Functionalism

Functionalism is the doctrine that what makes something a mental state of a certain type depends on the way it functions, or the role it plays and not on its internal structure. Simply put, functionalism gives utmost importance to the function or role a mental state plays. They also give prime importance to causal relations because according to the follower of this doctrine any form of mental state is â€Å"†¦determined by its causal relations to sensory stimulations, other mental states and behaviors.† (http://plato.stanford.edu/entries). Let me take â€Å"pain† as an example. For the functionalist, pain is a mental state which arose because of a damage of some kind or because something is wrong with the body. For them, the only beings that could possibly experience pain are those who qualified to meet the condition stated above. However, the functionalists did not claim that there are only limited states of affair on which pain can be experienced. For them, various creatures may experience pain through different kinds of physical or mental states and thus the term multiple realizations came into context. Having defined what functionalism is, let me now move on to another important aspect of this paper-dualism. Dualism came from the Latin word dualis which means two. It is the belief that in everything in this world two important concept, which usually oppose each other exist. Just as there is a night then there must be a day. When there is good, there is evil. Such is the basis on which dualism is grounded.   In the philosophy of mind dualism aims to show the great difference there is between mind and matter. There are many differing points of view between the dualists themselves but they stood on the common ground that mind and matter are indeed distinct objects. According to the dualistic point of view where mind is made up of non-physical substance, our body is made-up of physical ones commonly known as matter. The mind and body dualism can be deduced as substance dualism which argues that mind and body are made-up of entirely distinct substances, and by property dualism which asserts that the mind and body may not be made-up of distinct substances but still, they are distinct and thus we cannot reduce one from the other. Now, how does functionalism differ from dualism? Functionalism is different from dualism because functionalism does not adhere to the idea of interactionism unlike that of dualism. Most believer of substance dualism argues for the sake of interactionism or the belief that mind and body, though distinct from each other, are still capable of causally affecting each other. Believers of the identity theory believe that there are at least some kinds of mental states which are completely identical to those of brain states. One known proponent of this theory is David Armstrong who proposed that â€Å"all mental states are identical with physical states†. This theory argues that the mind is indistinguishable from the brain. Due to their approach and beliefs regarding the mind they received numerous objections among which include the argument from multiple realizability. Believers of multiple realizability argues that mental events differ considerably from one organism to another and thus the idea that certain mental events are the same most of the timeis kind of preposterous. Thus functionalism and identity theory is very different from each other. Functionalism is considered to be more superior to other theories of mind such as dualism and the identity theory. Now, what brought about this superiority? Functionalism argues that everything is physical. The functionalists, unlike the other theories of the mind can do away without knowing how the brain came about its consciousness. The functionalists are satisfied to simply say that the function of our brain is to be conscious or consciousness. They do not put great effort in discovering what causes the consciousness of our brain which made them superior from the other mind theory. Another advantage functionalism may have over the other theories is its ability to equate conscious states with the functions of our brain, thus functionalism allows examination of our conscious states which plagues other theories. I said that it plagues other theories because they give too much privacy to matters of mind, believing that mind is a private matter and thus cannot be compared to other minds (such as the problem in Cartesian dualism). Functionalism, on the other hand faces no such problems because they give way to analyzing other minds or other experiences. The ability to test things empirically offered by functionalism shows its edge against dualism and the identity theory of the mind. Another advantage functionalism has over dualism and the identity theory of the mind is that the theory of functionalism offers understanding of the mind. However, no matter how great functionalism may be as compared to other mind theories it still has its drawbacks. It does not entirely solve the problems of the mind. Functionalism does not give us a clear explanation of the obvious distinction of the physical and conscious states. Besides, another objection arose from their claim that we can really differentiate one mind from the other. Surely, no one can fully understand how other minds work. Besides different people experiences things differently no matter how alike their experience may seem. For example, I may feel deep depression upon losing a pet but then I cannot really say that the depression Anne felt when she lost her dog is the same as mine, now could I? Thus, no matter how more advantageous functionalism may be over dualism and the identity theory it is still not wise to go on believing functionalism as a whole. One must still see the pros and cons of certain thoughts or theories. REFERENCES: â€Å"Assess functionalism† â€Å"Dualism and Mind† â€Å"Identity Theory† http://www.utm.edu â€Å"Functionalism† http://plato.stanford.edu/entries   

History Part B

Controlled assessment part b i. Representation 1 is from the The English Police Force; A Political and Social History written by Clive Emsley, published in 1991. It suggests that the police were ineffective at stopping/preventing major crimes such as robbery. However, they were effective at stopping minor crimes in the local community. Representation 2 is A Plaint by a P’liceman, a poem published in Punch magazine in the late nineteenth century.It also suggests that the police were ineffective at stopping/preventing major crimes and that limited the effectiveness of the Police. However, the representation also suggests that the police were effective at stopping/preventing minor crimes but that was seen as ‘stop[ing] little boys from playing ball’. Representations 1 and 2 have a number of similarities. First of all Rep 1 and 2 portray the negative attitude towards the Police. This is shown by ‘belief among many of the working class that there was a law for th e rich and another, harsher law, for the poor.In some areas, they allowed fights and other law breaking activities, which they would’ve acted against elsewhere’. From representation 2, i can spot that it agrees with representation 1 as it says ‘’The street’s re quite unsafe’ they say, You’re robbed and mobbed in broad noonday But little boys they mustn’t play’’. Representation 1 also gives the impression that the Police were capable of preventing petty crimes but they differ in tone. This is shown by ‘what the police were especially good at, was apprehending those who committed petty street offences . Representation 2 is similar and i know this from ‘Stop little boys from playing ball, or move away an apple stall’. Finally, Representation 1 suggests that the police themselves were not to blame for their ineffectiveness. I know this from ‘The police never had sufficient manpower to suppress disorder entirely’. Representation 2 is similar as it suggests ‘ Well, if from growls you can refrain, it ain’t of us you should complain You’ve got thank SIR RICHARD MAYNE’. Representation 1 and 2 have a number of differences.First of all Rep 1 gives a negative view towards the police but it differs in attitude compared to Representation 2. This shown by the fact that Representation 1 gives negative view towards the police but it gives some positives of the Police, therefore giving balanced argument. However, Representation 2 gives a generally one sided view of the police, which is negative. The representation doesn’t seem to take into account the other side of Policing, creating a one-sided and biased view. Both representations differ in tone.I know this as Representation 1 gives an academic style, due to the language used. You must also take into account that it’s from a textbook. Meaning that it will have to be fair when creating a judgement of the Police. Representation 1 tends to use words such as ‘however’ and ‘although’. Representation 2 is wholly one sided being exaggerated. Emotional language is used, in order to build a negative view image of the police. I know this from the exaggeration and comparison of petty street offenders to boys ‘They bids me chivvy little boys’In conclusion the two representations are mostly different as the first representation gives a balanced view making a conclusion at the end after evaluating all points. Whereas, the 2nd Representation gives a negative focus and tone towards the Police without even considering the usefulness of the police. The main reason for this is Representation 1 concludes that ‘Although they[working class] may not have liked the Police, they realised that the police force were there to protect and serve the community’.By concluding in this manner, it shows that there is an understanding as to why the police are judged in a certain way but gave a reason as to why the Police were existent and that was to put order in society. Whereas, Representation 2 portrays the Police as useless when considering all the crimes that the Police should prevent. Representation 2 consider’s the Police as people who only put a plaster on the wound rather than healing the wound, in a sense. The downside for Representation 2 is that it is completely one sided which allows a lot of criticism to be made.The most important areas of difference is the tone and focus. I say this because, there is a clear difference because of the tone and focus. Representation 1 is a formal and factual piece focusing on all aspects of policing, thus, allowing the reader to understand the Police properly and leave the reader to make his own judgement. However, when it comes to Representation 2, the piece is informal and focuses only on the negative aspects of the Police. The piece doesn’t allow the reader to ma ke his own judgement fairly.

Advocacy in Social Work

Advocacy in Social Work Advocacy, Rights and Partnership This reflective report contains my experience and understanding of advocacy and explains the types of advocacy and its methods and models, I will explain the theories and relate it to my practice and finally discuss the strengths and weakness of my area of practice and discuss the conflicts of interest implication up on the service user. DEFINITION OF ADVOCACY Advocacy is defined as a key concept in social work practice. It is defined as exerting influence on behalf of organisations and groups within legal power and political structure. † Advocacy involves either an individual or group, or their representatives, pressing their case with influential others, about situations which either affect them directly or, and more usually, try to prevent proposed changes, which will leave them worse off† .(Pardeck, 1996). Gates (1994) cites four variations of advocacy: legal advocacy, the representation of the user in a formal context, for instance a health-review tribunal; self-advocacy, where the individual or a group of individuals speak up for themselves, a form of empowerment; collective or class advocacy, the large organisations who speak for the interests and rights of a category of people; and citizen advocacy, the representation of the user’s interests by a competent advocate (eg a Social worker). Advocacy is a concept embraced by social work and advocating for clients is vital for the social work profession. The primary goals of advocacy are achieving social justice and people empowerment. In achieving these goals, a proactive, responsive and participatory approach is necessary (Pardeck, 1996). My role as an advocate during my placement was to speak on behalf of my clients and to empower them to advocate on their own behalf, whenever their rights have been denied; for example in accessing state benefits or demanding repair work from local Housing departments. The advocacy role, from a social context, includes t he redistribution of power and recourse to an individual or group, guarding their rights and preserving their values, conserving their best interests and overcoming the sense of powerlessness (Pardeck, 1996. pg 151). RESOURCES AVAILABLE WITHIN PLACEMENT My second year practice placement was with a charity organisation, in the London Borough of Newham called RAMP (Refugee And Migrant Project). RAMP is one of The Renewal Programme projects and is registered with the Home Office – Office of Immigration Services Commission. RAMP works to enable refugees and migrants (including asylum seeker) to realise their potentials and facilitate their integration into society. The focus of the organisation is to provide advice and advocacy and support on welfare benefits, housing and education and NASS – National Asylum Support Services. RELATING THEORY TO ADVOCACY When I began working with migrants, refugees or asylum seekers, I took a very holistic and Person Centred Approach that allowed me to work in partnership and give them the opportunity to go through their own problems and find their own solutions to them. Carl Rogers was the founder of Person-Centred therapy. As a psychologist in the 1950’s and 60’s he studied the process of counselling and came to the conclusion that a number of basic principles were required in order for there to be a positive relationship and outcome between the client and the therapist. These are also known as ‘ core conditions’ :

