The Physical and Virtual Fences in Different Arenas of Politics, Essay

The Physical and Virtual Fences in Different Arenas of Politics, Economy, Land and Their Correlation - Essay Example He employs different examples of sufferings and failures by different communities or countries on account of such policies inspired by the idea of boundary-making. He explains their harmful effects as envisaged in the form of financial insecurity as faced by people of Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia etc.He mentions the plight of refugees from China, Romania desperate to cross the suffocating boundaries of their countries in their quest to taste the freedom. In the name of globalization, capitalism and democracy, restrictive elements are being introduced in the determining of strategies for the security of countries against terrorism, economic lapse, contamination and dearth of natural resources which are overly detrimental to the moral of people and to the development of society due to their obvious adherence and propensity towards measures prescribed by prejudice, force and constraint.The writer consciously puts the topic of ‘fencing’ on the debate, with the basic flow of es say showing an inclination towards his dislike towards the concept of fencing as apparent by the name of the essay. The examples presented by the writer evidently justify his stand against fencing which are a cause of uncertainty and distrust amongst countries and which tries to cover various selfish intentions of various societies on the smaller scale, whereas, of various developed countries on the larger scale through the exploitation of their weaker counterparts, by alienating them from giving contribution in deciding economic.

Pre-1500 And Post 1500 History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Pre-1500 And Post 1500 History - Essay Example History is paramount in learning about our obligation and responsibilities as global citizens. The people who lived in the pre-1500 possess the same humanness we have today and thus their hopes, egos, as well as dreams we still have them today. Therefore, through the study of those who lived before us enable us gain understanding and know their mistakes and how to rectify them for our own good? It is because people remain the same, although technology may change. The memory of the past is the key to our identity. For example, in 1492, Columbus led the invasion of America where he found a new land (Tignor, 2011). This history gives us an account of how America was founded and makes the citizens develop a sense of identity. This is a historical event that has significance in our today global citizenship. The knowledge acquired helps us establish a clear understanding of the American history and the changes that has been realized in today’s America. Moreover, the global history h as enabled us gain knowledge that help in shaping the present. Migration Migration is another aspect of understanding global citizenship reflecting on migration that took place before 1500 especially in Europe. For example, the knowledge of the Europe invasion starting 800 BC to 400 BC is useful in our modern world as global citizens.

The Impact of Exercise, Jumping on Heart Rate and Blood Pressure Research Paper

The Impact of Exercise, Jumping on Heart Rate and Blood Pressure - Research Paper Example During exercising process, the body acclimatizes by enhancing its capacity to draw in the oxygen by increasing the breathing rate; the lungs expand in volume to accommodate the extra oxygen requirement (Raj et al., 2005; Watanabe, 2003). The availability of oxygen and force increase the circulation of blood rich in oxygen to the muscles for the continuation of exercise. However, during rest, the muscle capacity decreases, which lowers the blood flow and the breathing capacity leading to reduced pulse rate. The experiment aimed to test the differences in heart rate and blood pressure before exercise (resting status), jumping, and two minutes after jumping. The materials needed to carry out the experiment include the pencil and paper for recording the data, the room for carrying out the jumping jack, a group of participants (14) with equal numbers from both sexes, and a timer or a stopwatch. The participants were prepared by allowing them to rest for about 15 minutes. Besides, they were allowed to take enough water during the exercises because bodies lose water while exercising. The procedure involves requesting participants to place their fingers under their wrist and count the heartbeat for 30 seconds. The number gotten was multiplied by two to get the heartbeat, the same procedure was repeated after taking 20 jump jacks. The same procedure was used to record the heart rate while resting. The findings relate to previous findings that found that continuous exercising conditions the heart to get more efficient in carrying out the exercise (Raj et al., 2005; Watanabe, 2003). There were significant differences between the resting data and the data obtained during exercising. These show that increase in exercise increases the heart output to acclimatize with the requirement of oxygen and blood to the muscle cells involved in the exercising process.

