Ritual Human Sacrifice free essay sample

The use of human sacrifice in different rituals has featured largely in many cultures for thousands of years. To better understand this one must first consider and define what is actually meant by the term ‘ritual’. According to The Oxford English Dictionary, ritual is described as ‘the series of actions used in a religious or other rite’. Renfrew and Bahn (1991, 408-9) indicate that ritual activity can be identified by the observation of four contributing components, such as the focusing of attention on the location, a sacred place; the presence of a possible liminal boundary between ‘this world and the next’; evidence for the worship of a deity and the participation and offerings made by individuals. The term ‘sacrifice’ as defined by The Oxford Concise Dictionary of Archaeology (Darvill, 2003, p371) as the slaughter of an animal or person or the surrendering of possessions to a deity. It goes on to say, Although seen as ceremonial in context, sacrifice may have a functional ends institutionalized in the practice itself, for example the regulation of a population and the creation of an instrument of political terror. We will write a custom essay sample on Ritual Human Sacrifice or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Ancient Egypt Kings of the first 2 dynasties (3100-2686BC) were not buried alone. Since death was regarded as a mirror image of life in Ancient Egypt their graves needed to contain all that they had needed when alive. This included members of their household, their servants and their slaves. When the tomb of King Wadji (c. 2980BC) (Wilkinson, 1999) was excavated 455 bodies were discovered. Members of the king’s personal household numbered 338 (Shaw, 2000, p68). Also, the bodies of 77 female and 41 important male employees shared the grave of Wadji’s queen, Mernieth. Many of the servants buried with their employers were deliberately killed for the purpose often by poison. Others, not so lucky, were buried alive as attested to by their contorted bodies when they where excavated (Lewis, 2006, p267). Mesopotamia The Sumerians were one of the first cultures to arise in Mesopotamia, in the area between the Tigris and Euphrates on the Persian Gulf now known as the Middle East. In 1920 Leonard Woolley led an archaeological excavation to dig in the Royal Cemetery at Ur. Woolley (1954) recorded that he found tombs of local kings that were not recorded in the Sumerian king-lists, these King-lists are written lists of kings who reigned for long periods of time (. Woolley discovered nearly 2500 graves in this cemetery along with 16 royal tombs (Van De Mieroop, 2004, p41) that consisted of underground chambers often with vaulted roofs with a ramp or pit for entry. Identified by cuneiform inscriptions, these were the tombs of Meskalamdug, Akalamdug, the queen Pu-abi and others, members of the ruling house of Ur around 2500BC (Bahn, 1996, p144). These tombs contained the skeletons of many attendants and soldiers alongside the remains of Oxen and wooden carts. These royal servants and soldiers numbering in their hundreds were willing victims of a religious rite that would take them into the ‘next’ world where they would be able to serve their chosen king or queen. They had willingly so it appears taken poison and laid down their lives for their rulers. Mesoamerican Aztecs The culture that most people automatically associate with ritual human sacrifice is of course that of the Aztecs of Mesoamerica. These Mesoamerican people believed in a creation story where the gods in order to make humankind used their own blood that in turn created a debt of blood owed by mankind to the gods that had to be repaid. The Aztecs, according to Meyers Sherman (1995, p65) were constantly at war with their surrounding tribes purely to capture live prisoners so they could then be sacrificed to appease the God Huitzilopochtli and The Flowery Wars began with a mutual agreement between the Aztecs and the Tlaxcalans to capture live men for future sacrifice. The god Huitzilopochtli was believed to take on the likeness of the sun and it was thought that in order to insure the suns arrival each day, a steady supply of human hearts had to be offered in holy sacrifice (Hogg, 1966, p43). They believed that the sun and earth had already been destroyed four times, and in their time of the 5th sun, final destruction would soon be upon them. In order to delay this happening and appease Huitzilopochtli the practice of human sacrifice became quite a major element in Aztec society (Meyer Sherman, 1995, p67). The actual ritual would take place outside, on the top of a great pyramid. The victim was spread-eagled on a round stone, with his back arched. His limbs would be held firmly by four priests whilst the officiating priest (known as the Nacom) used an obsidian knife to cut under the rib cage and remove the victims still beating heart. The heart was then dedicated to the sun before being cremated with incense in a brazier and the victim’s body was subsequently thrown down the steps of the pyramid to be beheaded, flayed and then the head defleshed and placed on a specially built rack. The man who captured the victim would then take parts of the body to be eaten during a ceremonial feast (Smith, 1996, p222-5). In the 1487 re-consecration of the Great Pyramid of Tenochtitlan some estimate 80,400 prisoners were sacrificed (Harner, 1977, p46-51), Another rather gruesome but very symbolic sacrificial ritual was performed by the Aztecs to a deity called Xipe Totec (translated, Lord of the flayed skin). According to Moctezuma Olguin (2002, p54-5) and Fernandez (1996, p60-63) Xipe Totec was an important symbol of fertility; war and the coming of age of young warriors a life-death-rebirth deity, god of agriculture, vegetation, the east, disease, spring, goldsmiths, silversmiths and of the seasons. There were two documented