Introduction to Financial Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Introduction to Financial Accounting - Essay Example The business strategy of the company is to remain focused on building its brands and improve upon its estate. â€Å"The company’s strategy is to be a modern, high quality, highly efficient brewer, wholesaler and retailer of premium specialty beers, wines, spirits, and minerals.† (J.B.Neame, Chief Executive in 2007 Annual Report). The company is admitting in its report that turnover of the company is increasing year by year, but it fails to mention anything about liquidity position of the company. Keeping in view such shortcomings in the material issued by the company as well as based on above background about company; and also as per available terms of references, the financial and overall performance of the company has been analyzed in this write-up as under. 3. In order to evaluate the impact of market developments, the situation has been analyzed based on earning per share and the posture of low capital gearing adopted by the company, in absence any data available about the company from active markets. In respect of analyzing the sales behavior over period from 2005 to2007, the sales in absolute figures have grown from  £91,354,000 in 2005 to  £95,343,000 in 2006 and to  £100,047,000 in 2007. Relatively sales in 2007 have grown 4.9% over 2006 and 9.51% over 2005. The sales behavior is very positive and encouraging despite smoking ban. The basic reason for such tremendous growth in absolute sales is growth in company’s infrastructural facilities providing a real push to the business. By the end of 2007 the company owned 376 pubs; and out of these338 pubs are freehold. Further the adherence to basic strategy of brand building is in fact paying dividends in the growth of gross turnover of the company. On this issue the chairman of the company emphasized in his statement in company’s annual report 2007, â€Å"Our business strategy remains to build our brands, invest to improve our pub estate, remain focused on our strength and to improve our overall

Immigration in the 19th Century, Teddy Roosevelt, and Labor Unions Essay

Immigration in the 19th Century, Teddy Roosevelt, and Labor Unions - Essay Example During the time of the great immigration, all the people needed were a boat ticket or in the least other means of transport to get to America. Thus, the shipbuilding industry facilitated the immigration significantly. During the agrarian revolution and the following years, several people came into America as slaves, to work in the factories and farms of the people. However, the immigration wave from the period 1820s to 1890s marked the observable immigration process. The immigrants in this period were mainly from Ireland and Germany, which brought about 5 million immigrants. The migration was because of includes famine and poverty in Ireland and political instability in Germany. Additionally, there were other immigrants, including from France, Canada and Sweden. Along these Europeans also came about 90000 Japanese and 300000 Chinese, whose chief reason was to make money for the Japanese and flee the opium war for the Chinese (Alexander, 2007). The industrial revolution further attracted more immigrants from the year 1890 to 1919. The immigrants into America this period constituted people from Italy, Austria, Hungary, Russia, Ireland and Great Britain. Conversely, with the arrival of the World War , the immigration declined. Nonetheless, over 9 million immigrants already settled in America (Alexander, 2007). The immigration into America took root from three reasons. Some were economic reasons, which featured search for wealth and employment, political reasons, which featured escape from the warring countries, and religious reasons, featuring trials and executions due to religious beliefs. The people as they migrated, due to the high numbers and inadequate housing, settled in groups in what grew into slum settlements. Additionally, due to the influx of people, unemployment rates increased as well as, the income of families (Alexander, 2007). The immigrants grew the American economy stronger. However,

Balanced Reading Program Part 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Balanced Reading Program Part 3 - Essay Example Description of the balance literacy program, basic components, analysis of linguistic articles to supplement the strategy, design of comprehensive framework components, and metrics to assess the activities and timeline of strategies are the key points of the paper to achieve the desired improvement in the children. Many children struggle to achieve the academic competency despite existence of various viewpoints regarding the approach to teaching children how to read. â€Å"Read to Succeed† program creates the design of comprehensive framework for assisting children in reading and writing. Teachers and academicians faces dilemma regarding the choice of methodology that can serve as model of excellence for teaching and reading in classrooms. For instance, the skills based phonics process that stresses on the breaking down of individual word into several component sounds, or the relatively easier and child-centric approach that emphasizes on the reading of texts and simultaneously deciphering its meaning through fun-filled shared readings in classrooms strengthens the value of the program. Balanced literacy program addresses these issues. The balanced reading approach offers effective techniques for enhancing reading, writing, listening, viewing and speaking skills. Cohen and Cowen (2007) observes the inculcation of right aptitude and attitude in the student in which â€Å""The primary goal of a balanced literacy program is to teach reading, not as a skill broken into isolated steps, but as a lifelong learning process that promotes higher order thinking, problem solving and reasoning† (pp. 37). The basic components of a Balanced Literacy Program include Reading and Writing that can be divided into various sub-components such as ‘Reading Aloud’, ‘Shared Reading’, ‘Guided Reading’, ‘Independent Reading’, ‘Modeled/Shared Writing’, ‘Interactive Writing’, and ‘Independent Writing’.

Media Portrayal of Drugs and how has it desensitized America Research Paper

Media Portrayal of Drugs and how has it desensitized America - Research Paper Example The media in America can be seen as the supporters of drugs, like alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana, inhalants, and cocaine. Both print and visual media show the use of drugs abundantly. The excessive portrayal of drugs and violence in the media has a mighty impact on the teenagers, but the media in America do not take the matter seriously. Therefore, one can find various opinions regarding the presentation of the news of drugs in media. The media picture the use of drugs in different ways. It depicts the public on one side and the drug producers on the other side. The portrayal of drugs in movies and videos has created a desensitized attitude to drugs among the teenagers and the youth. The present article makes out a study on the relationship between media and drugs in the American society, emphasizing how the excessive display of drugs in media has desensitized this matter. Media portray the American youth as affected with sex, drugs, crime, and the illicit substances. The involvement of youth and teenagers with drugs and other substances has made the media think that the use of drug among the children is inseparable from the American way of life. So the media are not at all reluctant in presenting such things, instead, they popularize the use of it. The teenagers are the most likely affected ones by the media. The project Media Portrayal of Teenagers and the Effects by Kiera Gilbert, a student of City Charter High School, focuses on the presentation of teenagers by the media with regard to drugs and other substances. The writer says that in America about 4000 teens at grade 6 smoke tobacco for the first time and half of these teens become addicted to smoking. The media play a crucial role in the enhancement of it among the teens, as the presentation of drugs in media is connected with the glamorizing the habit. The writer makes the points clearer by stating that â€Å"cigarette advertising increases teenagers’ risk of smoking by glamorizing smoking and smokers† (Gilbert, 2010, p.6). The media have played a key role in the increasing alcoholism among the teens in the nation. â€Å"Alcohol drinks are the most common beverages portrayed on TV and 56% of students on grades 5-12 say alcohol advertising encourages them to drink† (Gilbert, 2010, p.6). The use of drugs remains to be a common phenomenon in America. Lloyd D. Johnson et al in their seminal book Drug Use among American High School Seniors, College Students and young Adults, 1975- 1990 point out the fact that the use of alcohol and cigarette start at the school level. He establishes that the use of illicit drugs is initiated by sixth grade among the students. He asserts that 19% of students in sixth grade use cigarette and 11% use alcohol. With regard to the use of the drugs like marijuana and inhalants, the rate is 2.8% among the students at the grade sixth. When the students reach the 9th grade, the rate is increased to a greater level (Johnston et al., 1991, p. 9). Drugs, sex and violence are closely related to the media that focus these elements. A study was carried out by Craig Anderson and Brad Bushman of Iowa University, in which they could analyze the involvement of media and the violence of children. They found out that children and youth who play violent video games are prone to show aggressive behavior towards others. The exposure of