Pre-1500 And Post 1500 History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Pre-1500 And Post 1500 History - Essay Example History is paramount in learning about our obligation and responsibilities as global citizens. The people who lived in the pre-1500 possess the same humanness we have today and thus their hopes, egos, as well as dreams we still have them today. Therefore, through the study of those who lived before us enable us gain understanding and know their mistakes and how to rectify them for our own good? It is because people remain the same, although technology may change. The memory of the past is the key to our identity. For example, in 1492, Columbus led the invasion of America where he found a new land (Tignor, 2011). This history gives us an account of how America was founded and makes the citizens develop a sense of identity. This is a historical event that has significance in our today global citizenship. The knowledge acquired helps us establish a clear understanding of the American history and the changes that has been realized in today’s America. Moreover, the global history h as enabled us gain knowledge that help in shaping the present. Migration Migration is another aspect of understanding global citizenship reflecting on migration that took place before 1500 especially in Europe. For example, the knowledge of the Europe invasion starting 800 BC to 400 BC is useful in our modern world as global citizens.

Public Law Human Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Public Law Human Rights - Essay Example (Legal Briefing) The Act has sufficient clauses to assist those enmeshed in legal complications with the fourth estate. Its provisions hold out the olive branch to hapless victims of snoopy, uncouth journalists, and those taken into custody for serious offences such as acts of terrorism. It is a step in the right direction for fairer trial and accurate justice. The courts are empowered to impose corrective, punitive or deterrent measures, although in the context of law relating to civil liberties in the United Kingdom, sometimes the sentences delivered by the honorable judges are found either too lenient with rogue elements or unduly harsh on law abiding plaintiffs. The media in UK has lobbied hard to dilute the provisions of the Human Rights Act 1998 in its original form, and continue to do so to this day. The reasons are obvious. The HRA is permanent hindrance to their right to free expression. This Act has come as breath of fresh air especially to celebrities and powerful individuals caught in the glare of an uncompromising media. (Privacy And The Press) The Human Rights Act 1998 came into force in the UK on 2nd October 2000. ... The Act makes public authorities in the UK more accountable in their dealing with citizens who can access any British court and seek redressal for infringement of rights enshrined in the Act. Evolving from the Council of Europe, a conglomerate of different European nations formed in 1949 as an aftermath to World War II, and the European Common market formed in 1957, this Act is the creation of the present day European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms to which UK is a signatory from among 41 European nations. (Protecting and promoting your rights) Reactions to this Act have been mixed in a continent accustomed to extreme emotions of ecstasies, turmoil, triumphs, blas and even stony nonchalance since the renaissance. Nevertheless, it has drawn the attention specifically two groups of the people in UK. One of them are those desperate for help from any quarter having exhausted all legal means for justice, and secondly, they are all those keen to get away from the piercing gaze the indicting Act, especially the media. The Act applies specifically to public authorities responsible for the general welfare of the populace. Never before in the history of the British administration was the common man more empowered to confidently take on the government for judicial lapses. It is important to bear in mind the two important factors of judicial interpretations or misinterpretations and recalcitrant occurrences such as terrorism in the present scenario which make issues for the Act more complex and difficult. Under the threat of terrorism, it is but natural for majority of the people to willingly sacrifice some civil liberties for safety and security. On the other hand, in the name of national