types of ritual sacrifice to Xipe Totec, both ending in the same way but the manner of the victims ritual slaying being different. These were the gladiator sacrifice and the arrow sacrifice. The arrow sacrifice consisted of tying a victim to a wooden frame with his arms and legs spread (the frame represented a corn plant) a priest would then fire arrows at the victim to kill them thus making the victims blood then flow onto the ground represented the cool rains of spring (Meyer Sherman, 1995, p69). In the gladiator ritual, the captive was tied to a large stone, given a sword with a mock blade made of feathers, and forced to fight a fully equipped opponent. After these ceremonies, the victim’s skin was removed so that it could be worn by the Xipe Totec priests (Smith, 1996, p225) who would then wear it for 20 days before removing it to symbolising rebirth and a new season of fertility for the crops and people like a new skin covering the earth. Aztec human sacrifices were performed firstly because the Aztecs felt they owed a debt of blood to the gods. Common Aztec creation myths state hat the gods sacrificed themselves to ensure the continuity of the solar cycle, and they had to be repaid with regular offerings of blood. Secondly Sacrifice also carried out a political function. Rulers and priests used sacrificial rituals as a way of publicly demonstrating and strengthening their connection to the gods. Additionally, sacrifice was a form of â€Å"propaganda by terror† using conscious displays of intimidation aimed at external rulers and common subjects – discouraging any ideas of violence, resistance, or other non-cooperation (Smith, 1996, p226-7). European examples The various groups of tribes that occupied mainland North-Western and Southern Europe from around 600BC to 1000AD were collectively known as Celts. There is very little documentary evidence to go on. In particular, we have no actual sacred texts of the ancient Celts, as their texts were transmitted orally only to initiates and disappeared forever when the last Druid died (MacCullough, 1911), MacCullough describes Celtic belief in reincarnation and a spectral otherworld, he documents the the large number of now-obscure gods and goddesses, including many local deities, describing totemistic and animistic beliefs. In addition, MacCulloch also describes the darker side of Celtic practices, including the famous Burning Man human sacrifices and cannibalism. Macullough writes about the human sacrifices performed at Lugnasad, Lugnasad was a harvest festival, where the victims were ritually sacrificed to guarantee a fertile crop in the forthcoming season and the festival would also commemorate those who had died for this good cause, while it would also appease their ghosts should they be angry at their violent deaths. Triplism’ is one of the commonest Celtic religious symbols (Magilton, p184-5; Green, 1986) describing the three Celtic gods, Esus, Taranis and Teutates. These three gods relate to the ‘triple death’ usually associated with bog bodies. The triple death consisted of, Esus for hanging, Taranis to burning and Teutates to drowning (Green, 1986, p27). The Tollund man was discovered in Denmark in 1950 (Bahn, 1996, p114). The body of this man was found well preserved having been interred in an acidic peat bog some 2000 years previous to its discovery. The man had been hanged and the hemp cable tow was still in place around his neck. The very fact that he was laid in the foetal position suggests that he was specifically placed this way rather than just cast into a pit alluding to a ritual killing rather than an out and out case of murder or judicial execution. Many similar examples of bog bodies have been found all across Europe including Emmer-Erfscheidenveen Man, a bog body recovered in Drenthe, Netherlands in 1938 (Deem, J,. 1998) the remains were dating to around 1200BC. The Gundestrup Cauldron was found in Raeve Bog, Denmark in 1891 Deem (1998) states that the silver cauldron had been deliberately broken then the pieces laid on the surface of the bog where they slowly descended to a depth of almost 2ft with sphagnum moss overgrowing them. When pieced together the solid silver bowl is 2ft in diameter. The scene depicted on the bowl show a scene of human sacrifice with an apparent victim being held upside down over the bowl with their throat cut and bleeding into the bowl. Above this a line of horsemen ride away from the cauldron after their sacrifice to there afterlife. Deem wonders if this is scenes depicting a sacrifice to thank the gods for a victory or they are attempting to divinate the future. Conclusion Ritual human sacrifice appears to have been used in past societies for a number of reasons, with not all the victims being unwilling pawns at the mercy of unscrupulous priests. We have seen demonstrated here that loyal retainers gave their lives willingly to travel to an ‘after’ life and serve there master or mistresses there as they had done in life. This believe in an after life must have been exceptionally strong in the servants and followers of these kings and queens. Fertility rites were recognised and performed in the form of sacrifices from what would appear to be since there has been written records, some of these rites committed on such a large scale that like in the case of the Aztecs they would have had a noticeable effect upon the population numbers and were done in full view of the people with the blessing of the ruling authorities. Some of the human sacrifices were to thank the gods for strength in battle and a victory over an enemy (usually ending with the loser being sacrificed to the winner’s god or gods). Finally, and even though not always intentionally ritual human sacrifice committed by an all powerful priesthood or state would have instilled fear into the general population of a society making it people much more malleable and easier to control.