Exploring Military Education Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Exploring Military Education - Assignment Example He asserts that military education should equip soldiers to be effective defenders of the USA as well as the effective defenders of the American interest and its partners around the world. This article is credible because it is written by a professor who has deep knowledge of the military education. Professor Joan Johnson-Freese is also the former chair of national Security Affairs at the war college, Newport in the Department of Defense Alfred, M. V., &Nafukho, F. M. (2010). International and Comparative Adult and Continuing Education. In C. E. Kasworm, A. D. Rose, & J. M. Ross-Gordon (Eds.) Handbook Of Adult And Continuing Education (Pp. 93–102). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Bezacie Gerard. (2004). Synergy Between Doctrine, Training And Military Education Military education helps the soldiers to be equipped with the general knowledge since just like any other human activity; war is subject to changes and greatly depends on the choices made during a particular period . Military education also assists the soldiers to solve issues with strict intellectual discipline thus enhancing decision making process as well as equipping and preparing the future commanders in their new roles. This article is credible since it is a publication by the military experts and professionals Kerka, Sandra. (2002). ACVE - Teaching Adults: Is It Different? Eric Publications. Sandra Kerka asserts that adult learning are based on problems and challenges hence emphasizing the need for critical and transformative learning unlike the children’s learning which is dependent and lacks life experience. Adults are likely to be self directive and greatly motivational thus making it possible for soldiers to understand the concepts and importance of the military education. This article is credible because it is peer reviewed and backed by very rich primary resources from professionals such as Drapper, Guffey and Ramp. The article is also published by educational resources inf ormation centre which is a renowned publisher Smit, H., Den Oudendammer, F., Kats, E., & Van Lakerveld, J. (2009). Lifelong Learning on Either Side of the Border: The Effects of Government Policy on Adult Education In The Netherlands And Belgium.European Journal Of Education,  44(2), 257-270. A country’s adult education is dependent on various factors such as historical, cultural and economical and differs in many countries. For instance, in Netherlands, vocational training is emphasized amongst adults just like in Belgium where it is greatly supported too. This article is peer reviewed and scholarly. It is also credible because it has other reliable sources cited in it Maric, L., Krsmanovic, B., Mraovic, T., Gogic, A., Sente, J., & Smajic, M. (2013). The Effectiveness Of Physical Education Of The Military Academy Cadets During A 4-Year Study.  Vojnosanitetski Pregled. Military-Medical and Pharmaceutical Review,  70(1), 16-20. Maric et al studied the main role of physic al education in the cadets’ life and their general personality development by evaluating the effectiveness of physical education. Physical education somewhat develops physical skills but through endurance, strength and speed. This resource is primary since it involves research thus proving its credibility. This study was carried out in the Military academy with a total of 120

From Data to Decision Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

From Data to Decision - Essay Example The data sets have been graphed accordingly as histograms in the graphs presented below. The graphs presented above clearly show that the best actors in the range between 0 and 30 are only 3 which represent only 3.8% of the entire data set. In contrasts the best actresses in this classification are 30 that represent 37.8% of the entire data set making it exceptionally high. Furthermore, as the classifications in the best actors categories proceeds the frequency increases most in the range between 31 and 60 with the greatest expansion in the range between 41 and 50 claiming a frequency of 31. In contrast, the best actresses graph tends to display the greatest frequencies between 0 and 41 with a total of 60. This is out of a total of 79 which in turn makes that best actresses graph skewed towards these age ranges. In contrast the best actor graph is somewhat centrally distributed around the 41 to 50

Compare and contrast the poems Essay Example for Free

Compare and contrast the poems Essay The poem leaves us either reassured that in the midst of all evil there can be some good or depressed and in despair because in the family life of the Belson commandant lurks an evil which could ruin their lives any time. Night of the Scorpion The title denotes power and control from the scorpion as one night the scorpion ruled and controlled everything that happened. The title uses Night to give a sense of dark times and that something fatal may occur. The poem is very other. It has an Indian location which is where scorpions can be found as it is one of the warmer regions of the world. The poem is in free verse with the last three lines sectioned off. It is of narrative style and contains a very memorable heart. The weather was desperate and it was lashing with rain. In fact the monsoon conditions had affected the scorpion and all that it wanted to do was to shelter from the torrent. However it was disturbed by the poets mother who was probably searching for rice to feed her family. She was stung and the poison from the tail entered her bloodstream like a foreign invader defiling the enemy territory. Many neighbours arrived and the author compares this to a swarm of flies. I would compare it to students who clamour around desperate fro entertainment around a schoolyard fight or would be helpers around an accident victim. The neighbours like the helpers all had their suggestions many of their ideas involving the power, rituals and beliefs of religion. The scorpion is thought to be evil when in reality it is only trying to protect itself. The people believed that the victim and the scorpion were still linked. This bond meant that when the scorpion moved the poison inside the mother moved around her blood invading and conquering. Many prayers were said for the victim. The neighbours also felt that out of this tragic accident some good would emerge. The poison would burn away her sins and cleanse and purify her body of excessive ambition and lustful or adulterous thoughts or acts. Neighbours believed that her suffering was paying the price of evil to God and reducing the amount of evil in the world. The victims husband was willing to try any one idea or a combination and mixture of the suggestions. He was usually not one to believe in religion but usually based his opinions on logic and facts. Yet even he set fire to the affected site and watched the flame feeding on her toe. A holy man was allowed to perform sacred rites and after twenty hours the victim recovers only to rejoice in the fact that it was her and not her children. The mothers wishes were a superb example of the unconditional love most mothers feel for their children. Comparisons and Differences. Both poems are about creatures who are simply concerned with their own survival. With the vultures it is the need for food that causes them to be scavenges and with the scorpion its wish not to be squashed causes it to flash its diabolic tail. Both poems give information on cultures that are not familiar to us. The main difference is the message given by the poets In vultures the readers can chose there own position with regards to good and evil whereas the second message denotes the helplessness that sometimes death will occur and at other times the victim will survive. In the scorpion it is possible for both the victim and the scorpion to survive whereas the vultures will die if they dont eat prey and the prey is already dead. Death is a necessary evil for the vultures. Cultural Background I think that Night of the Scorpion best captures cultural background because it mentions religion and family life from another culture. For example mud baked walls and candles and lanterns and the Holy man performing his rights to tame the poison with an incantation. Whereas vultures is set in the middle of nowhere, somewhere like the deserted plains of Africa. It isnt something that would be found happening in a village. Scorpion is a true story of the poets family and it comes across through the detail and building of atmosphere the poem contains brought about by the phrase ten hours of steady rain had driven him to crawl beneath a sack of rice. As he was there at the time his thoughts and feelings are brought across very well in his writing. The poem shows compassion when the mother only said Thank God the scorpion picked on me and spared my children. Conclusion I prefer vultures as I like the way in which evil is contained in good. This is shown in the phrase in the very germ of that kindred love is lodged the perpetuity of evil. The evil is described in phrases such as picked the eyes of a swollen corpse, ate the things in its bowel and fumes of human roast. The good however is conjured up by inclined affectionately and tender offspring. I feel it is more of a poem compared to Night of the Scorpion because Scorpion is a very much narrative style of writing. It is too narrative for my liking.

Healthy Settlement of Migratory Workers

Healthy Settlement of Migratory Workers Project on healthy settlement of migratory workers in a town of Gujarat Background: Migration is the inevitable process of any country. People are migrating for the better opportunities and socioeconomic condition. Particularly the workforce migration is more common in last decade due to boom in construction industry in India. This inevitable process should be made safe and healthy by the local and national government. But unfortunately there is no policy of government for such migratory population in country, which force to pay heavy cost for human development. Due to this the migrant population are always neglected and left to mercy of God. They do not have safe hygiene, safe water supply, safe shelter, good education, healthcare or safe food. There are some facts and figures in this context – The Article 19 of Constitution of India gives right to all citizens ‘to move freely throughout the territory of India; to reside and settle in any part of territory of India’. As per NSSO 2007-08, internal migration in India is 28.5% of population. The migration in India is the two types; long term and short term migration. Long term migration results the permanent relocation. Short term migration means seasonal migration around 30% of total migration is short term or seasonal migration. This is the group which is manly belonging to lower sociao economic group and poor vulnerable group. They are schedule casts or schedule tribe with low education, economically weak and lack of resources. Majority of workforce migrate for the opportunity of work. The females are the associated migratory population. This construction industry has the 310,000 Crores INR volumes. And around 82% of workforce is unorganized and unskilled labour. The bigger the city, higher the number of migratory workers with great expectation of the employment. But it doesn’t mean there is no migration to small town. On 28th July 2014, Indian Express reported that CAG reported that only 6% of 12 lack construction workers are registered in Gujarat. This registration is for providing the eight welfare schemes. The eight welfare schemes are educational assistance, maternity benifites, accidental death, medical assistance, housing assistance, Rastriya Swasth Bima Yojana, funeral assistance and training. Looking to these challenges the _______ NGO working in the Gujarat is willing to develop model concept for the government which is easy scalable and cost effective for the settlement of migratory workers in small town and city of the Gujarat. The project for to provide holistic social economic development of migratory population in a town Surendranagar of Gujarat with following objectives – To assess the baseline living condition including education, social, health, hygienic conditions of temporary migratory workers in a town of Gujarat. To develop healthy and hygienic settlement shelter care model for the temporary migratory population. To find out the use of mobile technology for registration and movement of such population. To develop model such a way that they will get all government services and welfare schemes at their door steps. To generate awareness among the builder lobby for the right of construction migratory workers and welfare schemes. Develop self-help group among such workers for self care. Project time:2015-18 About organization HELP TRUST The HELP TRUST was founded in 2006. Some devoted and educated working people got together and decided to start some gainful activities to benefit the society’s economically backward class by providing them social and health equity of all kinds. The main aim of organization is to achieve highest social and health services for deprived communities. Some activities were conducted in year 2010-11 that are as follow: Training for industrial workers about Safety and Health Awareness about Female feticide and ‘Beti Bachao’ Anti tobacco day celebration Awareness about kitchen garden among 4 villages of Viramgam Block, Ahmedabad district Awareness about ante-natal check up among rural women in 8 villages of Surendranager district. World Breast Feeding week celebration among urban slum of city Surendranager and 6 villages of Wadhawan block, district Surendranager. Woman right awareness Shibir in urban areas of district Surendranager and Ahmedabad. Medical camp for children and women Distribution of education kit to poor and needy students. Worm compost training for needy farmers in rural areas of district Surendranager. Awareness about impact of climate change and human health among young students of Surendranager city. Iodized salt promotion Champaign in Wadhawan Block. Along with above activities the organization is working in the field of Tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS for last five years. The organization field workers are observing world tuberculosis day and world AIDS day every year in community and increasing the awareness about disease. (Refer annual report of organization). Organizational resources: Organization has good infrastructure which can be used for project. The organization has field level staff that can help for the project. The travel and other expenses can be bared under scheme. Organisation has TV/VCD for display of various IEC. Population of district:1767377 Migratory population (2011):123716 (if we consider 7% of population) Methodology Project implementation – The project will be conducted phase manner Phase – 1 Baseline survey to find out the actual population, mapping and their problem in local scenario (Year 2015-16) in Surendranagar In phase -1 In the town Surendranagar, all the wards will be screened for the mapping and sociao-demographic mapping of the migratory population with identification of social, economic, health, educational and other problems. This baseline survey will be done in a year. With snow balling method of sampling and all the wards of town will be covered for the assessment. Phase – 2 Implementation of healthy holistic settlement for migratory population in Surendranagar (2016–18) and the feasibility assessment of the model, including use of mobile technology for tracking of the migratory population, temporary shelter with all basic care supply model with token charges, providing health, education and basic facilities with local corporation bodies, self help group development and social support to needy people. The operational and feasibility issues will be identified and resolved over the time. Phase -3 Evaluation and Sharing of experiences with government (2018-19) Evaluation and outcome of the model the outcome will be measured with the help of qualitative and quantitative study of service utilization. The various stakeholders will be interrogated for feasibility and improvement. Lastly wide dissemination of information will be done for the awareness in community and policy makers for further expansion at national level in programme. Financial details ActivitiesUnit costTotal (Rs) 1. Baseline in-depth survey 20,00,000 1 year20,00,000 with mapping 2. Salary of various postfor 4 years 1,95,12,000 a. Programme officer(1) (@60,000*12 = 7,20,000*4= 28,80,000) b. Finance officer (1) (@25,000*12 = 3,00,000*4 = 12,00,000) c. Public health consultant(1) (@50,000*12= 6,00,000*3= 18,00,000) d. Social scientist (1) (@25,000*12 = 3,00,000*4 = 12,00,000) e. Environmental scientist (1) (@30,000*12=3,60,000*3= 10,80,000) e. Software expert(1) (@25,000*12 = 3,00,000*2 = 6,00,000) f. Liaison officer(1) (@25,000*12 = 3,00,000*4 = 12,00,000) g. Field supervisor (4) (@15,000*12*4*4=28,80,000) h. Ward level Field workers (14) (@8,000*12*4*14 =53,76,000) i. Office assistance cum peon (2)(@5,000*12*4 = 2,40,000) j. Honorarium to consultant and expert with travelling (10,56,000) 3. Ward-wise Model shelter home cost (14 * 15 * 1,00,000 such -one time) 4. Maintenance cost of shelter home (15,00,000/year*3) 45,00,000 5. Training and capacity building of various staff(10,00,000/year for 3 years) 30,00,000 6. Development Reproduction of IEC material (5,00,000/y*3)15,00,000 7. Travel expenses(5,00,000/y*3)15,00,000 8. Publication and documentation charges 5,00,000 9. Contingency (5 years) 20,00,000 Total 1

