bodies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The only drawback I can offer about using senses to obtain truth is that we can’t always gain access to the objects involved in our queries. For example, if we hear a radio advertisement about ice cream stating that it is sweet, we can’t validate the claim since we are only using hearing, we don’t actually taste the real thing. Logic   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If we go into the etymology of the word â€Å"logic†, we could unearth meanings like reasoning, argument, idea, principle, and thought. It is primarily concerned with the validity of inferences. It is considered a branch of philosophy. Immanuel Kant argued that logic should be a science devoted to studying judgments (Russel 1917).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Logic, like senses, also makes use of the capabilities of the human brain. If we use this as an approach to obtain truth, logic assesses all possible arguments, eliminates all improbable answers to come up with the most convincing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Logic can be a very efficient way to obtain truth. Actually, it is as used as senses, also in a daily basis.   But oftentimes we come across things that our minds can’t comprehend. This is because logic, like sense, makes use of what we already know. So if we use logic in questions about the existence of ghosts, we hastily jump to conclusion that they don’t exist because it defies logic. The problem here is that there are people who believe in the existence of ghosts. So the existence of two different â€Å"truths† makes either feeble. Language   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Language is basically our means of communication. It particularly refers to the use of various forms of communication and the set conventional rules that governs its usage (Crystal 2001).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Personally I wouldn’t use language to derive truth. Humans have developed the use of language far more than any specie could have. Humans have become so adept in using language that we can easily manipulate it. If language is used in combination with logic and reasoning, humans can make â€Å"truths† come out of nowhere. Moreover, there is the concept of â€Å"lying† that can lead us farther from the truth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For example, if there is a trial in court. The lawyers from the two opposing parties have different interest. They defend their arguments with adept use language. The problem may arise if the innocent party, shall I say was outspoken by the opposing party. Then the judge was impressed by the adept use of language even though the opposing party was just presenting lies all the time, just speaking them in a very eloquent manner. Thus the verdict will just be decided by how words were used. The verdict will be considered the truth however it is far from the real thing. Emotion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are so many definitions for the word emotion. Actually, there is no universally agreed term for the word emotion. According to the APA Dictionary of Psychology, it is a complex reaction pattern that a person uses to approach a significant and personal matter.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Perhaps feelings would make the subject of emotions much simpler. Feelings are the experiences that come with emotions. Feelings are very useful tools for obtaining truth. Humans have this unexplainable ability to know things just be using their feelings. There are such ambiguous concepts such as gut-feel and motherly instincts (Cornelius 1996). But the problem with using feelings to obtain truth is that emotions and feelings are very prone to be biased. Also since emotions are complex in nature, it will also provide us complex results. I believe that the truth should be unbiased before it is presented or accepted.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For example, I will use the courtroom scenario again, the truth is that the defendant really did the violation he is accused of. He then delivered a very empathic speech that convinced the jury. The decision of the jury had a great impact on the final verdict. Once again, it failed to obtain truth as the jury felt that the defendant was innocent. After all, a feeling is only a feeling and certainly not necessarily the truth. Revelation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   And last but definitely not the least, we have revelation as a way of knowing. Revelation, as the word suggests, is about a disclosure that has been provided by a divine being. What has been disclosed is something initially unknown and implausible for humans to uncover. We can also call this divine intervention. The realizations and messages disclosed during revelations transcend the known boundaries of human comprehension. We are familiar with revelations as it happened to the most famous prophets that later on became the proponents of the world’s most popular religions. Most of the instance that the revelations happen to the prophets is when they are in a meditating or in a trance state. Some accounts of revelations happen in dreams. But revelations are not exclusive to great prophets. Actually there are much many accounts of revelation to normal people (Franz 1975).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Probably the best example of the use of revelations is on the holy books of the world’s most popular religions. These holy books are distributed around the globe in countless copies. The religions devout followers live their lives according to the words of these scriptures. It is because these people believe these words to be the truth. That these words are the very words of God himself. Many may challenge the level of truthfulness of these holy scriptures. But if they take in consideration what we’ve learned in theory of knowledge, we will discover we shouldn’t challenge the validity of these scriptures. We are talking about faith here, faith is something that can’t be easily shattered within a person. When we say that a certain belief is someone’s faith, that automatically counts as that someone’s truth. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sense and logic could have been the best ways to knowing the truth. However they both fell short as both of them have certain limitations. Both of these ways of knowing is relying much to the capabilities of the brain, which we know as of now is very limited.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Language and emotions are too complex to put into use of obtaining the truth. And the problem was both of them often leads to a biased truth, which we can’t categorize as a genuine truth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As the best ay of knowing the truth, I preferred it through revelation. The other ways of knowing the truth made me realize how hard it is to obtain truth. Also, the word faith comes with the rod revelation. I believe we should be faithful to what is true. I’m aware that it is still difficult to prove revelations through physical evidence. But we don’t need any of that evidence if we get our goal, the truth. Maybe the truth is really far from the reaches of our comprehension. Maybe if we explore more the possibilities of revelations may it be through religious meditations or simple dreaming. Works Cited Butchvarov. The Concept of Knowledge. Evanston, Northwestern University Press. 1970 Cornelius, R. The science of emotion. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. 1996 Crystal, David. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. 2001 Gibson, James J. The Senses Considered as Perceptual Systems. Boston. 1966 Raymond Franz. The Appropriate Time for God to Act. Crisis of Conscience,.1975. pp. 237–253 Russell, Bertrand. Mysticism and Logic. London. Allen and Unwin. 1917 Ways of Knowing. Problems of Knowing and Linking Questions. 7 January 2008

Environmental Security: Bangladesh Essay

Abstract While reading International Relations I got acquainted with many contemporary issues which are really important to deal with for the competitive survival of Bangladesh in this age of globalization. Bangladesh is a developing country. It has to perform very carefully in order to continue a healthy and sustainable economic system. Bangladesh suffers from both internal and external threats which are both military and non-military. Among them Environmental Security (ES) is a matter of great importance. Because environmental calamities are great threat to economic development and are means of creating dependency on the donor countries. It is also controlling relation between states and also creating tension between them. So, time has come to take this issue more significantly and take necessary steps accordingly. This research paper contains how environment is having power over the matters of our country; creating balance of relationship with the donor countries; and what Bangladesh shoul d do in order to overcome the problems to establish better economics. Acknowledgement In order to provide a valid research paper, I have taken information from the lecture shits given by the department of International Relations. Internet has been a great source of information which I have mentioned in the part of bibliography. Moreover I have taken information from BANGLADESH: Non-traditional security, By Jyoti M. Pathania, and used speeches of George Kennan, Collin Powell in some relevant area. I am grateful to Dr. Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmed (Chairman, Governing Council, Dhaka School of Economics (DScE); Chairman, Governing Body, Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation). He has given me some clear view of the issue of Environmental Security. I have used some information in this research paper from his presentation on The Outcome OF Cancun Climate Change Conference (COP-16) and Bangladesh. My work has also been encouraged by Dr. jashim Uddin, General Manager, Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation, who has great experience in the field of development in Bangladesh. 1.0 Introduction There have been two approaches to Security Studies: 1) Traditional Approach, i.e., Realist Approach and Non-traditional Approach, i.e., i) Widening Approach and ii) Deepening Approach. Since the end of the Cold War, there has been renewed interest in what is now called ‘non-traditional’ security issues. Among the non-traditional approach to security studies, the widening approach includes that states are functionally like units; states are not like units in terms of capability/power. Some are strong and some are weak. Inter-state relationship is governed by this power differentiation. As a result, anarchy is the ordering principle of international politics. States are bound to adapt to this anarchic system for their survival. However, in widening approach the referent object of security is state; state wants to secure state sovereignty, physical base of state (territory, resources and population) and political system. It simply includes a wide range of non-military threats to state security: both external and internal and military and non-military. The Environmental Security can be referred to this non-traditional approach of security, which is an internal and external non-military threat to a state that causes huge loss to the physical base of a state, demolishes economic situation and threats the sovereignty of state in this age of globalization. Hence the Environmental Security has become a matter of great importance in today’s world. Environmental security involves assessing the ways in which the quality of environmental systems relate to or impact the overall health and well-being of a state or society. It also refers to the relative protection of the environment from injury or degradation by manmade or natural processes due to accident, negligence, ignorance, or design from causes that cross national borders and endanger the livelihood or health of humans, the functional integrity of a state, or the