Classical Sociology

Dustin Jones There were many social theorists from the period of the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. This period of time is regarded as the period of the Enlightenment. A few of the major figures of this particular â€Å"movement† were Rene Descartes, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Immanuel Kant. They altered the way in which the social world was viewed and helped pave the way for other classical social theorists to explain the individual’s role in society.Karl Marx, Alexis de Tocqueville, Henri De Saint-Simon, and Emile Durkheim are only the names of a few classical social theorists who set out to explore the role of an individual within society. These men believed that Reason, along with the application of a scientific approach, would be able to positively change the world and break through to a new form of power and authority. Although the ideas and theories of these men give rise to far greater advancement in sociological theory, there is a failure in intuiti on, and thus, a failure of the classical sociological element.The first section of this paper includes an explanation of classical sociology along with an overview of the theories associated with some of the greatest sociologists of this time. The next section of this paper explores reasons and explanations for the failure of classical social theory and interpretations to why before-mentioned theories were compromised. The final section of this paper summarizes some of the conclusions drawn about the failure of this particular ideology. I. Classical Sociology/Theories Explained Classical sociology includes the idea that people can change the course of history through developmental progress.The object of study was society itself. The development of modern, industrial, and capitalist societies was believed to have separated people from the traditional way of living. The explanations and theories derived from them were a way to correlate the new society with the structure, organization , and dynamics derived from the social world. One form of classical sociological theory attempts to establish a causal relationship for institutions while another form of sociological theory argues that the causal explanation for these institutions is not justifiable. The approach is not pertinent, but what is ertinent is classical sociology explains the interaction of individuals in society, and paves the way for advancement to an explanation of the contemporary world. On page 2 in Classical Sociological Theory: A Reader, Ian McIntosh states: â€Å"The more optimistic Enlightenment thinkers thought that Reason could guide a process of positive change in the world and individuals could influence the course of history in the name of ‘Progress’. Such ‘Progress’ could, it was hoped, free the individual from the yoke and shackles of traditional forms of power and authority- embodied by religion and the myriad ties of feudal obligation. Karl Marx was one of the se great social thinkers who explains society in terms of social class and the material of the worker. He felt there was great conflict between the capitalists and the working class. The term capitalist is synonymous with the bourgeoisie: these were the people who controlled the land, the factories, and sought the most interest in personal gain. He believed that the value of anything is basically the amount of labor which it takes to produce it. In this way, he felt that profit can only be made by any surplus after the amount of labor it takes to feed, clothe, and shelter a man is produced.From this theory, he believed in the exploitation of labor. He believed that with the rise of industrialization, profits would actually fall because each industry is trying to keep up with the next guy: the cost manufacturers make for machinery goes up while what is being produced drops. Karl Marx also gives a fairly detailed description of the fall of capitalism. He believed that the downfall of capitalism was inevitable. Over time, the decline in the rate of profit would be one of the factors contributing to the downfall of capitalism.The idea is that the productive tools used for industrialization are badly utilized when workers are unemployed and goods produced are no longer meeting effective demands. Capitalism begins to move toward a huge industrial monopoly (Collins, Makowsky, p. 37). This affects the smaller capitalists who are forced to join the proletariat. The unemployment keeps high competition for jobs while those who are looking for change become more and more agitated. He believed that the economy would reach a point where the only obstacle standing in the way is a revolt within the working class and the initialization of socialism.Alexis de Tocqueville, also known as the Last Gentleman, also believed in the working class as a great supporter for the economy, and found much inspiration for the establishment of democracy after his visit to the United States. He was a great pessimist of his time and did not much believe in progress, which is exactly what other sociologists were aiming for in their research. He was one of the first foreigners to recognize the American project for a better life: freedom. He saw the coming of democracy as more than just a social or economic development; he thought that God had his hand in giving democracy to the people.One of the first things that stood out to Alexis de Tocqueville upon his arrival to the United States is the display of equality. One example in this display of equality which he noticed is that the relationship between the employer and the employee was strikingly different. In France, where Tocqueville is from, this type of relationship could be compared to a master and his servant; but in the United States, he notices that the employee is actually under contract to share labor. He also noticed that there was a lack of the simulated bonds of property which he had been so accustomed to back hom e.In the United States, personal relationships were strengthened by bonds of personal affection. This is due to the fact that family members were no longer trying to control one another for the sake of keeping any sort of wealth and ownership within the family. People were allowed to make their own decisions and were free to fall in love with whomever they choose. On page 109, in his Democracy in America, Alexis de Tocqueville states: â€Å"Here and there, in the midst of American society, you meet with men, full of fanatical and almost wild enthusiasm, which hardly exists in Europe. Emile Durkheim was someone who might say that crime in America is the glue with which people are held together. This is represented in his belief that crime helped to bring a society closer together. Meetings were held in which people would congregate to discuss the criminal activity of the community, thus enhancing the relationships within society. When a person is punished for his crime, then the rec ognition of that punishment is a reaffirmation of the law and helps to strengthen the bond of society.He also explains that criminal behavior can help to establish new ideas within a society and in turn, help that society to develop (Marsh, Gaynor, p. 97). Durkheim also came to the realization that all religions have sacred objects and that these sacred objects are a creation of society. If people pursue a high moral character by living up to the codes formed by these religions, this will reflect individualism as well as enhance social unity. II. Failure of Sociological Theories One of the major objections to Karl Marx’s ideology is