Civilization Essay -- science

Civilization In his essay â€Å"Civilization and Its Discontents†, Sigmund Freud states his opinion that technological progress has failed to make humans happier. I strongly disagree to this opinion as I believe that today’s technological progress has made our lives more efficient and interesting, and thus more happy. Freud speaks in a time when the progress of technology had not started its rapid acceleration, and so the technology of his day did not have a large positive impact on the whole of society, compared to today’s world. Technology has changed many things in our lives, but has it made our lives any better? Technology does make people happier. Humans always want to upgrade their paraphernalia to new more efficient pieces of equipment. Researchers are always looking to improve the current technology, and come with modern efficient devices to improve our lives. Researching has been created because we want to evolve along the technological scale. Humans have been progressing for thousands of years and we still are. If society were to stop emerging with new inventions, we would be very unhappy in the long run. The leading edge of technology is what makes us happy. The microwave oven is a prime example of technology making us happy. If we were to abolish the microwave many people would be angry because it is a very handy cooking appliance. Items that are efficient make society happy. Technology is directly linked to happiness. Simple devices have been developed to make almost every aspect of our lives easier. Remote controls, electrical beds, gel based running shoes, palm pilots and cell phones are just a few examples of how the little things make our lives easier and more comfortable for us. Anybody that owns a new top of the line cellular phone is proud to have it because it makes simple things in their life easier, and thus taking away stress. A lot of these things we take for granted, but without them people would surely feel the loss as their lives would be a little more stressful to carry out, so today’s technological devices truly do make us happier, or keep us happy. There are hundreds of thousands of hobbies, sports and activities existing in the world today with the help of modern technology. There are hobbies for all ages and all tastes on the market. Imagine if we only had a few hobbies involving constructing things out of wood... .... Just because our technology is more advanced does not mean we can achieve a higher level of happiness. Our lifestyles are more efficient and thus a larger portion of the population is content. People have more time in day because many chores have been cut down in time. The reason we seem to have very little time in day is because we all partake in more activities that are being made possible by modern technology. Technology has a much greater impact on society now than in Freud’s time because it has been expanding more rapidly. My reasoning for this essay would be much harder to demonstrate if we were in the early 1900’s but I would still stick to my opinion. The fact that our opinions are stated in different times makes it harder to compare them. As John Mill would say â€Å"opinions should always be argued against†. Because Freud lived in a time when the then modern technology did not affect the mass of population in greatly positive ways, he has more reasoning to say that technology does not make people happier. But because I am referring to today’s world, I strong believe that modern technology makes us happier as it touches the lives of every person in many different ways.

Thomas Edison Essay -- essays research papers

Thomas Edison Thomas (Alva) Edison was one of America’s most important and famous inventors. Edison was born into a time and place where there wasn’t much technological advancements. His inventions helped a lot of things quickly change in the world. His inventions contributed to many inventions today such as the night light, movies, telephones, and records and CDs. Edison is most famous for the development of the first electric light bulb. Like I said Edison was born into a time where America wasn’t very developed. He was born, and electricity had not been developed. But thanks to Edison when he had passed away on October 18, 1931 whole cities were lit up in electricity. For electricity, much of the credit goes to Edison. Some of his inventions were improvements on other inventions, like the telephone. He didn’t â€Å"invent† the telephone he just made it better. Some of his inventions he did try to invent, like the light bulb and the movie projector. The one he is most proud of was pretty much an accident--the phonograph. Edison invented and improved upon things that changed our world. Some of the things he invented, he did by himself. Some he did with other people. Just about all his inventions are still around today and are commonly used. It was important to Edison that he created and invented things that people could use in their everyday life. Thomas Edison was born on February 11, 1847 in Milan Ohio. He was the youngest of all 7 children. His parents were Samuel Edison, Jr. and Nancy Elliot Edison. His dad was a man that did everything, from real-estate to running the local grocery store. His mom was a teacher, but with 7 children she stayed home with the kids preparing meals and helping them with homework. When Thomas was seven years old, his family moved to Port Huron, Michigan. He was full of energy and a curious young boy. When Thomas moved to Port Huron he started to go to school. His teacher, Reverend Engle considered Thomas to be a dull student. Thomas knew this and didn’t like it. Thomas didn’t like math and asked a lot of questions. Which Reverend Engle did not like. It was told that Reverend Engle whipped students who asked too many questions, cause it was an annoyanc... ...oratory, Edison decided he would invent a safe, mild, and inexpensive electric light. Edison searched for the proper "filament" or wire, that would give good light when electricity flowed through it. He sent people to the jungles of the Amazon and forests of Japan in his search for a perfect filament material. He tested over 6,000 vegetable growths (baywood, boxwood, hickory, cedar, flax, bamboo) as filament material. In 1879, after spending $40,000, and performing 1,200 experiments, he succeeded. He made a light bulb using carbonized filaments from cotton thread. Carbonized thread is ordinary cotton sewing thread that has been burned to an ash. The light bulb burned for two days. The electric light took the greatest amount of time and required the most complicated experiments of all his experiments. Conclusion In conclusion Mr. Thomas Edison was a great inventor which enhances my everyday life with his unbelievable inventions. If Thomas Edison never invented the lightbulb who knows what the world would be like today. I think that Thomas Alva Edison was a great inspiration and inventor to many people today.

Free Essays - The Grace of God :: Personal Narrative Essays

The Grace of God The Revolution Has Begun - Stop giving your authority to Christ & the Void & the Imagination- you are it, now, the God...you are needed - stop hiding yr. Light in a bushel. - Allen Ginsberg to Neal Cassady My mother was Catholic, and although she raised us as Episcopalians, I always felt that she wanted to go back to her baptismal religion. There was always a loyalty in her to her heritage. I sensed this as she explained to me her belief that everyone is born with a purpose. You need to seek out your destiny, she said. I do not agree with my mother. Destiny unfolds as you live your life. Your purpose is to follow what you care about, and in turn, what you care about will make progress. True love entails the same thought. There is no "the one" for each of us. We begin to know someone and that develops into love, and that person becomes "the one" because there is no one else who could ever be what he or she has become to you. Nothing is preset, but rather, unravels. In that sense, you create your own life, your own fate, your own God. And if you create it, you are it. Everything in your life comes from within you, even your religion. That is the only hole proof comfort to the frailties I mentioned before. Believe it if you wish. I do. Sometimes. I used to stare at my ceiling in the dead of the night and trace the edge where the walls meet with my eyes, my only fear, that the line might blur, or worse, become too sharp. What do I think of in the dead of the night? I think of God. Because darkness is upon me and I have no other protection from the horrors that lurk in my mind. I have no other protection from the edge of my walls, the extremities of my reality, becoming blade-like sharp.