Sociological Perspectives And The Functionalist Perspectives Sociology Essay

Sociological Perspectives And The Functionalist Perspectives Sociology Essay The first sociological perspective that I will use to try to explain the Bertram family scenario is the functionalist perspective. The functionalist perspective evolved from the work of Emile Durkheim (1858-1917), though it was shaped by Harvard sociologist Talcott Parsons during the mid-20th century.    Functionalism can be summed up simply: the world is a system of interrelated parts, and each part makes a necessary contribution to the vitality of the system (Bohm, 1997: 82). Functionalism examines society through a functional framework which stresses that everything, no matter how seemingly strange, out of place, or harmful, serves a purpose. A useful analogy to use would be all the different parts of the body and how they function to keep the human body alive. All organs in the human body depend on each other and each is vital, performing an overall function. Social systems work in much the same way as an organic system. Societies have established structures within which are es tablished beliefs and practices. All members of society are expected to conform and behave acceptably. The institutional arrangements, for example, political or religious arrangements, exist in society not by choice of its citizens but because they perform a specific function for the social structure as a whole. People within these social structures know and agree on how to behave, living their lives in the right ways from which society benefits (Jones 2003:39). Functionalism holds that everyone and everything in society, no matter how strange it may seem, serves a purpose.   Crime, for example, is viewed almost universally as a nuisance.   Functionalists, however, point out that crime serves several purposes.   Durkheim concluded that crime and deviance serve three major functions for society: deviance clarifies or reaffirms societal norms, it promotes social unity, and it challenges the status quo.   Deviance can bring into question the status quo, forcing society to reth ink previously held norms.   For example, acts perceived as criminal or deviant were critical in shaping the rights movements for African Americans, women, and homosexuals in the United States.   Without questioning the traditional way of treating disadvantaged groups, the norms of discrimination and prejudice could not be broken. Criticisms of functionalism focus on its acceptance and rationalization of social inequality and societal evils.   Since functionalism holds that all aspects of society are necessary, human rights issues like poverty, hunger, slavery, and genocide must be accounted for.   Critics suggest that functionalism can be used as a rationalization of such issues.   The perspective is also criticized for its lack of testability, which is critical for upholding any social science theory.   Several questions stand against its reliability.   Still, it has its strong points, such as its ability to explain crime and deviance.   Functionalism essentially s erves as the most traditionalist of the sociological schools of thought. As with all the other different parts of society family has a role to play in the functioning of society and each family member has a role to play. Mrs Bertram is no longer able to perform the social roles that society expects of her (for example, mother and wife). In the scenario of the Bertram family, Mrs Bertram could be seen to have taken on the sick role. The functionalist perspective of illness is that it disrupts society; it too is a form of deviance. A functionalist perspective would suggest that social services would need to control the deviance by either putting Mrs Bertram into residential care or by providing services for her at home, in order to bring her back in line with societys expectation of her. Similarly the social worker would also expect Mr Bertrams deviant behaviour to be dealt with. The fact that he is leaving his wife alone for extended periods of time and is generally not caring for her as would be expected of a husband could be viewed as deviant behaviour. The Bertrams are from a generation where gender roles were very specific and Mr Bertram is probably struggling with the role reversal, so would need support with this. Mr Bertrams possible alcoholism could also be viewed as a form of deviance that would need to be brought under control by perhaps providing him with support to overcome it. Feminist theory became established in the 1960s. What defines feminism is the view that womens relative subordination must be questioned and challenged (Abbott, Wallace and Tyler, 2005:16). The feministic view is that women are oppressed and their freedom to act and express themselves is limited by the relative power of men, as they tend to possess more economic, cultural and social resources than women. There is a wide range of feminist views due to the failure to agree on ways to explain subordination of women or how women can be liberated or what actually constitutes oppression (Abbott, Wallace and Tyler, 2005). As a result there are many varying feminist perspectives drawing on a wide range of disciplines. According to Abbott Wallace and Tyler (2005) early feminists have focussed on issues relating to questions of power, knowledge and subjectivity. Liberal feminism sees gender prejudice as a matter of individual ignorance (Jones 2003:91). Liberal feminists believe inequalities ca n be eradicated by putting in place anti-discrimination laws and by promoting non-sexist attitudes. Marxist feminists believe that womens subordination serves the needs of capitalism (Jones 2003:92). Marxist feminists argue that subordination of women in capitalist societies is best explained by understanding the economic disadvantages that they face. Radical feminism sometimes referred to as gynocentrism affirms that patriarchy is the key to understanding social structures and patriarchal relations are universal and elemental (Jones, 2003:94). The term patriarch is used widely to refer to a society based on universal male supremacy and female subordination (Abbott, Wallace and Tyler, 2005:33). This perspective is concerned with womens rights rather than gender equality and it emphasises the difference between men and women. Within radical feminism the family is seen as a key instrument of womens oppression through sexual and maternal obligation. Feminists who adopt this perspective are concerned with the way women perpetuate mens control when they become so oppressed by patriarchal ideologies. Feminist theories of social work have been criticised recently for treating women generically and displaying insufficient sensitivity to the complex ways in which other social divisions such as race, age, disability, etc impact on gender relations. (Dominelli 2002) Mrs Bertram could be seen by feminists to be suffering at the hands of a patriarchal society. She has been lured into dependency by Mr Bertrams charming ways. It could be argued that Mrs Bertram found the prospect of marrying into a higher social class rather appealing. Radical feminists argue that all relationships between men and women are institutionalised relationships of power (Abbott, Wallace and Tyler, 2005:35). Mrs Bertram does not appear to be an equal in the marriage and her illness has further exacerbated her powerlessness. Mr Bertram has all control of the finances and probably all major decisions affecting Mrs Bertram, especially as she now lacks capacity, further reinforcing her subordination. It is unclear whether Mrs Bertram has ever worked, if she has not Marxist feminists would argue that this was to the benefit of a capitalist society as she provided, when she was able, free domestic services to sustain her husband. Mrs Bertrams reasons for wanting to stay with her husband may be due to her ideological view of marriage. Feminists argue that married women do not have an identity separate to their husbands (Abbott, Wallace and Tyler, 2005) and she may be trying to hold on to what little she has left of her identity as she is slowly losing her faculties due to the Alzheimers. Her ideological view masks the real subordination she faces at the hands of her husband. This is further reinforced by his neglect of her needs and failure to care for his wife as a husband would be expected to. The psychodynamic theory was pioneered by Freud and later developed by a number of writers. Freud argued that there were various levels of conscious and unconscious thought. The id which is the source of basic urges and the drive to survive. The superego is the conscious, public expression that seeks to convey that we are doing what is acceptable to society. The ego is the part of the unconscious that attempts to mediate between the id and superego. Individuals may not be aware of the interactions within themselves and engage in behaviours that are expressions of their deep