stability of the international community. Most environmental threats to national and international security can be traced to man’s activities interfering into natural processes or the natural ecosystem. Some serious threats, however, may have natural origins, but become exacerbated from man’s activities. Examples of these include hurricanes, earthquakes and floods. Environmental Security (ES) is a matter of great importance since it also controls international relations between states. As late as 1985, the old cold warrior George Kennan Wrote in foreign affairs: Affairs concerning international relations and national interests in foreign countries. , identifying the threat to the world environment as one of the two supreme dangers facing mankind. But it was really in the post Cold War era that the world saw a dramatic increase in international activity around environmental issues. The United Nations Environmental Program has reported that about 170 treaties have been negotiated in recent years on various issues of the global environment. (1) 2.0 Importance of ES can be understood further by the following statement: â€Å"Few threats to peace and survival of the human community are greater than those posed by the prospects of cumulative and irreversible degradation of the biosphere on which human life depends. True security cannot be achieved by mounting buildup of weapons (defence in a narrow sense), but only by providing basic conditions for solving non-military problems which threatens them. Our survival depends not only on military balance, but on global cooperation to ensure a sustainable environment.† Brundtland Commission Report, 1987 In 1999, Collin Powell stressed the importance of ES saying: â€Å"Sustainable development is a compelling moral and humanitarian issue, but it is also a security imperative. Poverty, environmental degradation and despair are destroyers of people, of society, of nations. This unholy trinity can destabilize countries, even entire regions.† We are dependant upon the globe’s life-supporting eco-systems generating water, food, medicine, and clean air etc, but we actually did nothing to maintain this ecosystem. As a result the current and future generations will confront severe environmentally induced changes. The change has already started and is testing our traditional concepts and understandings of security, both national and beyond boundaries. In many cases conflicts are direct results of environmental degradation. Another important dimension of Environmental security is that it knows no state boundary. It affects humankind and its institutions and organizations anywhere and at anytime, which cannot be defended by any means of military defense or political negotiation. 3.0 VARIOUS INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS international relations, study of the relations among states and other political and economic units in the international system. Particular areas of study within the field of international relations include diplomacy and diplomatic history, international law, †¦.. Click the link for more information. THEORIES ON ENVIRONMENT A number of International Relations Theories can be applied to the issue of environment. Many of these theories only deal with the environment indirectly, yet it is useful to review the expanding literature of international-relations theory as it relates to the environment. Realism: The two central concepts of Realist theory are power and the national interest. The international society is an anarchical state-system. The system is therefore a self-help one. Realism assumes that states and their populations need natural resources to survive. There is a competition between states for these scarce resources. War is often the result of such competition and conflict. It leads to â€Å"the struggle for power and peace,† as Hans Morgenthau put it. (7) Extreme versions of Realism such as the geopolitical some see President George Bush’s intervention in Iraq as an attempt to secure the oil resources of the Middle East. 3.1 Malthusianism: Thomas Malthus, an 18th century English cleric, believed that because population grew in geometric progression and food production followed arithmetic progression, there would come a time when population growth would inevitably outstrip and will cause starvation. Thus it will threat the socio-economic security of a nation. 3.2 Liberalism: Liberalism focuses on cooperation. While liberalism sees people and states competing for scarce environmental resources, it does so in a more orderly way. Thus, â€Å"a liberal philosophy applied to global environmental politics tends to treat states as competitive participants–not unlike corporations–in markets they have established among themselves.† (8) Private enterprise and the market produce efficiency and save nature. For example, the Stockholm Declaration of 1972 forbids states from inflicting environmental damage on each other, because this would be a violation of the state’s sovereignty. 3.3 Institutionalism: This approach also focuses on cooperation. Here the states have a broader sense of self-interest. They focus on the public good. Their enlightened self-interest includes norms, values, principles and expectations which are the ingredients of International Regimes. The states seek mutually acceptable compromises through international negotiation. The building of International Regimes can benefit the global environment. The Kyoto Protocol of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change is a good example of international regimes. 3.4 Ecoanarchism: This philosophy is humanistic and leftist, and Murray Bookchin is its leading proponent. Ecoanarchists believe that â€Å"the state and ‘big’ capital are inimical to the autonomy of humans and nature.† (9) Thus to preserve nature it is necessary to break society into â€Å"small, relatively self-sufficient units.