Romeo and Juliet – Fate

What effect does the theme of fate have on the play ? Romeo and Juliet is a tragic love story where the two lovers meet their unfortunate deaths caused by their feuding families and forbidden love. The play encircles the vital theme of fate, as demonstrated by a series of events that occur. Firstly, the sheer birth of the â€Å"pair of star-cross’d lovers† into controversial families is an act of fate. â€Å"the fearful passage of their death marked love† purely advises the audience that both characters would meet their deaths. Located within the prologue, these lines commence the play, jolting it into motion. Shakespeare explores the theme of fate by rendering the audience wonder, to what extent we are able to control our actions. Additionally, the actual meeting of Romeo and Juliet is also an example of fate. At this point, the audience would be torn in two directions. They should be gazing in awe at their true love at first sight, but dread overtakes, as this encounter would eventually lead both to their deaths. Until death, does their fate continue to pursue and Shakespeare once again questions our ability of free will. â€Å"a plague on both your houses† Mercutio exclaims, striking a chord of Romeo and Juliet’s fate. When Mercutio is accidentally slain and as a consequence, Tybalt is killed, a forewarning materializes regarding the lovers’ downfall. After banishment from Verona as a penalty for slaughtering Tybalt, Romeo shouts â€Å"O, I am fortune’s fool†, which confirms fate would control his destiny. Furthermore, fate takes a strike when Friar John was unable to deliver the letter to Romeo on time, therefore leading him to believe in Juliet’s death. Within this love story stars are employed as the metaphor of fate. After Romeo realizes that Juliet is ‘dead’ he cries â€Å".. then I defy you, stars! † In conclusion, â€Å"Romeo and Juliet† validates the theme of fate proficiently as Shakespeare carefully establishes the characters and plot contained by it. Without fate, this unfortunate story would fail to possess such a dramatic emotional outcome on its audience.

Life Signs †Poem and Summary By Mahapatra Essay

LIFE SIGNS Violence the day dims. When I open and shut my mouth the darkness chokes inside. The sad light pushes against a bullock-cart-driver’s whip which rests in a corner of the corridor, safe from the black pressure of dragging ribs. a country total solar eclipse It was the drawn-out cry of day that left behind no echo, day that became meek as a frightened child. A banner of pale human skin fluttered on top of the temple of Jagannath the vase a monsoon day fable The fable at the beginning of the monsoon choes alone, like a bell ringing in a temple far from home. in the fields of desolate rice captive air of chandipur on sea lost children of America dead river life signs grandfather again one day walking by the river. — Jayant Mahapatra Summary of â€Å"Life Signs† â€Å"Life signs† is the title poem of the volume Life Signs. The father-son relationship has been explored quite extensively and intensively in Indian English poetry, by Ramanujan, Parthasarathy, Shiv. K. Kumar and others and â€Å"Father† poems have become even a sub-genre of Indian Poetry in English. Life Signs† captures the central preoccupation of Mahapatra’s poetry, the irrevocable influence of the Father (by extension, the hoary tradition of the land) and the anxiety of the son-persona (the modernist, rationalist, unbeliever poet, by extension) to be freed of it Structurally, the poem is â€Å"a loosely connected set of evocative signs rather than a system and discourse† and such a poem with shifting metaphors may challenge neat interpretation; yet it â€Å"can have a great power to convey a highly complex experience and can acquire haunting beauty† (G. N. Devy). â€Å"The Cows† can be read as a companion poem. 11. 1- 2: What’s in my†¦: a blunt statement of the son-persona’s in ability to â€Å"occupy† the beliefs of the father 11. 3-5: a sense of loss caused by separation between father and son described in terms of the flowing river; the image of flow may also imply the passage of a major category in Mahapatra’s vision. 11. – 10: an associative cluster of signs: â€Å"sun†, â€Å"kites† and â€Å"clouds† evoking the sense of agedness of the traditions, which haunts him. 1. 15: â€Å"the odour†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦: another image evoking the sense of decay 11. 19-20: â€Å"come to rest†: typical Mahapatran obscurities which are the interpreter’s despair: 11. 23- 24: a conflict between the traditional beliefs and the rationalist skepticism of those beliefs- 11. 23- 24: the sense of loss and a discovery of a strange wisdom.

I am Sam [2001] directed by JessieNelson and The Curious Incident of the Dog the Night Time [2003] writtenby Mark Haddon