Two Distinctive Leaders - Gandhi and Hitler essays

Two Distinctive Leaders - Gandhi and Hitler essays At first glance, the similarities between these two men may not be evident, but surely the differences are quite obvious. Professionally, both Mahatma Gandhi and Adolf Hitler were political leaders of high caliber, one being the leader of the Nazi Movement before and during World War II and the other being the political/social leader of the people of India during the time when the country was under the control of the British Empire. And like most leaders, both Gandhi and Hitler were highly admired and often imitated by those who either knew them personally or were part of their environment. Both men also changed forever the very face and character of their individual countries, with Gandhi initiating and leading the movement to force Great Britain from the control and manipulation of India which eventually led to complete independence, and Hitler as the supreme master of the Nazi Movement and instigator of some of the most atrocious crimes against humanity ever recorded in world his tory. It is also a fact that both men were highly driven by their individual personalities to achieve certain goals that would in effect influence the political and social environments of the entire world. Much like Hitler, Gandhi has "out-soared immortality as no other human being (and) his social impact has been unequaled" (Fischer, 67). And also like Hitler, "what was the secret of his spell upon his country and people'" (Clement, 78). With Gandhi, descriptions such as "Hindu saint" and "father of his country" are empty and misleading, and if one was to pin a label upon him, it would surely suggest that he was one of the key public figures of the 20th century as a manipulative idealist, or a person who reshaped society for good or ill. Of course, leadership is a prime ingredient for both of these men, and a list of traits which outstanding leaders tend to possess would aptly describe their characters, behaviors and beliefs. ...

Annotated Bibliogrphy Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Bibliogrphy - Annotated Bibliography Example The article claims that the Department of Homeland Security was formed thirty days after the attack through the coming together of many agencies in order to combat terrorism. The article asserts that â€Å"Homeland Security† is a key area of concern for governments worldwide, which is obliged to provide protection to the citizens as well as the infrastructures that support them. The article also claims that role of information technology is very important in homeland security. In relation to this, the article claims that information technology can help mitigate risk as well as enhance effective response to natural or manmade disasters. On contrast, the article also claims that use of technology like surveillance, profiling in addition to data aggression hamper privacy and civil rights. The article also claims that information technology constitute of an infrastructure that need to be

Broome County CAFR Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Broome County CAFR - Article Example With the increased use of debt capital for financing, the magnitude of interest payable on outstanding debt increases (Megginson and Smart, 2008, p.53). The actual long term solvency would depend on the ability of the company to generate sufficient incomes from their operations so that they are able to service fixed interest payable on outstanding liability. Generally the ideal value of debt ratio should be less than 0.50. Debt Equity Ratio The Debt to Equity ratio is a measure of relative proportion of debt to shareholders’ equity that is used by the company to finance its assets. It is one of the indicators for long term solvency of a company. The two components of this ratio are derived from the balance sheet of the company that reflects the company’s financial position on a given date. The debt observed in this ratio is usually the long term debt of the organization. The composition of debt and equity in the capital structure of a firm determines influences value of firm and its long term solvency (Gibson, 2012, pp.285-286). Basically, this ratio is a measure of company’s future obligations relative in balance sheet to equity and higher values indicate that company’s long term debt exceeds shareholders’ equity. Hence, the ideal value should be less than 1. Financial Health Analysis When the balance sheet of Broom County was analyzed for the years 2006 and 2007, it was found that Debt Ratio of Governmental Activities was 50.61% and 49.06% respectively. As discussed earlier, the acceptable value of this ratio should be less than 50% and the organization seems to have deleveraged their balance sheet in the year 2007 from 2006. The value of this ratio from Business Activities for... This research is being carried out to conduct a long term solvency test on Broom County. It is referred to as the company’s ability to honor long term obligations. In order to assess the long term solvency of the firm there are many standard ratios available such as Debt size ratio, Debt to equity ratio, Cash flow coverage ratio, Debt service as percentage of revenues, and so on. In this study the long term solvency of Broom County was analyzed using two key ratios namely Debt size ratio and Debt equity ratio. The formulas for the respective ratios are as follows, Debt Size Ratio = Total Debt/Total Asset Debt-Equity Ratio = Total Debt/Total Net Asset Debt Size Ratio measures the degree of financial leverage of the company, and generally higher values indicate higher financial risk. The ratio indicates whether the company is in a better financial position to service its total debt with its total assets. The Debt to Equity ratio is a measure of relative proportion of debt to shareholders’ equity that is used by the company to finance its assets. It is one of the indicators for long term solvency of a company. When the balance sheet of Broom County was analyzed for the years 2006 and 2007, it was found that Debt Ratio of Governmental Activities was 50.61% and 49.06% respectively. As discussed earlier, the acceptable value of this ratio should be less than 50% and the organization seems to have deleveraged their balance sheet in the year 2007 from 2006. The value of this ratio from Business Activities for both the years are less than 50% and are hence within tolerable limits.