† To help nature these units must practice altruism and mutual aid. 3.5 Social Naturalism: This view sees â€Å"culture and nature as bound together† in a kind of social community. Community is used in a very broad sense that includes people, animals, plants, ideas, language, history and the ecosystems. Cooperation between humans and nature is a given. The objective of social naturalism is â€Å"the creation of a cooperative ecological society found to be rooted in the most basic levels of being.† (10) This philosophy strongly resembles the worldview. 3.6 Sustainable Growth: The growth of incomes results in economic development. As the 1990s World Bank President Barber Conable put it: â€Å"market forces and economic efficiency were the best way to achieve the kind of growth which is the best antidote to poverty.† (12) So according to the neoclassical economist’s dictum â€Å"a rising tide lifts all boats† is associated with the idea that improvements in the general economy will benefit all participants in that economy. The proponents of this theory believe that when the poor of the developing countries become richer then it will reduce pressure on the environment. For example, they will be more able and willing to pay the costs of keeping air and water clean. (13) 3.7 Sustainable Development: This phrase first appeared in a 1980 report issued by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) or World Conservation Union, international organization founded in 1948 to encourage the preservation of wildlife, natural environments, and living resources. (14) This approach focuses on the â€Å"needs† of the world’s poor and calls for a sufficient transfer of wealth from the rich countries to the poor, so that the developing countries can deal with the problem of poverty and environmental damage. 3.8 The Steady-State Economy: Herman Daly proposed this alternative approach which focuses not on more goods, but on the durability and longevity of goods. More goods are wasteful and cause environmental degradation. It calls for recycling and the minimal exploitation of biological and physical resources. Daly’s unit is the nation-state, and each country must seek to be self-sufficient and spend only its own natural resources. (15) 3.9 Radical Redistribution: This theory believes that environmental degradation is the result of excessive wealth, the injustices of capitalism and the income inequality between the rich and the poor nations. In 2005, a typical American consumed 51 times as much energy as a typical Bangladeshi. (16) Consequently, two things need to be done. First, the rich must drastically reduce their consumption so as not to burden the earth’s resources and environment. Second, the rich much transfer massive amounts of capital and technology so that the poor countries can grow economically and preserve the environment. 3.10 Ecosocialism and Eco-Marxism: Not surprisingly, ecosocialists and ecomarxists blame capitalism for environmental degradation. Capitalism is seen as inherently anti-ecological and anti-nature. For seeking cheaper raw materials and fatter profits they impose wastes onto nature. Thus the mode of production matters for the environment. They â€Å"emphasize people’s collective power as producers, which directly involve local communities (particularly urban) and increase democracy, which enlist the labour movement and which are aimed particularly at economic life.† (17) 3.11 Ecofeminism: Although many ecofeminists are not Marxists, they are all leftists or liberal in their philosophical orientation. For ecofeminists â€Å"the domination of women and nature are inextricably linked.† (18) â€Å"Feminine suffering is universal because wrong done to women and its ongoing denial fuel the psycho-sexual abuse of all Others–races, children, animals, plants, rocks, water, and air.† (19) 3.12 Ecocentrism: Ecocentrists believe that humans cannot survive without nature. Many ecocentrists are advocates of wilderness or â€Å"wildness.† As Henry David Thoreau noted: â€Å"In wildness is the preservation of the world.† (20) 3.13 Biopolitics: The origins of biopolitics can be found in the writings of Michel Foucault. According to Mitchell Dean, a follower of Foucault, biopolitics â€Å"is concerned with matters of life and death, with birth and propagation, with health and illness, both physical and mental, and with the processes that sustain or retard the optimization of the life of a population.† (21) These are some of the basic environmental philosophies that take to mean the global environment and structure practices and policies. Many of these conflict with one another and have diverse explanation of the reasons for environmental degradation. 4.0 A case of Bangladesh: The first part of this research paper dealt with the security agenda and the philosophies involving ES. Scarcities of renewable resources can generate civil violence and conflict; the degradation of renewable resources causes environmental insufficiency; powerful groups take over precious resources while trivial groups move around to ecologically sensitive areas. Moreover environmental scarcity proves the difference between social groups. Such situation affects governmental institutions and states by making it economically weak. Even environmental scarcity can cause ethnic conflicts. Accordingly the International community can be indirectly affected by these conflicts produced by environmental scarcity. (22) In the second part I will focus on Bangladesh regarding the issues of environment security. Ours is a country which has to face both external and internal, and military and non military threats. Bangladesh achieved its independence through a devastating war against Pakistan which resulted millions of death and around ten million refugees to India. Even after the war Bangladesh has been facing military threat from the Shanti Bahini of Chittagong Hill Track (CHT). Guerrilla warfare between the rebels and armed force of the government in CHT and civil conflicts between the Bengali and Non-Bengali residents of this place continue till today. The most recent armed conflict between the Bengali and Non-Bengali residents happened on 19th January 2011; where 6 (six) were killed. Such situation threatens the stability of a