Narratives whatever the medium can reflect the cultural context that produced them. They can underline our dominant representations and perpetuate contemporary values which validate society's collective view of the world. Text's both non print and print are commercially driven, designed for public consumption. To attain mass appeal, texts act to confirm habitual ways of thinking and acting in the world. As a product of its contextual community, narratives amplify ideologies within society at the time the text was produced. With similar producer/audience social framework reader/viewers may actively engage ith the narrative to cross examine society's collective view of the world. The two contemporary texts I am Sam [2001] directed by Jessie Nelson and The Curious Incident of the Dog the Night Time [2003] written by Mark Haddon illustrate cultural narratives which reflect and assess the social frame work of their writer/producer. The two texts connect with contemporary culture to highlight the notion of happiness which underpins western society's dominant ideologies and cultural assumptions of success, mental/social intelligence, materialism and wealth. I am Sam directed by Jessie Nelson is an unforgettable story of life, ove and laughter. The touching tale glorifies two of the most ambiguous and controversial contemporary ideas on child rearing. The feature film maps a mentally challenged adult Sam Dawon [Sean Penn] who singularly raises his daughter Lucy up to her seventh birthday. As it soon becomes apparent that Lucy is intellectually surpassing her father, she begins to intentionally stunt her own growth. Which forces Lucy to walk the line between daughter and parent as her innocence and happiness are jeopardised when a series of misunderstandings leaves Sam fighting to retain custody of his seven year old daughter. This legal battle see's Sam seek the aid of self absorbed, successful lawyer Rita Harrison [Michelle Pfeiffer] who's ambition and sense of social failure pushes her into taking on Sam's case free of charge. Together they must find a way to communicate to each other, to their children and the legal system that a parent is a parent and no matter what the nature of a parent's intelligence or financial status, love is what every child needs. Mark Haddon's The curious incident of the dog in the night time is an original, clever and genuinely moving novel. The text amplifies many rofound issues of human relationships and accepting differences. This murder mystery novel maps fifteen year old Christopher John Francis Boone who knows all the countries of the world, their capitals and every prime number up to 7 057. He takes everything that he sees or is told at face value, and is unable to sort out the strange behaviour of his elders and peers. Although gifted with a superbly logical brain, Christopher is autistic. Routine, order and predictability protect him from the messy, wider world that is until he comes across his neighbour's poodle Wellington impaled on a garden pitch fork. Christopher seizes upon this mystery as a puzzle like a maths problem in hopes of understanding something that makes no sense to him; he sets out to solve the mystery of who killed Wellington. But the investigation leads him down some unexpected paths, as Christopher's write up of his discoveries for the creation of his murder mystery novel evolves into the story of his life. As Christopher is positioned face to face with the dissolution of his parent's marriage. As he tries to deal with the crisis within his own family, we are drawn to the workings of Christopher's mind. This highlights to readers an incredibly vivid xperience of what it is like to be some one who thinks and reacts so differently to what we consider the norm. The archetypical cultural assumptions which frame the notion of success and happiness in the western world classify those that do not conform as â€Å"others†; misunderstood individuals. Non print text I am Sam conveys those marginalised by the dominant western representations, of what constitutes success and happiness through the prototagonist construction of Sam Dawson [Sean Penn]. The technical codes of camera angles, framing, distance and movement are utilised by the text to present the truggle taking place in Sam's head. Viewers are positioned to see the world through Sam's eyes with whirling handheld cameras, whop pans and staccato jump cuts mimicking Sam's bewildered point of view. This si evident in the feature films opening scene. The introductory montage frames Sam's hands colour coordinating sugar packets; the distance and position of the shots positions viewers in Sam's point of view. This intimate frame connected to John Powell's music of an polyphonic upbeat, fugue foregrounds the abstract ambience of Sam Dawson's consciousness. Encouraging viewer's curiosity to wonder why the world is different for him. Though audience perception of Sam is incomplete without the audio and symbolic codes which help fabricate Sean's Penn's character. Penn's mannerisms and vocal distortions evidently present Sam as ‘different'. as Sam Sean Penn speaks in tight toneless clumps, punctuated by bursts of childlike glee. As evident in the opening scene. Sam: â€Å"decafe double tall non fat for Bruce† Customer [Bruce] :†you've got it buddy† hands connect in high five slap Sam: â€Å"that's a wonderful choice Bruce† Customer [Bruce] :†thankyou Sam† Sam: â€Å"yeah it certainly is†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ † Customer [Bruce] :†thankyou†¦ † Sam's manner of walking and holding his hands contributes to convey the struggle taking place in his head. As presented in this initial scene. Sam claps his hands and pounds every surface drumming out a beat to a song only he can hear. This quick paced opening constructs Sam to exist as the western society ‘mist understood' individual. With the social status, emotional and intellectual state of the character being perpetuated endorsing the values and cultural assumptions that frame the notion of success and happiness. The grown man earning $8 dollars an hour exists in a parallel universe to the world of dominant western members. The conventions and techniques of construction employed by the text to formulate the underlying expectations which constitute success and happiness with Sam an explicit representation of those individuals who subvert the naturalised ideology. Contemporary western society ideologies of success and happiness have mapped archetypal cultural assumptions which individuals must conform to represent one who upholds the respecting values. Feature film I am Sam erpetuates the notion of success and happiness via Rita Harrison [Michelle Pfeiffer] who acts to affirm dominant representations. Beverly Hills Lawyer, Rita Harrison conveys a lifestyle which much of western society uphold or aspire to; too busy for anything, caught up in games and rat races, that we believe will bring money, status, power and thus entitle individuals to success and happiness. Symbolic codes are employed by the text to construct Rita to represent society's archetypal assumptions of success and happiness. Binary opposition of the archetypal cultural assumptions which oreground the notion of success and happiness in the modern western world reflect yet shape the social frame work of the texts writing/reading/viewing. Feature films allow us to enter worlds outside our own lives and challenge us to see things in different ways. Contemporary text I am Sam amplifies the naturalised ideologies within society at the time the narrative was produced, highlighting the notion of success and happiness in the modern western world. The text offers a confirmation of society's existing archetypal cultural assum ptions which frame the notion of success and happiness. Though I am Sam offers another perspective of those most often marginalised by the dominant western representation. Binary opposition of how we interact and perceive the world reflects yet challenges the archetypal cultural assumptions which frame the notion of happiness and success. Operating to shape the social frame work of the texts writing/reading. The Curious Incident of the Dog the Night Time, offers readers to see the world though fresh eyes, in a different way. Not only does the novel position readers to see how a child with Asperger's syndrome might approach the world around him, it opens ndividual readers eye's purely by his different approach. Haddon's strength is his ability to present to the reader common situations as looked at from Christopher's new and some what disconcerting perspective. â€Å"Most people are lazy. They never look at everything. They do what is glancing which is the same word for bumping off something and carrying on in almost the same direction, eg when a snooker ball glances off another snooker ball. And the information in their head is really simple. For example, if they are in the country side, it might be 1. I am standing in a field that is full of grass. . There are some cows in the fields 3. It is sunny with a few clouds 4. There are some flowers in the grass. 5. There is a village ion the distance 6. There is a fence at the edge of the field and it has a gate in. And then they would stop noticing because they would be thinking something else like, ‘Oh, it is very beautiful here,' or, ‘I'm worried that I might have left the gas cooker on,' or, ‘I wonder if Julie has given birth yet. ‘ But if I'm standing in a field in the countryside I notice everything. ‘ This disorienting and reorienting of the reader manages to bring readers eep inside Christopher's mind and situate them comfortably within his limited, severely logical point of view. To the extent that readers begin to question the common sense and erratic emotionalism of the normal western citizens who surround, the protagonist, as well as contemporary western institutions and habits of perception. Positioning readers to consider how their individual mind works and how that may differ from others. Guiding readers to critique aspects of western life by means of the naturalised ideologies and cultural assumptions majority of western citizens uphold as their understandings and view of the world re transformed. The misunderstood individual is one which subverts the confimity of domiant cultural frame works. Archetypal cultural assumptions which formulate the notion of happiness in the contempory western world are perpetuated and reinforced through print text The Curious Incident of the Dog the Night Time. As Haddon's explict misanthropy represenation of protagonist Christopher vaildates the underlying expectations which constitues the notion of happiness and success. As readers examinate a condition that is barely comprehended by society, demonstrating how society responds to those it views as abberrant. Haddon presentsthe story in Chrisopher's words as the style of writing contributes to reflect the protagonist perpective. With fragmented chapters of breathless paragraphs and short staccato burts which are framed by unconventional prime numbers to subhead chapters in plcae of cardinal numbers accounts the novel like a stream of logic rather than a stream of cosciousness. The narration allernates with mathematical material, riddles, maps and drawings which demonstrates how Christopher's life is intensely visual; with words and language as secondary forms of communication. Utimately the novel regards the predicatable laws of science far easier to grasp than the passions of people, and hence less frightening. But at the same time, this book affrims for us the importance of such emotions and even if our narrator does not in the end appricate this, the reader does. As the misanthrope perpective where logic is that of paramount importance, perpetuates archetypal cultural assumptions as readers learn to appreicate their social skills which enable them to cope with the myriads of daily hurdles. A fansinating moment in the narrative which maps the cultural aleination of Christopher comes when the young boy realtes his faviour dream. † † A world in which all normal people die of a virus that the autistic are immuine to. The autistic are then free to lead their lives in silence and without the need to look others in the eye or to interpret idiomatic speech. This misanthrope thought constructs protagonist Christopher as an individual whom does not conform to the underlying expectations which constitute teh notion of happiness in the western world. The techniques of construction that present Christopher's perpective postion readers to percieve his austic view point as aberrant. Reinforcing the cultural assumptions as means of conforms of the notion as Christopher explictly subverts them. Print texts provide an ideal avenue to reflect society's values and alter reader's personal perspectives by improving their understandings of the world and social frame work which surround them. Contemporary text The Curious Incident of the Dog the Night Time amplifies the naturalised ideologies within society at the time the narrative was roduced, highlighting the notion of happiness and the cultural assumptions which it advocates. Haddon's novel presents a confirmation of western society's existing ways of thinking and behaving. In doing so The Curious Incident of the Dog the Night Time is an potential site to reassess naturalised idealogies. As readers are guided by the narrative to cross examine their own individual social frame work. As Haddon takes a life that seems horribly constrained and invites readers to view this life with succient imagination demonstrating it to be infinite. But the text does more than that. It sights how little seperates us from those we turn away from in the street. It's about how badly we communicate with one another. It's about accepting that every life is narrow and that our only escape from this is not to run away [to another country, another relationship, a slimmer, more confident self] but to learn to love the people we are and the world in which we find ourselfs. Haddons use of cognitive astrayment through Christophers severly logical point of view popstions readers to question the common sense and cultural assumptions of their own western instiutions, and habits of perception. For example; I found myself questioning whether it is any less logical for 3 red cars to mean that a happy day is ahead, than it is for the frequently western practised symbol of ‘sunshine' meanign a good rewarding day is in advance. As Christopher says â€Å"People go on hoildays to see new things†¦. but i think that there are so many things just in one house that it would take years to think about all of them properly† This vivid portrait of an unique often marginlised perception of life coping rituals highlights the small things in life that most of us forget to look at. The ‘life lessons' situate readers to acknowledge the commonly framed ‘invaild' can excel the minds of those individuals who conform to cultural assumptions. As readers learn although Christopher's path is different from most, he is still in search for the happiness we all seek†¦ As readers appreciate teh strange unique beauty of Chrisophers grasp of life. Which demonstrates the profound functions of the human mind and encourages individuality as the text proves idealogies are apparent without cultural frameworks.