the criticism brought forth to his labor theory of value.According to John R. Pottenger, in The Political Theory of Liberation Theology: Toward a Reconvergence of Social Values and Social Science, he believes that within the labor theory of value, assumptions based on values must be â€Å"purged† in order to create an objective perspective of social science, but since valued are not able to be â€Å"purged†, as he states, then this particular theory is open to speculation. Once mankind developed an industry strong enough which required the use of machines and tools to produce profit, Marx did not make any distinction between the idea of capital and labor.The use of machines was actually operated by the labor force and was not meant to replace the labor force, but they helped in establishing more wealth. Another problem with which Karl Marx did not discern was his idea that the labor force would use the power of politics to overthrow capitalism and strengthen political gain. The working class actually uses the power of politics to cultivate and modify capitalism in a way which is better suited for society. With the improvement of technology, there came an increase in employment opportunities, thus creating more jobs and strengthening the working class as a whole.This only helped to solidify the establishment of a capitalistic society. One of the biggest problems with Marx’s ideology which supports the failure of classical sociological theory is he underestimated the role that he and his ideas play in shaping history. Through the observation of Marx’s ideology, it is where society finds that supply and demand makes much more sense and that democracy is the basis for a well-rounded economy. Alexis de Tocqueville is a great supporter for this democracy, but some of his ideas about equality were flawed.He used the word democracy as if it were synonymous with equality. In this way, he felt that there was much more equality in the United States than there really was. He did not understand the social classes which were introduced to him in the United States and believed that the middle class were the poor people. This gave him the perception that equality was more wide-spread than it really was. This correlates to the idea that no matter how deeply democracy is rooted within a socie ty, it is not able to help all of those in need.One of the biggest setbacks to Emile Durkheim’s theory for criminal activity is that crime creates constant tension between members of a society. Criminal activity is known to tear families apart, create havoc, and in some instances, is a focal point for the deterioration of a particular society. Also, an increase in crime rate can bring an increase of frightened civilians who live in that society. Although criminal activity is a normal part of society, as Durkheim would say it is, it does not undermine the fact that it brings about a kind of pain and suffering, a lower quality of life if you will.III. Conclusions The most prominent factor in establishing the paradoxical failure of classical sociological theory is the rise in information technology which has brought about a better global economy. (Haferkamp, p. 218) There has been an increase in the sharing of information along with a way to actually restructure the capitalist s ociety. Also, the social theories that have been attributed to this period of â€Å"Enlightenment† were substantiated by societal norms of a period of time that was considered to be modern.What is considered to be â€Å"modern† times has drastically changed between now and then, and as such, theories pertinent to that day and time are no longer relevant. Industry is booming, technology is far more advanced, criminal activity is on the rise, and what is considered to be societal norms is much different. Also, the application of these sociological theories to what was considered to be societal norms does not include any use of an experimental method for testing hypotheses. With an experimental method for conducting research, researchers are able to manipulate one variable while comparing its effects to a different constant variable.The problem with non-experimental methods for conducting research, as is the case for classical sociological theories, is that the hypotheses are difficult to prove, and if or when they are proven, it normally requires a long period of time. In correlation to this idea, the fact that these are â€Å"theories† suggests to the reader that they have not yet been proven, and with the lack of scientific experiential data, may never be proven. Another significant factor contributing to the failure of classical sociological theory is the success in social change in the 19th and 20th centuries.According to Melvyn Dubofsky, in The State and Labor in Modern America, he states that â€Å"reformers and working-class leaders stressed collective action, more individualistic forms of thought dominated national culture, institutions, and legal doctrines. † He goes on to describe the way in which workers began to unite and form collective revolutions for the advancement of class, race, or gender. This shift in social reform has strengthened individualism and accentuated the positive effects of capitalism where people have c ontinued to attribute failure to classical sociological theories. IV. SummaryClassical sociological theory helped to explain social change and structure of society which aided in the establishment of the contemporary world. Karl Marx’s prediction of the fall of capitalism failed to see its day due to the fact that the working class has used the structure of capitalism to better establish their place among society. When reflecting upon the ideas and works of Alexis de Tocqueville, it is understood that no matter how deeply ingrained capitalism might be within a particular society, there are those who do not reap the benefits capitalism attempts to offer for all people.One of the principle notions which stand out after reviewing some of the works by these classical sociologists is that their personal objectives and theories failed to be achieved. Capitalism has continued to flourish, the industrial revolution has come to an end, and a new era of technological advancement has da wned. Bibliography Collins, Randall, & Makowsky, Michael. (2005). The Discovery of Society. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Dasilva, Fabio B. , & Pressler, Charles A. (1996). Sociology and Interpretation: From Weber to Habermas.Albany, NY: New York State University of New York Press. Dubofsky, Melvyn. (1994). The State and Labor in Modern America. North Carolina: Chapel Hill University of North Carolina Press. Haferkamp, Hans. (1992). Social Change and Modernity. California: Berkeley University of California Press. Marsh, Ian, & Melville, Gaynor. (2006). Theories of Crime. New York: Taylor and Francis Routledge. McIntosh, Ian. (1997). Classical Sociological Theory: A Reader. Edinburgh, United Kingdom: Edinburgh University Press. Nielsen, Donald A. (1999).Three Faces of God: Society, Religion, and the Categories of Totality in the Philosophy of Emile Durkheim. New York: Albany State University of New York Press. Pines, Christopher L. (1993). Ideology and False Consciousness: Marx and His Historical Progenitors. Albany, NY: New York State University of New York Press. Pottenger, John R. (1989). The Political Theory of Liberation Theology: Toward a Reconvergence of Social Values and Social Science. New York: Albany State University of New York Press. Tocqueville, Alexis De. Democracy in America. (Book II). Champaign, IL: Project Gutenberg.