Albatross Anchors part 3 Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Albatross Anchors part 3 - Case Study Example Being founded in 1976, Albatross Anchor operates as a family business in the USA. It was instigated by four people family members and currently performs with the manpower of 130 employees. The company has been engaged with the manufacturing and shipping of anchors in the wholesale market of the nation and other neighboring countries as well. Thus, the entire organizational process involves various phases which can be sorted as producing, storing or warehousing and shipping among others. With the intention of proposing the company to adopt changes, after taking certain beneficial strategic measures, the discussion henceforth will intend to address four challenges faced by Albatross in its current practices rendering recommendations to the identified issues. Furthermore, adhering to the changes recommended, the strategic selections will be justified along with a detailed plan of implementing those strategies and a timeline through Gantt chart. ... It is in this context that the company needs to witness challenges in terms of legal barriers limiting the maximum weight to be shipped at a time. Owing to this particular reason, where on one hand the company needs to incur extra cost burden of transportation costs in case of railroads; on the other hand, it had to witness hurdles in transporting through ocean routes as well where the products were entitled to be initially shipped through rail to the dock and then loaded on the ship, which incurred extra labor costs for shipping goods in the international market. Furthermore, due to the increasing complexities in the shipping procedure, the organization also had to face hurdles in managing the manpower effectively. Hence, it can be recommended that the company needs to reframe its administrative staff arrangement along with absorbing more manpower in its transportation process. Although engaging greater manpower shall prove to be a costly venture in the short-run, it shall prove as highly beneficial in the long-run to gain enhanced sustainability and profitability minimizing the confusions arising in the shipment process. Again, as the company produces both domestic and international products incurring different production costs, it should intend to re-consider its pricing strategies which would neither hamper the interests of the wholesale customers, nor would inhibit the profit margin of the company (Rivers, 2012). Challenge # 3: Quality Management In relation to quality management, the products which are produced by Albatross, i.e. bell anchors and snag hook anchors, follow distinct procedures or mechanisms and techniques. For instance, the bell anchors are

The Myth Of Mental Illness Philosophy Essay

The Myth Of Mental Illness Philosophy Essay Has Psychiatry got it that wrong or is Thomas Szazs deluded. This question begs to be answered throughout the pages of the The Myth of Mental Illness. Thomas Szazs boldly lays bare psychiatric fallacies in about 263 pages, with ambitious agenda, which has had a significant imprint on Psychiatric history irrespective of all attempts to relegate it to the annals of history (Buchanan-Barker and Barker, 2009). Szazs whose work is used freely by psychiatric academics is often referred to as Psychiatric Philosopher (Hoeller, 1997 and Breeding, 2011). The main argument of this book is that mental illness is a social construct and what psychiatrists label as mental illness is in fact deviant behaviour (Szazs, 2010). Furthermore, Szasz believes that in the absence of empirically observable biological pathology, certain mental illnesses such as schizophrenia should not be termed an illness. Mental illness has no scientific or medical basis and therefore cannot be called a disease. This hypothesis is based on the premise that unlike pneumonia which presents recognisable symptoms all over the world, mental illness does not. Hallucination is classified as a disorder in the western world but highly valued in other parts of the world (Szazs, 2010). The book is academic, aimed at challenging the foundations of American Psychiatry and perhaps the words of Benjamin Rush who declared in the 18th Century that mental illness has hitherto been shrouded in mystery and his intension to make mental illness like any disease of the human body (Szasz, 2005). Part one, The Myth of Mental Illness is an analysis of the background of 1950 psychiatric theory and practice. Part two, Foundations of a Theory of Personal Conduct proffers an alternative stance on mental illness and how to eloquently express views about it. Szazs firmly believes that mental illness does not exist and that the notion of illness only applies to bodily abnormalities that can be proved by physical and chemical methods (Szasz, 2010). In Mental illness the brain when dissected does not reveal an ailing part. Therefore, internal or neurological illness should not be suggested even if the mental illness resembles physical illness because in such a case mental illness should be viewed as a metaphor (Pickering, 2006). Farrell (1979) however vies this strand of argument positing that Szazs point disintegrates when it is acknowledged that mental illness can refer to psychological defects. Szasz further argues that until recently, illness was defined as a physical disorder and had to be physically and chemically proven in the structure of a body. New diseases have conformed to this criteria and therefore Psychiatry should not be an exception (Pickard, 2009). Szasz marries structural and functional aberrations consequently combining function and behaviour. The function of the brain, for example or the brain systems are placed in the same category as the behaviour of a person and compared to physical and chemical changes. In todays scientific world this view is difficult to digest. Szasz propounds that somatic symptoms should not be attributed to physio-chemical defects in the body as this disorder is learned. This argument casts a shadow on all other mental illnesses and subsequently renders all Psychiatric terminology, diagnosis and treatment needless. Psychiatry is not medical intervention but a social and moral service which should not be forced on anyone (Szasz, 2010). The other premise of Szaszs argument is that medical diagnosis is subject to a physician judgement. This judgement usually correlates with the demonstration of a corresponding physiochemical disorder which cannot be applied in mental health. Psychiatrists therefore make diagnosis which cannot be verified. This gives the psychiatrist power over the patient as the psychiatrist is the only one who can verify this illness. Mental illness in the eyes of Szasz is not discovered as with other natural illnesses but invented by psychiatrist from peoples behaviours (Szazs, 2010). Szazs proffers that whereas mentally ill people were classified as malingerers some years back they are now seen as patients entitled to privileges and welfare benefits. This is not necessarily an improvement but a ploy that negatively affects the value of life which in effect revert mentally ill people social status to malingerers of the 21st century. Such a label induces stigma, discrimination, lame excuses for failure and bad behaviour. Some of these views are not akin to only Szasz. Bracken and Thomas (2010) elucidates how Michael Foucault a French philosopher and Szasz have challenged leading views on psychiatry. Foucault like Szazs asserts that mentally ill people are institutionalised because of moral and economic factors. Furthermore, he challenges deep-seated opinions of mental illness, reason and questions why leper houses were replaced with institutions for mentally ill people (Foucault, 2006). Influenced by post philosophers such as Michael Heidegger, Foucaults transformative practice, knowledge that contravenes dominating games of truth, power relations and shades of partiality is closely knitted to the philosophy of Heidegger (Rayner, 2007). However, Ratcliffe (2010) challenges Bracken and Thomass critique of arguments between Foucault and Szazs stating that they are worlds apart. Gijswijt-Hofstra and Porter (1998) asserts that even though there are other critics of psychiatry their views are often ambiguous. Critics such as Ronald Laing, a Scottish psychiatrist decisively wrote about mental illness subscribing to the view that madness was a natural way of ridding oneself from infuriating situations. Therefore, psychotic episodes should be allowed to run its natural courses rather than people being degraded by being arrested, curbed, confined and forcibly medicated in hospitals (Laing, 1986). Scott (2011) decries Gijswijt-Hofstra and Porters point by indicating that Laings views for example about mental healthcare and choice is not out of date or insignificant. Thomas Szazs, Michel Foucault, David Cooper and Ronald Laing may have contributed enormously to intellectual debates on mental patient care and choice but I beg to differ because of inequality in societies and the lack of resources to support and protect the dignity and life of the mentally ill and the community they live in. Where lies dignity when the mentally ill become dishevelled, vagrant and walk about stark naked in places like Africa? Regardless of the above, the strengths of this book although ambiguous at times outweigh its weaknesses. The hardnosed attitude towards patient care and choice makes a must reading for every psychiatric student as it brings to the fore challenging questions about diagnosis and the expansion of the Diagnostic and Statisical Manual of Mental Disorders.