state. Circumstances become more vulnerable when environmental degradation doubles the pain. The independent Bangladesh has been facing environmental calamity since 1974. In 1974 famine raged over and was further aggravated by a flood. Later on, the degradation only increased and in recent years Bangladesh has seen devastating cyclones and floods. The security of Bangladesh must depend on sustainable environment in many ways. Environmental degradation will badly affect economic development, erode social cohesion. Even political institutions face threat. Population growth and lack of economic opportunity will cause demographic displacement both within the country and outside. Migration in other country can cause bilateral conflict Bangladesh is also bearing the result of environmental problems of neighbor countries. Such situation in water sector is already exacerbating regional tension with India. It can lead to harmful progress towards regional security and can instigate regional cooperation on the other hand. We have to remember that the linkage of environment and security in Bangladesh is through economics and politics. The greater the environmental degradation in Bangladesh the greater will be the political and economic deterioration, thus leading to more national and international insecurity. 5.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS IN BANGLADESH Bangladesh posses a horde of security problems, which are no longer of conventional nature but have non-conventional nature i.e. Non-traditional security issues which are in the state of constant evolution. These are economic, environmental, political and territorial threats. 5.1 Population The greatest problem that Bangladesh faces is an unusually large population in a small land area. The population grew from 42 million in 1951 to about 147 million in 2005. (23) It is projected to reach 166 million in 2015. (24) The population density is 1019 per square kilometer. When one compares this with 2 persons per sq. km. in Australia, 3 in Canada, 31 in USA, 191 in Pakistan and 324 in India, one becomes aware of the tremendous crush of population in Bangladesh. The faster the population increases, the more would be the negative effects on its environment. Zero population growth could serve for the environment in Bangladesh. 5.2 Land and Soil As noted earlier, Bangladesh covers a small area of only 144,000 square kilometers, but 63% of the total land is arable because it is located in the largest delta in the world. Formed by the three mighty rivers–the Ganges, Brahmaputra and the Meghna–it is also â€Å"the youngest and the most active delta in the world.† (27) Although Bangladesh is a flat alluvial plain, it does have complex soil condition and land pattern. Erosion of land by rivers is a serious problem in Bangladesh. Every year due to strong summer winds, powerful waves and shifting rivers thousands of acres of land are eroded away, leaving thousands of families homeless and contributing to the pattern of wholesale migration towards the urban areas, mainly to the capital city Dhaka. But it only creates instability in the society. 5.3 Deforestation Many decades ago Bangladesh had rich tropical forests. But due to population growth and the need for firewood and timber, the forests have become rapidly depleted. Currently the forest area comprises 13,000 square kilometers, about 10.2% of the total land space, which is much less than the universally accepted minimum of 25%. (28) Located in the southwest of Bangladesh, the Sundarbans is a mangrove, large tropical evergreen tree, genus Rhizophora that grows on muddy tidal flats and along protected ocean shorelines. It is the home for of the famous Royal Bengal Tiger as well as other rich flora and fauna. The United Nations has declared the Sundarbans as a world heritage site because of its rich biodiversity. Besides, the tropical rain forests in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, home to high value timber, rich vegetation and wild animals. Many animals are being rapidly depleted due to demand from both agriculture and industry. The Chokoria Sundarbans in the southeastern part of the country near the port-city Chittagong were completely destroyed in the 1980s and 1990s in order to facilitate shrimp farming. 5.4 Drought & Floods It is ironic that during the monsoon season Bangladesh has too much water and during the winter months too little water when no rainfall occurs. Thus the country is subject to both floods and drought. Barendra Bhumi of the northern part of our country is an example for drought affect. Because of drought people are unable to continue agricultural work and suffer from monga (unemployment). It also causes huge migration towards the capital city and other cities. Heavy drought also causes desertification in this area. On the other hand, in the rainy season Bangladesh suffers from too much water. About 1360 billion cubic meters of water is discharged annually through the GBM system, 93% of which flows through Bangladesh. If all the water did not flow into the sea, the country had been under 32 feet of water. The 230 rivers with their numerous creeks and rivulets attempt to drain the water into the Bay of Bengal But the situation of rivers, the low river gradients in the flat plain and strong backwater effects slow the passage to the sea, giving rise to the overflowing of the riverbanks. Every year there are floods, in some years it becomes extreme due to extra heavy rainfall. 5.5 Storms & Cyclones Bangladesh faces huge destruction due to storms and cyclones. The cyclones mainly hit the coastal region. Several severe cyclones emerge from the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean. The funnel shape of the Bay increases the intensity, often blowing in excess of 240 km per hour and creating tidal bores 9 km high. One of the worst cyclones occurred on November 12, 1970, killing an estimated 300 hundred thousand people in addition to major damage to livestock, poultry, crops and vegetation. (30) The most recent examples can be SIDR (2007) and AILA (2009).