unconscious, seeking to rationalise them through the ego and superego. The psychodynamic approach includes all the theories in psychology that see human functioning as based upon the interaction of drives and forces within the person, particularly unconscious conflict between the different structures of the personality (Baker, 2003:39). The psychodynamic approach attempts to explain the motivation of behaviour. Th e basic assumptions of the psychodynamic theory are that behaviour is motivated by conscious and unconscious mental processes, and that behaviour reflects current motivation and past experience (Glassman and Hadad, 2009). The approach claims that early negative experiences may become buried in the unconscious and manifest themselves in how an individual behaves in relationships with people later in life. Bion (1962) cited in Maclean and Harrison (2009) believes that the quality of childhood relationships in early life shapes the development of personality and character. According to Freud various defence mechanisms are developed by people to cope with difficult emotional situations. These defences include denial, repression, projection and displacement. Freud was of the opinion that people could overcome their problems by making conscious those thoughts and motivations hidden in the unconscious. He used several methods to gain access to the unconscious, such as free association whic h involved allowing the individual to say whatever came into their mind and if the client became blocked talking about something this signified something deeper was occurring in their unconscious. Freud also use dream analysis as he believed that unconscious thoughts were revealed in dreams and could be interpreted. Transference was another method used as clients projected and displaced their own thoughts and feelings onto their therapist. The psychodynamic approach is criticised for its subjectivity and gender, cultural and historical bias (Barker, 2003). The psychodynamic approach could be used to better understand Mr Bertram. Problems that are identifiable in the case scenario are his poor management of money, his neglect of his wife and his suspected alcoholism. His behaviour could possibly be a result of what is happening in his unconscious mind due to a negative experience in early childhood. The amount of time he spends at the golf club away from his wife could be explained as him using denial as a defence mechanism against painful emotions. He may have experienced painful losses in the past and this may have affected his unconscious mind. It is possibly too painful for him to accept his wifes illness and his coping strategy is to refuse to accept what is happening. His suspected alcoholism may be due to him regressing to an earlier stage of development where he felt safe or comfortable, possibly the oral stage when developing children focus on oral pleasures such as feeding. It is possible that the stress of his wifes illness h as triggered the regression and he may not even be aware of how his unconscious is leading him to use alcohol to cope. His use of alcoholism could also be explained as fixated behaviour, if Mr Bertram experienced trauma when he was at the oral stage (stage where according to Freud child gains satisfaction from sucking, eating, etc) in his development it is possible that he then became confined to this particular stage. His conscious choice to drink alcohol has its origins in the repressed depths of the unconscious mind (Ingleby 2006:8). His use of alcohol as a way of managing a difficult situation is inappropriate behaviour and generating its own set of problems as he is neglecting his wife and the home is in an awful state. A social worker using this approach would have to proceed with caution as behaviours may not be the result of unconscious assumptions. Behaviourism rose in prominence in the early 20th century through the ideas of thinkers such as Pavlov and Watson. The behaviourist approach lays emphasis on the role of environmental stimuli in determining the way that we act. A key idea in behaviourism is that all individuals enter the world as a clean slate (Ingleby, 2006:5). Social factors are then responsible for shaping the individual. The basic assumption is that humans learn behaviour by learned relationships between stimulus (excites the sense organs) and a response (reaction to stimulus). The main behaviourist theories of learning are classical conditioning and operant conditioning. Classical conditioning occurs when we make an association between a neutral stimulus that reliably produces a response, so that the neutral stimulus comes to produce the same response (Baker, 2003:43). It is most well known through Pavlovs experiment where dogs were given food at the same time as a bell was rung. The result was that the dogs wou ld salivate when the bell was rung even if no food was presented. Pairing of an unconditioned stimulus led to an unconditioned response and when the unconditioned response was paired with another stimulus, the stimulus eventually produced a response on its own. Operant conditioning has had a considerable influence on psychology and is used regularly in social care (Maclean and Harrison, 2009). Operant conditioning recognises that the environment effects behaviour. Much behaviour occurs randomly and whether we repeat it or not depends on the response we get. For example, if a person says they want to kill themselves, they may not know how or fully understand what they are saying but whether or not they say it again may depend on the response of those around them. The behaviourist approach is criticised for be oversimplified as it ignores mental processes and limited as not everything can be accounted for by simple learning (Barker, 2003). It is possible that Mr Bertram has learned behaviours over the years due to the responses he has received. As he is from a white upper class background he has led a fairly privileged life. Even though his financial status is now in question he has learned over the years that his exceedingly charming manners are able to get him what he wants. He was able to use his charm to sweep Mrs Bertram off her feet and so far has managed to use this same charm offensive to keep the landlord and social services at bay. If we apply the principle of operant conditioning to the situation we can see that Mr Bertrams behaviour has been shaped by the way that those he has come into contact with have responded by conceding to his charming ways. The consequence has been that he continually uses this behaviour to mask the problems he and his wife are experiencing. I was born and raised in Zimbabwe just before independence and I am the second child of a nurse and a self-made business man. Education was very important in my family and although it went unsaid there was always an expectation that we would be successful in life. The culture I was raised in had a very patriarchal framework and this extended to state policies and procedures. For example, in order for me to obtain a passport or national identity card I had to either go to government offices with my father or a male relative with the same surname or produce my fathers identification documents. My mothers presence or her documents would not have been acceptable. If I view this from a feminist perspective, women in my culture were placed in a position of subordination because of economic dependency and because generally they were constructed as socially inferior (Abbott, Wallace and Tyler, 2005: 28). Despite the fact that my mother worked all financial decisions were made by my father. M arxist feminist would argue that subordination of women in Zimbabwe served and continues to serve to enhance capitalist interests. My mother tended to my fathers every need so that he could go out and be productive at work. Education was a very important part of my life. Emphasis was always placed on the fact that I needed a good education in order to succeed in life. I remember getting very good reports at school while my sister got the opposite. My parents would sit her down every time her report card came home. If I apply the behaviourist principle of operant conditioning to my situation I learned that if I came home with a good report card my parents response would be a positive one. I therefore endeavoured to always have a good report so that that positive response from my parents would be repeated. My background will provide me with insight on how women can feel oppressed even in environments that they are supposed to feel safe, so that I can effectively challenge oppressive practices. My background also helps me understand how responses I may have as a social worker will shape future behaviours of service users to other social workers or professionals. It is clearly important to have an understanding of sociological and psychological perspectives in social work as both make a significant contribution to understanding different service user needs.