Relevance of Sociology for the study of Law Essay

If societies are based upon agreed upon laws, then they are very much interrelated subjects. They are symbiotic, interwoven, interconnected. When someone commits a crime against another person or their property, they will have to face the consequences in a court of law. Or reduce it to a smaller group such as a tribe. Even amongst members of a tribe, there are laws that may only be verbal, or perhaps not even as formal as that. They are followed because children see them in the form of examples as they grow up. Within each tribe, culture or society, some form of punishment is enforced when a cultural norm is broken. Law can be analyzed sociologically as a method of doing something. Law can be studied as a social process, instrumented by individuals during social interaction. Sociologically, law consists of the behaviors, situations, and conditions for making, interpreting and applying legal rules that are backed by the state’s legitimate coercive apparatus for enforcement. The sociology of law (or legal sociology) is often described as a sub-discipline of sociology or an interdisciplinary approach within legal studies. While some socio-legal scholars see the sociology of law as â€Å"necessarily† belonging to the discipline of sociology, others see it as a field of research caught up in the disciplinary tensions and competitions between the two established disciplines of law and sociology. Yet, others regard it neither as a sub-discipline of sociology nor as a branch of legal studies and, instead, present it as a field of research on its own right within a broader social science tradition. For example, Roger Cotterrell describes the sociology of law without reference to mainstream sociology as â€Å"the systematic, theoretically grounded, empirical study of law as a set of social practices or as an aspect or field of social experience†. The sociology of law became clearly established as an academic field of learning and empirical research after the Second World War. After World War II, the study of law was not central in sociology, although some well-known sociologists did write about the role of law in society. In the work of the Talcott Parsons, for instance, law is conceived as an essential mechanism of social control. In response to the criticisms that were developed against functionalism, other sociological perspectives of law emerged. 1. Critical sociologists developed a perspective of law as an instrument of power. 2. However, other theorists in the sociology of law, such as  Philip Selznick, argued that modern law became increasingly responsive to a society’s needs and had to be approached morally as well. 3. Still other scholars, most notably the American sociologist Donald Black, developed a resolutely scientific theory of law on the basis of a paradigm of pure sociology. 4. Equally broad in orientation, but again different, is the autopoietic systems theory of the German sociologist Niklas Luhmann, who sees law as normatively closed, but cognitively open system. The essential insight underlying all sociological approaches to law is that law is a social phenomenon that should, therefore, be studied sociologically. Beyond this core unifying orientation, sociology and law, otherwise known as the sociology of law, or law and sociology, consists of a variety of different approaches, assumptions, and attitudes. This internal proliferation of approaches is the product of diversity at two different levels. 1. First: sociology and law are contrasting bodies of knowledge. Sociology is a social science focused on the study of society, and like all such disciplines its overarching goal is the gathering of knowledge. Law, in contrast, is a practical activity that focuses on completing certain fundamental tasks, including promulgating and enforcing rules, responding to disputes, and maintaining order. 2. Second: each of these contributing bodies of knowledge is in its own way internally driven, with sociology divided among various competing schools of thought and law divided among practitioners and theorists (adhering to competing schools of thought). When sociology and law are brought together, the differences between them, and the internal divisions that characterize each, are manifested in the combination of the two. In the United States, the primary academic influences in bringing sociology to law were philosophical pragmatism, sociological jurisprudence, and legal realism; the key figures were Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., Roscoe Pound, and Karl Llewellyn. These schools of thought and figures were leaders in the critique of formalistic approaches to the law that dominated at the end of the nineteenth century and early twentieth century. Under formalist views, law was a gapless, logically coherent self-contained system that could be discovered and applied exclusively through cons ideration of legal concepts, principles, and rules, without regard to social context or consequences. The figures identified above argued, to the contrary, that law was the product of social forces, that it was neither gapless nor  systematic, that one could not move mechanistically from principle to application (choices had to be made), and that judges were influenced by the social background in their interpretation and application of law. Most important: they argued that law, far from being autonomous and self-standing, was above all else an instrument to serve social needs. An important social-political influence on their thought was the social programs of the New Deal, which resorted to law as the key mechanism for implementing social policy. It follows this cluster of views that the efficacy of law, and its social consequences, must be carefully evaluated. Hence the call for the application of sociology to law. The early agenda for sociology ranged from studying the gap between â€Å"law in the books† and â€Å"law in action,† to discovering the social influences on the making, the application, and the interpretation of law, to learning whether law is effective in achieving social policy, and how it can be made more effective when it is not. Many sociological studies of law, from the study of crime to influences on judicial decision-making, were conducted to meet this call. Under the influence of sociologist E. A. Ross, law came to be understood as a mechanism of social control, and the thrust of many studies was to make law more efficient and effective in accomplishing this task. A backlash against this jurisprudence-dominated agenda gradually developed from the sociological standpoint, which decried the instrumental use of sociology as a â€Å"handmaiden to law.† As the science of society, the application of sociology to law, it has been argued, should take place in the context of general theories about society, with proper attention paid to epistemological and methodological concerns. The classical sociological theories about law—famously including 1. Émile Durkheim’s view of law as the essential element integrating modern society, 2. Max Weber’s ideal-type analysis of the kinds of law found relative to kinds of societies, and 3. Karl Marx’s characterization of law as determined by economic forces, serving the dominant class all possessed these qualities. 4. A modern sociological theory of this type of law is Donald Black’s view, which assumes a positivistic stance of measuring law in quantitative terms, and articulates a series of â€Å"laws† of legal behavior based upon patterns he observes relating to factors like degree of social stratification. A different current source of criticism of the  jurisprudence-influenced approach to sociology and law comes from critical schools of sociolegal theory, including â€Å"critical empiricists† and â€Å"post-empiricists,† which reject positivism and many of the epistemological underpinnings of classical sociology (including the fact/value distinction). Adherents criticize sociology and law as currently practiced as a conservative tool that serves to preserve the status quo by enhancing the efficiency of law and by failing to scrutinize and reveal the institutional structures and ideological beliefs about law circulating in society which perpetuate (class-based, gender-based, and/or race-based) oppression and domination. Sociological approaches to law, according to this view, must reject the agenda set by jurisprudence, and instead seek to expose all forms of domination perpetuated through law. Sociology and law thus encompasses divergent perspectives on law. Despite significant internal schisms, a growing community of scholars and body of discourse has developed around the combination of sociology and law, united by the shared commitment to view law as a social phenomenon that must be examined in sociological terms. Functions of law * Social control * Dispute resolution * Social change Social control: There are two basic processes of social control: 1. the internalization of group norms and 2. control through external pressures. In Chtonic societies, social control is ensured by the fact that socializing experiences are very much the same for all members. Even in larger societies, social control rests largely on the internalization of shared norms. Formal social control is characterized by: (i) explicit rules of conduct, (ii) planned use of sanctions to support the rules, and (iii) designated officials to interpret and enforce the rules, and often to make them. Law does not have a monopoly on formal mechanisms of social control. Control through law is usually exercised by the use of negative sanctions and not by positive rewards. A person that obeys the law does not receive an award. Mechanisms of social control through law: (i) Criminal sanctions, (ii) civil commitment, and (iii) administrative licenses. Criminal sanctions: the purpose of sanctions: Retribution (denounce unlawful conduct) Deterrence (both specific and general), Rehabilitation of the offender. Civil commitment: medicalization of social problems, such as drug abuse, alcoholism, etc. Administrative law: administrative regulations is used as a means of social control. Dispute resolution: Types: By the parties themselves: physical violence, family feud, lumping it, avoidance, etc. By adjudication: ADR: negotiation (without the help of any third party), mediation (third party helps disputants), and arbitration (third party makes a final and binding decision, which is enforceable). Hybrid resolution processes: rent a judge (like arbitration, but with a retired judge), med-arb (issues not solved by mediation are sent to arbitration where the mediator becomes arbiter), and mini trial (if there is no settlement before the â€Å"sentence† the adviser gives her opinion about the likely outcome if the dispute were litigated). Adjudication: a formal method of conflict resolution, where a third party –the courts- intervenes –even if not wanted by the parties- and renders a decision which is enforceable. Social change Law is both a dependent and an independent variable, i.e., an effect and a cause of social change. The question is not whether law changes society or whether social change alters law, but rather, what level or under what circumstances change is produced. Examples of social changes as causes of legal changes: Soviet Union, China, and other radical revolutions. Examples of legal changes as causes of social changes: adultery, sexual assault, etc. Problems of interaction between sociologists and lawyers Sociologists study everything about the law, except for rules –institutional structures, processes, behavior, personnel, and culture. Lawyers and sociologists don’t speak the same language. There is a special rethoric of law. It has its own vocabulary, an arcane writing style, and a form of irritating citation. There are also differences in professional culture. Lawyers are advocates. They are concerned with the identification and resolution of the problems of their clients. Sociologists consider all evidence on a proposition and approach the problem with an open mind. Lawyers are guided by precedents and past decisions control current cases. In contrast, sociologists emphasize empirical research. Lawyers and law professors tend to believe that they have a monopoly over law. This is as if physicians thought that they had a monopoly over the bodies. The pronouncements of law are predominantly prescriptive: they tell people how they should behave and what will happen to them if they don’t. In sociology, the emphasis is on description, on understanding the reasons why certain groups of people act in a certain way in specific situations. The law reacts to problems most of the time. The issues and conflicts are brought to lawyers by their clients outside the legal system. In sociology, issues and concerns are generated within the discipline on the basis of what is considered intellectually challenging, timely, or of interest to funding agencies. These differences are due in part to the different methods they use.

Planning Careers and Demand Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Planning Careers and Demand - Essay Example re also applicable in the United States? And (2) if so, what career advice would you give to these people if you were mentoring them? Specify three key pieces of advice. Planning Careers and Demand Applicability of Findings The findings in the United Kingdom indicating that the trend for college graduates is to look for jobs that accord vast opportunities for career breaks could not possibly be applicable in the United States. As aptly quoted from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics regarding career decisions, â€Å"making informed career decisions requires reliable information about opportunities in the future. Opportunities result from the relationships between the population, labor force, and the demand for goods and service† (cited from The Indians Abroad, 2009, par. 1). ... y Anderson (2001) acknowledged that "workers in the United States are putting in more hours than anyone else in the industrialized world" (Anderson, 2001, par. 1). The above information disputes UK’s trend on college graduates’ priorities on career breaks as being likewise applicable in the US. The mere fact that students opted to pursue college careers indicate that they are holistically prepared to get into the greater responsibilities, accountabilities accorded to college graduates – with the aim of being remunerated more than their non-college degree holder counterparts who are looking for employment. These groups of graduates are more high achievement oriented and recognize the need to earn more while the demands for their respective professions are high. Further, the basic difference in UK and US economy pertains to availment of health insurance benefits. The National Health Service (NHS) of the UK â€Å"provides free essential health care for all UK citiz ens - regardless of age, occupation or the ability to pay† (Healthinsurance, 2010, par. 1). In contrast, health insurance in the US is still being reformed to accommodate millions of uninsured Americans, who could not afford to pay for insurance coverages and therefore need to seek for appropriate high-paying jobs to afford exorbitant health insurance fees and medical costs. Thus, while newly hired college graduates in the UK could afford to look forward to career breaks, their counterparts in the US need to work their way up the organizational ladder to save for a rainy day. Finally, there really is a big difference in the standard paid vacation between the UK and the US. Infoplease (2011) cited the World Tourism Organization’s data which revealed that the number of days of paid vacation per year that