Chinese-American Culture

What culture they had was to be forgotten – a difficult and practically impossible feat. The Chinese-Americans faced a wall of cultural difference that could only be scaled with the support of their parents and local community. The book review of Bone by Nhi Le stated clearly how † †¦ the first generations† struggle to survive and the second generations† efforts to thrive †¦ † made the transition into American culture possible. Overcoming barriers such as language, education, work ethic, and sex roles was just a beginning to the problems that all Asian – Americans faced. The most obvious and one of the most difficult walls to climb was the language. First generation immigrants rarely became fluent in English and more often than not learned so little that they were entrapped in a society of working in very menial jobs and job conditions. Jobs ranging from sweatshops, dirty factories, shipyards, and railroads are prime examples of the conditions they were forced to live and work in. Fae Ng described the difficulty very well by taking a look at her mother†s job in the clothing factory and Leon†s Job on the ships. They had very little advancement in the work force because they couldn†t communicate well enough that they actually had skills. Trials in the work place helped the immigrants impress upon their children the importance of education. Education in Asia was and is completely different from western civilization. Asian teachers bear all the responsibility without any help from the home. Ng†s portrayal of Leila as a school teacher and how difficult it was to connect with the Asian children†s parents is a situation relating back to the separation of education and the home in Asia. Another difficult barrier in education was the role of the student. In Asia the student learns what material is given to them and interaction with the teacher is uncommon. The parent – teacher – student interaction was a brand new idea to Asian families. Adapting to this new system could take generations of work by devoted teachers. Money. A word that captures all peoples attention was scarce among the Asian – American community. The low wages drove both parents into the work force and changed the roles of women in the family. The Asian way of the wife being submissive in all activities and only working at home with the children changed with the move to America. The wife†s working made a more equal standing in the household but also deprived the children of a quality home life. The importance of women in Asia is non-existent. For example: women had to walk behind their husbands in Asian culture but in American culture they rose to equal standing because of their work status. Understanding the Cultural differences can lead one to understand Bone from a new perspective. Expectations of difficulty for the women in the book are much more prevalent and the children†s unstable home environment can be understood. Views of hopelessness and defeat in a new culture are expectations that the reader of Bone could not overlook. Fae Mynne Ng, the Author of Bone, will try to illustrate the difficulties of the cultural barriers throughout her book. Relating experiences of her characters to her own experiences in the Chinese subculture of San Francisco will be understood. Ng will create parallel experiences of her life to Leila†s with education, family life, and work environment. The hard life of the first generation will be paralleled to the lives of Leila†s mother and father. Ng will describe the tasks of adapting from old culture to new culture and the fight Asian – Americans had to win to get rights in America. Bone will help Americans to accept other cultures and understand how to deal with some of the problems that arise in the culture-clash of immigrants. A vast knowledge in relating to immigrants and accepting their differences will make the world a better place. Americans tolerance level and understanding of the immigrants is raised due to authors such as Fae Ng.