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Expand on a pervious piece, Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Expand on a pervious piece, - Essay Example I would like to admit that the various writing assignments that we have always been given in class coupled together with my extensive research on writing skills have influenced my approach to language. On the other hand, attitude is the determinant of success in each and every realm. Fundamentally, the word can be defined as an individual’s perception on a specified objective and the means by which he or she strives to achieve the goal. Geared to achieve comprehensive success in the second half of the class, I have decided to put my attitude and priorities right. I believe it all begins with me. Nobody was born perfect; instead each and every successful individual began from a point. I, therefore, believe that I can also make it to be the best writer in the world. As a result, I have promised to read widely and wildly in preparation for the next term. I hope my efforts shall not be in vain but instead shall sharpen my skills to the next level. Dales The beauty of the scenery o f the Youlgreave village in Derbyshire is unbelievable. I had never been to the gorgeous rural community before. However, mum’s glamorous and attractive depiction of the parish as a home of natural beauty often aroused my anxiety. As a result, I gradually developed a far-fetched desire to have a personal experience and a clear view of the Promised Land. For that reason, when I heard that my class was to visit the village, I was as blissful as a creepy-crawly in a hearth rug; perhaps the most happy in the class. Certainly, I was not going to sleep on the frivolous night before the D-day of pure magic. Just to ensure that everything was in place, I decided to pack my clothes in my travel bag. In addition, I was not going to put on any other dress other than the best outfit in my closet. My younger brother, James, could not believe that I was going for a trip to Dales. He was also an admirer of the virtually remarkably attractive village. Perhaps he felt jealous. However, he kne w I could not carry him with me and even if I would, I am sure he could not have put up with the large company of my classmates. On that wonderful morning, I woke up earlier than anybody else at home. I took a cold bath and dressed up in my favorite outfit. A few minutes later, mum got up from bed and immediately headed to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for the family. She was surprised to find me already dressed. She is always the first to get up from bed. She wakes up at around 5.00 am to prepare breakfast and clean the compound. However, to find me awake that early on that particular day was certainly untainted mystery. She had a reason to be that surprised. Mum is always a staunch cook; to me, she is the best chef in the world. So when she brought the breakfast to the table, I could actually guess how delicious it was going to be. Mum beckoned me over with a wave to join her in the kitchen to help carry the sweat smelling food to the dining hall. The dining table was pleasantl y arranged and within a few minutes; everybody sat around the table. James, my apparent admirer, sat next to me while mum and dad sat on the opposite edge of the table. The meal was extraordinarily mouth-watering. Perhaps mum prepared with a target of making me happy on my best day. Of course, she had succeeded. A few minutes later, I took off to the school compound where we had purposed to meet. I was not going to

The Methodist Understanding of the Priesthood of All Believers Essay

The Methodist Understanding of the Priesthood of All Believers - Essay Example According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that many Protestants deny the biblical doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. If Roman Catholics have only one pope, the Protestants have many, but not literally having popes with the same roles and position in a church. For the Catholic Priesthood, ordinary believers in Christ are not worthy to talk directly to God and that they need someone more deserving to mediate for a fee. Traditionally, Catholics and their members follow the custom of confession—the act of using intermediary such as the priest to confess one’s thoughts or feelings in order to be forgiven because they regard the priests as â€Å"holy† and â€Å"authorize† to relay your plea to God. The Methodists believe that the only way to get to heaven is to put faith in Jesus as the Saviour. But plainly believing in Christ is not enough. You have to be baptized and do good works to profess your faith as such when Jesus performe d good works and preaching in his time. Moreover, if they sin, they ask forgiveness in Christ and try not to commit the same sin again. The Protestant reformers emphasized that this salvation is a product of Gods grace alone. Ephesians 2:8-9 (King James Version Bible) gives evidence to this doctrine as it says, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast,† and asserts that "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law". God’s grace through salvation is not just about the forgiveness of sins but also liberation from death and hell. Since God bestows on the people His undeserved kindness, neither good works nor pious religious practices in themselves can earn salvation.