Cinderella Syndrome Essay -- essays research papers

Cinderella Syndrome I think the time has come for someone to write â€Å"Cinderella: The Sequel.† How did we get here? In 1697, French writer Charles Perrault updated an age-old fairy tale about a young woman named Cinderella to appeal to his contemporaries, French nobility and bourgeoisie. So many of the early versions of the tale boasted a very resourceful young woman who played an active role in her destiny. Perrault, however wrote his Cinderella as a well-mannered, docile, selfless women who would fit seamlessly with the ideal 17th century upper-class society. Historically, fairy tales have reflected the values of society in which they were written or revised mirroring its preoccupations, obsessions, ambitions, and shortcomings. What do these updates say about our culture’s view of women and marriage? It was this version that Walt Disney made famous in the 1950’s and to which feminists strongly reacted to in the 1960’s and 1970’s and ultimately co-opting the story to their own needs. What do these updates say about our culture’s view of women and marriage? In her famous poem, â€Å"Cinderella, Ann Sexton mocks the happily ever after. â€Å"Cinderella and the prince lived, they say, happily ever after, like two dolls in a museum case that was never bothered by diapers or dust.† Today’s teenage girls have been brought up by women who read Sexton and her peers and who have taught their daughters that they can want it all, marriage, career, family. But can they have it all? I feel that ...