Community Service Project

(a) What does community service/volunteerism mean to you? * I define volunteerism as a service performed for the benefit of others with little or no benefit to the person carrying out the service. One may volunteer for many reasons but these should not include expecting to receive an income or publicity for work being done. One benefit that a volunteer may have however is growing their knowledge base about the activity in which they are participating. One should think about the ways which they can make their community a better place to live for themselves and everyone else.It’s really not that hard, carrying out simple actions like helping an elderly person to cross the road or donating your unworn clothes to persons who have a greater need for it can be classified as volunteerism. (b) Which two of the four goals of Vision 2030 do you think is most closely linked to community service/volunteerism? Why? * Of the four goals of Vision 2030, I think that the first goal- â€Å"Jam aicans are empowered to achieve their fullest potential† and the fourth goal- â€Å"Jamaica has a natural healthy environment† would be the two most closely linked to volunteerism.Through personal empowerment, volunteers may seek to realize their full potential by conveying to themselves tasks which will benefit them as well as the society in which they live. Volunteers may seek to assist persons with additional training they may need as well as school projects. This is done in effort to bring forth well rounded individuals. The final goal of Vision 2030 states that Jamaica has a natural and healthy environment. Volunteers can help Jamaica to achieve this by cleaning up their environment and various communities. By doing so, they will have helped to create healthy and comfortable surroundings for all citizens. c) Select one of the two goals discussed in (b) and suggest ways you can contribute to achieving this goal through your community service. * I believe that I can help to carry out goal four of Vision 2030. The Bible (NIV) says in 1st Peter 4:10 â€Å"Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms† and so I believe that each and every one of us were made stewards of this Earth and that it is our responsibility to take care of the environment and all things in it.Stewardship aids in the development of society and so I will take it upon myself to volunteer at Hope Zoo Preservation so I can develop better work ethics, make good use of my free time as well as help the organization to return to its former glory. This includes participating in cleanup activities, carrying out administrative tasks and doing everything else in my power to facilitate smooth operation so that visitors will always remember Hope Zoo not just as a commodity but as an experience. Lecturer’s Signature________________________Submission Date___________________________ Reflec tion Piece #2 a. Identify your agency and briefly discuss the history, goals and objectives of the agency. * The organization that I have been contributing to for a greater cause is Hope Zoo which is located on Old Hope Road, Kgn 6 in St. Andrew, Jamaica. The institution, a section of the Hope Botanical Gardens and Zoo was originally a part of Hope Estate which was owned and operated by Richard Hope- a former commander in the British army- who had been gifted the estate in return for helping Britain take control of Jamaica.What we now know as Hope Botanical Gardens and Zoo is the largest in the Caribbean and is just 200 acres of the estate which was bought by the Government to establish an experimental garden for foreign species in the late nineteenth century. One very important moment in the history of Hope Gardens is Queen Elizabeth II’s visit in 1953. Hope Zoo has been undergoing some major restoration changes over the years and in 2005, the Nature Preservation Foundation (NPF) took charge.The NPF intends to â€Å"develop and manage Hope Zoo and the Royal Botanic Gardens as a sustainable facility for environmental education, applied research, recreation, wildlife and flora conservation for Jamaica and the region; and to position the facility as part of the Tourism Product. † b. Bearing the Vision 2030 goal you selected in reflection 1 in mind, identify a set of objectives you aim to fulfill in your assignment at the agency. * I chose the fourth goal of Vision 2030- â€Å"Jamaica has a natural healthy environment†.The objectives I aim to fulfill in my assignment at Hope Zoo include: participating in cleanup activities so that the staff, guests as well as animals can benefit from existing in a clean environment; carrying out administrative tasks in an attempt to lessen the work load of the administrative department as well as being readily available to any visitor who may have questions or need help with something in an attempt to facilit ate smooth operation. c. Discuss the specific steps you will take to accomplish these objectives. In order to accomplish these objectives, I will ensure my early arrival to the institution each time I am on duty and immediately report to my supervisor for a list of my duties for the day. I will then proceed to complete my tasks which will revolve around the objectives mentioned above as well as observing my surroundings to see what else needs to be done and how I can make a contribution. These steps will be completed in an effort to make Hope Zoo a better place and in agreement with Vision 2030: Jamaica.Lecturer’s Signature________________________ Submission Date___________________________ Reflection Piece #3 a. Identify some of the problems/issues you experienced during your placement. * This has been a very good experience, however I did not particularly appreciate being harassed by a particular zoo keeper on more than one occasions during my forty hours of service. b. To w hat extent did problems you encountered/witnessed in your placement reflect problems prevalent in the wider Jamaican society? Being troubled or provoked by persons in the workplace causes discomfort and disagreement. This is mostly done out of envy or jealousy. One worker may do it to get another worker angry enough to react violently, no doubt getting into problems with the manager and possibly losing his/her job. Either way, victims of this are often not very happy with their jobs and so productivity levels tend to decrease. There may also be a lack of interest in completing tasks efficiently as workers would have lost focus. c.What impact do you think these problems will have on our ability to achieve the goals laid out in Vision 2030? * I believe that provocation between workers will have an impact on the country’s ability to achieve goal one -â€Å"Jamaicans are empowered to reach their fullest potential† and goal 3 -â€Å"Jamaica’s economy is prosperousâ € . Jamaicans will not have reached their fullest potential by 2030 if there is constant workplace harassment or violence as this would have caused their interest and determination levels to decrease.If a worker’s determination and desire to carry out his/her duties effectively decreases, productivity levels will also decrease and so Jamaica’s economy will not be as prosperous we want it to be by 2030. d. What solution did you employ to address the problem? * I addressed the problem by having a private chat with the person about my issue as well as possible implications of workplace harassment on the business itself. I made sure he understood my position and we came to a truce. I can honestly say this worked wonders as up until this point we have not had another conflict. Lecturer’s Signature: Submission Date: ____________________