Understanding the dangers of identity theft and how a company or Essay

Understanding the dangers of identity theft and how a company or individual can be protected from it - Essay Example As advancement in technology made access to information easier, many unscrupulous people take advantage of their skills and steal sensitive information from companies and private persons online. According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, a non-profit organization based in the United States (www.idtheftcenter.org), in 2010, there were about 662 cases if information security breaches reported in the United States but the actual number may be higher since not many people and organizations report breaches on their information security system. People whose identity have been assumed by another can suffer tremendous loses. Note that once somebody steals another person’s identity, he or she may be able to access the bank accounts and other personal information of the victim (Abagnale, 2007). As it is, there is a big possibility that the victim may lose money and assets on the process. Aside from taking money and other assets from their victims, some identity thieves use the ide ntity of their victims to commit crimes (Cullen, 2007). For instance, an identity theft can sue the identity of his or her victim in fraudulent online transactions so when the fraud is reported to the police, the police go after the identity theft victim. As it is, it is very important that individuals and organizations understand the kind of risks that they are in and do something to protect themselves from identity thieves. II. Ways and Means Employed by Identity Thieves to Gain Access to Important Information There are a number of ways to commit identity theft but the most common are social engineering, phishing and hacking attempts. Social engineering is committed by exploiting human psychology to gain entry to databases, computer systems and even buildings with sophisticated security system (Hadnagy, 2010). Note that instead of attacking the software or system used by a company or individual, the identity theft uses mind tricks to retrieve sensitive information for the people i nside the building and the people who are running the databank or the system (Hadnagy, 2010). To get the information that he or she needs to gain access into the building or the database, the identity does a lot of research and identify the key persons who he or she will retrieve the needed information (Wilhelm, 2010). For instance, if the identity theft wants to gain access to a database, he or she may pose as a computer technician or IT support person and trick an employee in the IT division to divulge passwords and codes to gain access into the system. Although the basic principles of trickery used in social engineering may sound simple, the execution of the act requires careful planning and psychological manipulation skills (Mitnick, 2003; Allsopp, 2009). When planning its strategies to defraud his or her victim, the identity needs to gather all the necessary information to trick the victim. To do this, he or she may access the personal information of the person targeted using e xisting social networks such as facebook, linked in and others (Mitnick, 2003; Wilhelm, 2010). Note that a good number of users of these online networking sites tend to give out personal information such as e-mail addresses and even telephone numbers online which may them relatively easy preys for identity thieves (Wilhelm, 2010). From the information gathered from these social networking sites, the identity may now be able to psychologically manipulate the victim into giving him or her sensitive information. In most cases, the deception happens online or through the phone so the identity theft and his or her victims do not actually come face to face (Allsopp, 2009). Aside from social engineering, phishing is also commonly used by identity thieves to steal information from their victims. To steal information from their victims, identity theft pretends to be a reliable online entity such as a bank, a well known courier, website and the like (Abagnale, 2007).

Jesus and Mohammed Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Jesus and Mohammed - Essay Example The lives and deaths of these two individuals had a tremendous impact on their respective religions. On the one hand, Jesus' death was essential to the central doctrine of Christianity whereby Christ is believed to have died in order to save God's children from their sins. On the other hand, Mohammed's life was more important than his death in terms of spreading Islam, as he became the leader of an effort to spread the doctrine of the new religion based upon God's revelations that were believed to have been communicated to him through the Angel Gabriel. Jesus did not purport to espouse a new religion, but rather sought to teach a new covenant of Judaism whereby God's will would become clearer to his fellow Jews. It was Jesus' followers after his death that spread the teachings and the story of his life, death and resurrection as a distinct religion from Judaism in its own right. By contrast, Mohammed, with knowledge of the new Christian religion and its Jewish precursor, affirmatively sought to establish and aggressively spread Islam as a new religion during his own life. Thus, the lives of Jesus and Mohammed had a wholly different kind of influence on the religions each spawned. The lives of JThe Lives and Teachings of Jesus and Mohammed The lives of Jesus and Mohammed were marked by some very key and fundamental differences. The choices both individuals made regarding their lifestyles and their teachings evidenced dramatically different attitudes and values pertaining to violence, sin and repentance, the place of women, and their overall views regarding the will of God. Their teachings and example are so profoundly different that it may be difficult to understand how they can both purport to convey the word and will of the same God. Even their dying words illustrate a quite different attitude toward nonbelievers, with Jesus praying that they be forgiven "for they know not what they do," while Mohammed cursed and blamed the Jews and Christians upon his death for building "the places of worship at the graves of the prophets" (http://answering-islam.org.uk/Silas/founders.htm). Essentially, the attitude both men had toward those whom they perceived as misguided nonbelievers were exactly the opposite in tone. "Christ asks God to forgive His enemies, while Muhammad utters a bitter curse against those who rejected his assertion of prophethood." Their views on slavery were also fundamentally different. Jesus did not own slaves, and the New Testament specifically lists the trading of slaves as being criminal in nature. 1 Timothy 1:8-10 states, "law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers..." The so-called "Golden Rule" of the Gospel of Luke (6:31), whereby Jesus teaches to "do to others as you would have them do to you," could also be construed as a directive against enslaving people. By contrast, Mohammed owned many slaves and specifically condoned their less than dignified treatment. The Koran is replete with examples of Mohammed's practice of enslaving many different types of people, and condoning the mistreatment of them. For example:

Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 4

Assignment - Essay Example There is an established communication between Adam (man) and God (divine). Adam is seen stretching his hand reluctantly and loosely to receive what God is presenting to him. God is trying to transmit some sought of divinity to man. This is being attempted by bringing their fingers as close as possible but it is clear the fingers do not establish a contact. This could be the impossibility of God and man being into contact. The story is biblical though and it has it that after Creation of Adam, God breathed life into him. In the bible there is nowhere we are told that there was a lot of resistance in the process. However, in the creation of man, the work presents an interesting fact (Kleetus, 2005). God is seen trying to reach Adam with all his might. He is stretching his index finger to touch that of Adam. It seems there is a resistance in form of a wind, which is trying to deny him a chance to communicate to his creation. The presence of a wind-like force is depicted in the direction of God’s legs and those of the angels surrounding him. The implication from the figure here is that God is trying with all his might to touch and transmit his mightiness to hid creation amidst a strong opposing force. On the other hand, dam does not seem to have the energy and effort to reach to God. Adam is relaxed and while God is using his right hand to reach him, Adam is using his right hand to support his lazily leaning body and reluctantly uses his left hand to respond to God’s attempt to reach him. The left hand has to be supported by his left leg knee for that case. Adam’s body is leaning against God and it seems he is not willing enough or putting enough effort to make the divine connection with God. The body language of the two is totally different and while one is responding with strength to establish a connection, the receiver is not so much putting an effort to receive. A closer look at the index fingers of the two subjects in

Administrator challenges Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Administrator challenges - Essay Example Discipline is a single word but it has lot of meanings i.e. order, control, arrangement and organization. It is a continuous process of training and educating ourselves to live under control of certain rules and regulations Gondal (1999). According to a poet (1976), life is the combination of a few elements under some ‘discipline’, and death is the indiscipline among these elements. Men live in a society which is governed by certain laws to keep the individuals in discipline. If the discipline is not maintained properly, the result will be chaos, anarchy, disturbance, and ultimately ruin. Thus a society can function peacefully only if its individuals are disciplined. Even an individual can’t make progress in life if he does not discipline himself. Law-breakers and undisciplined persons bring ruin not only to themselves but also to society Wallace (1987). The primary origin for any criminal justice system is the law of the society, and it plays an important role in a democratic society. The course of growth of law in a democratic society makes sure an evaluation of community permission for the law through approval expressed by the elected government. The whole criminal justice system in a country, thus, moves around the laws those are passed by the Union Parliament and State Legislatures. Police department comes at the phase as the main law enforcement authority available to the State. Being a police commissioner, it is my responsibility to administrate and control the discipline in the department. I faced lot of problems in this occupation. As the role of police in keeping public order have even greater restrictions especially in a democracy. Preservation of order involves a certain evaluations of peace and avoidance of violence of any kind. The typical features of the existing social structure in many countries are, inter-group disagreements on description of religions, language, caste,

Why does the Chinese Government publicly denounce Falun Gong Research Paper

Why does the Chinese Government publicly denounce Falun Gong - Research Paper Example This paper will examine the movement, how the government is cracking down on it, and why the government is cracking down on it. Explanation of the Falun Gong According to Zhao (2003), the Falun Gong movement is an outgrowth of the Chinese practice of qi, which harmonizes physical and spiritual health. What this means is that the adherents to the movement attempt to align their qi, through stretching and meditation, and this balances the energy in the body. These exercises, which balance the energy in the body are accompanied in the Falun Gong religion with moral and spiritual commitments. This is contrast to the Western vision, which keeps religion and physical exercise separate. The religious aspect of Falun Gong encompasses Taoist and Buddhist beliefs. This was the basis for the movement, but it was developed by Li Hongzhi in the late 1980s, and it went public in 1992 (Penny, 2003). This is all not unusual, in that the ancient Chinese have always believed in balancing energies and in Buddhist and Taoist beliefs. However, the Falun Gong goes a step further, according to Zhao (2003), in that this religion also has supernatural beliefs. For instance, they believe that there are supernatural ways of curing diseases, that people can levitate, and that people can be clairvoyant through their â€Å"third eye.† ... Moreover, as the society becomes increasingly isolated, Falun Gong has been helpful in that it has brought people together, as through the physical exercises performed by Falun Gong members. The physical exercise itself is also good for the Falun Gong followers, as the state-run healthcare has been collapsing since the early 1990s, which means that health care has become increasingly unaffordable to the masses. Keeping healthy is therefore a priority, and Falun Gong, with its emphasis on physical exercise and qi balancing meets this need. The movement became very popular, with millions practicing it, and Chan (2004), gives some reasons why this is. Chan (2004) regards the Falun Gong as coming under the rubric of a New Religious Movement (NRM), which is marked by obedience to a central figure who claims to have all the spiritual answers desired by the followers. The central figure is seen by the followers as being privy to sacred power. Chan (2004) thus begins his analysis with other NRMs, which have sprung up, all over the world, partially as a response to modernity’s spiritual vacuums and moral disturbances. The political and economic institutions have failed to solve the people’s problems, states Chan (2004), so the people turn to religious salvation for help. Chan (2004) then extrapolates this scenario to China. Specifically, Chan (2004) states that China was experiencing, at the time that the Falun Gong attained popularity, impressive economic growth that also led to unresolved social problems. This was because, although the country was becoming wealthier, the people were not. Unemployment was high, and the state industries were collapsing, which was causing more people to fall below the poverty line. Income inequality became more pronounced