Vladimir Lenin And His Rise To Power Essays - Old Bolsheviks

Vladimir Lenin And His Rise To Power Essays - Old Bolsheviks Vladimir Lenin and his Rise to Power Eventually, empires and nations all collapse. The end can be brought about by many causes. Whether through becoming too large for their own good, being ruled by a series of out of touch men, falling behind technologically, having too many enemies, succumbing to civil war, or a combination: no country is safe. The Russia of 1910 was in a tremendously horrible situation. She had all of these problems. Russia would not have existed by 1920 were it not for Vladimir Ilich Lenin, the only man capable of saving the failing nation. Russia in 1910 was a very backwards country. Peasants who lived in absolute poverty made up the vast majority of Russia?s population (Haney 19). Russia?s version of the feudal system had ended a mere 49 years earlier, but in effect it meant that peasants now owned the meager parcels of land upon which their survival rested. Their ruler, Czar Nicholas II, ruled aloof of his disorganized nation. His government of appointed officials and men in inherited positions did not represent the people (The Tyranny of Stupidity 120). Even though all of Europe had experienced the Industrial Revolution, Russia had precious little machinery. To obtain more advanced machines, the government traded grain to other countries in exchange for machinery, even though it meant that more people would starve (Haney 17). Compound this with the devastation and desperation brought on shortly thereafter by the First World War, and there was no confidence left in the government. Different political factions formed, and none got along (U.S.S.R. 63). Liberal constitutionalists wanted to remove the czar and form a republic; social revolutionists tried to promote a peasant revolution; Marxists promoted a revolution among the proletariat, or urban working class. The people were fed up with Russia?s state of affairs and ready for change. Change was presented in the form of Vladimir Lenin, a committed, persuasive visionary with a grand plan. Lenin became hardened in his quest at an early age when his older brother Aleksandr, a revolutionary, was executed in 1887 for plotting to kill then-Czar Alexander III. ?I?ll make them pay for this!? he said, ?I swear it!? (Haney 28) By 1888, at the age of 18, he had read Das Kapital by Karl Marx, a book about socialism and the evils of capitalism. A superb speaker, he could hold audiences at rapt attention with his powerful speeches (New Generation). People became convinced of his socialist views. He formed his own political party, the Bolsheviks, a split off of the earlier Marxists. Unlike other parties of his time, Lenin limited membership to a small number of full-time revolutionaries (Haney 41). This dedication and tight organization later proved both useful and effective. From 1897 to 1917, he traveled all over Europe writing propaganda, organizing strikes, and encouraging revolution among the working class, especially in Russia (Lenin, V.I. 191). Lenin knew what he wanted, knew how to get it, and was willing to wait. During World War I, the time was right and Lenin was the man. Czar Nicholas II remained totally focused on winning the war, and did not hesitate before committing more men and supplies to the war effort (Haney 65). But for an already starving country, every train that brought supplies to the front could not also be bringing food to peasants. With public sentiment and even the Czar?s own army against him, Nicholas abdicated the throne in March of 1917 (69). A government by soviets (councils) was instated, but did not last long. After that, Alexander Kerensky seized power. In November, Lenin and his Bolsheviks, with help from armed citizens, stopped the revolving door. They took over St. Petersburg (then Petrograd) and later captured Moscow, meeting little resiezce along the way (Jantzen 613). Lenin took over the government and signed a treaty with Germany to take Russia out of the war. Immediately thereafter, civil war broke out between the Communists, called Reds, and the anti-Communists, called Whites, who had help from Western nations (Johnson 43). This help from outside Russia actually helped Lenin, as it drove public sentiment against the Whites. Russian troops, scattered and dispirited, had just been through World War I. Somehow, though, Lenin and his good friend Leon Trotsky organized these troops

Free Essays on Smoking And Anxiety Disorders

The prevalence of smoking generally is higher for women with anxiety disorders, bulimia, depression, attention deficit disorder, and alcoholism; it is particularly high among patients with diagnosed schizophrenia. The connection between smoking and these disorders requires additional research. cdc.gov/tobacco/sgr/sgr_forwomen/factsheet_consequences.htm#Other%20Conditions This page last reviewed September 11, 2003 United States Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Office on Smoking and Health Drug and alcohol use among patients with schizophrenia and related psychoses: levels and consequences. Margolese HC, Malchy L, Negrete JC, Tempier R, Gill K. Addictions Unit, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Patients with schizophrenia and related psychoses frequently use, abuse and become dependent on psychoactive substances. Local surveys indicate differences in both types and patterns of substances used. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to document abuse in 207 successive outpatients presenting to a psychiatric continuing care facility in a large Canadian city. Nicotine, alcohol and cannabis were the most frequently abused substances in the cohort. Excluding nicotine, 44.9% met criteria for lifetime and 14.0% for current abuse/dependence. Cocaine, heroin, hallucinogen, amphetamine, and inhalant use were rarely reported. Patients with current substance abuse/dependence and a psychotic disorder (dual diagnosis, DD) had significantly higher Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS) positive scores than lifetime-DD or those with a single diagnosis (SD). Significantly more current-DD (69.0%) patients were depressed (HAM-D score > or =12) compared to SD (45.6%). Furthermore, current -DD (27.6%) patients were more likely than SD (4.5%) to be medication non-compliant. Patients... Free Essays on Smoking And Anxiety Disorders Free Essays on Smoking And Anxiety Disorders The prevalence of smoking generally is higher for women with anxiety disorders, bulimia, depression, attention deficit disorder, and alcoholism; it is particularly high among patients with diagnosed schizophrenia. The connection between smoking and these disorders requires additional research. cdc.gov/tobacco/sgr/sgr_forwomen/factsheet_consequences.htm#Other%20Conditions This page last reviewed September 11, 2003 United States Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Office on Smoking and Health Drug and alcohol use among patients with schizophrenia and related psychoses: levels and consequences. Margolese HC, Malchy L, Negrete JC, Tempier R, Gill K. Addictions Unit, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Patients with schizophrenia and related psychoses frequently use, abuse and become dependent on psychoactive substances. Local surveys indicate differences in both types and patterns of substances used. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to document abuse in 207 successive outpatients presenting to a psychiatric continuing care facility in a large Canadian city. Nicotine, alcohol and cannabis were the most frequently abused substances in the cohort. Excluding nicotine, 44.9% met criteria for lifetime and 14.0% for current abuse/dependence. Cocaine, heroin, hallucinogen, amphetamine, and inhalant use were rarely reported. Patients with current substance abuse/dependence and a psychotic disorder (dual diagnosis, DD) had significantly higher Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS) positive scores than lifetime-DD or those with a single diagnosis (SD). Significantly more current-DD (69.0%) patients were depressed (HAM-D score > or =12) compared to SD (45.6%). Furthermore, current -DD (27.6%) patients were more likely than SD (4.5%) to be medication non-compliant. Patients...

Reflective Analysis Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reflective Analysis Paper - Essay Example The book describes Maya as being a victim of racism and ignorance. In the book, the main character Maya Angelou and her family are African-Americans. The book originates in the 1930’s to 1940’s having examples of racist discrimination all through. Not only are the white people racists, but also reject, divide and are bad hearted to the African Americans. As the adage goes, when the going gets tough the tough keeps on going, the African Americans excelled through being smart and avoiding the racists. The black community as stated in the book is regular church attendees. Momma, Maya’s grandmother is the most religious person in the book. Most black people usually like church activities because they believe God is never biased. Maya’s white folks are not as kind as she expected as the whites had their heads high terming themselves superior because of a lighter skin. The whites expected to be treated with hospitality from other races but they would not return the favor. Black would walk out of the white’s way and address them with respect. In the case where Momma took Maya to the dentist he refused to treat her claiming that he would rather stick his finger in a dog’s mouth than hers.(Angelou 189) the doctor at this point was completely unfair and was a racist. Like everyone else, Maya is human and poses to have equal rights as everyone else. According to the Almighty, everyone is equal in his eyes and neither the whites nor the blacks are superior beings. The black community like Maya had to live on the remote side of the town while the whites lived on the opposite side never to associate with them. â€Å"The peculiar pale beings who lived in their alien unlife were never attributed as folks, but were white folks† (Angelou 26). In those times, racism was very open and the whites never bothered about the blacks feelings. In the early 21st century, racism was just like in old times but now evolved in different ways. I n recent times, racism is experienced in employment. The government ended discrimination of persons in looking for jobs as an affirmative action. To some way, there was justice but that did not help to curb the whole issue. A supervisor at Best Buy was discriminated by being stuck at the same management level for more than seven years even though he had all the qualifications for promotion. People go through so much but they only persevere for the aim of gaining promotion or favored. This is very unfair to those who have to stoop so low so that they can be given the desired favors. Racism can be life threatening at the extreme level but its ones dignity that is crushed and lowered. Maya went through true racism and it is of uttermost good that racism has receded in recent times hence people do not suffer that much. Racism is practiced from generation to generatio

Assess the different sources of the law in England and Wales. To what Essay - 7

Assess the different sources of the law in England and Wales. To what extent have external sources affected its development - Essay Example The public laws are used to enforce order among citizens and the state while private laws are used to enforce order between citizens and organization that fall in the private domain. These two laws are further broken down into civil law and criminal law (Goodchild, Embly & Slorach2013 P.34). As a sub branch of Public law , criminal law entails laws which define what is acceptable as appropriate conduct and a contravention of such laws is deemed an offence to not only the individuals affected but to the society as a whole. Civil laws fall within private laws and are used to solve disputes which arise in family matters in cases such as inheritance or domestic violence. They are also used in cases of probate and law as well as contracts, negligence and employment. Common law can be defined as legal precedent that is made by judges sitting in a court. Common law is constantly changing because the interpretation and knowledge of legal precedent and application of common sense as pertains to individual’s cases and available facts is bound to change (Antoine 2008, P.4) Common law can be traced back to three English crown courts of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries (Wingfield 2009, P7). These courts were the Common pleas, the King’s Bench and the Exchequer. It was assumed in those times that the custom of the people was the law as stipulated by the Kings’ courts. Even though the decisions were based on prior judicial pronouncements, in cases where there were statutes stipulated to govern particular disputes, judicial interpretation of those statutes were sought in order to evaluate how the law would apply in such case scenarios. Judges in the courts are tasked with creating the common laws by delivering written judgments about the cases before them. The Magistrate courts or other lesser courts are however not allowed to make their own precedent as this would lead to confusion in different regions of England and Wales (Antoine 2008,