Wankel Rotary Engine: A History by John B. Hege

Conceived in the 1930s, simplified and successfully tested in the 1950s, the darling of the automotive industry in the early 1970s, then all but abandoned before resurging for a brilliant run as a high-performance powerplant for Mazda, the Wankel rotary engine has long been an object of fascination and more than a little mystery. A remarkably simple design (yet understood by few), it boasts compact size, light weight and nearly vibration-free operation. In the 1960s, German engineer Felix Wankels invention was beginning to look like a revolution in the making. Though still in need of refinement, it held much promise as a smooth and powerful engine that could fit in smaller spaces than piston engines of similar output. Auto makers lined up for licensing rights to build their own Wankels, and for a time analysts predicted that much of the industry would convert to rotary power. This complete and well-illustrated account traces the full history of the engine and its use in various cars, motorcycles, snowmobiles and other applications. It clearly explains the working of the engine and the technical challenges it presented–the difficulty of designing effective and durable seals, early emissions troubles, high fuel consumption, and others. The work done by several companies to overcome these problems is described in detail, as are the economic and political troubles that nearly killed the rotary in the 1970s, and the prospects for future rotary -powered vehicles. Personal Review: Wankel Rotary Engine: A History by John B. Hege Wankel Rotary Engine: A History A fascinating read not just for crankheads but anyone interested in how things get done and how so very often they don't get done at all. Of particular interest is the chapter on G. M's entry into the wonderful world of Wankel–perhaps a small insight as to why they're #2 today. A hearty thank you to John Hege for a well researched book. Get in touch with me John and I'll send you a copy of my book.

Purani Jeans Aur Guitar Essay

â€Å"Purani Jeans aur guitar†¦Ã¢â‚¬  a jingle which most of the college going students might never forget. Somewhere in the song a stanza comes which states – â€Å"maangne paise udhaar†. This is a very common incidence happening in college life and the best part is that one gets to have as many resources as she/he requires. But the point is do we actually NEED to ask for the â€Å"Udhaar†? Lot many instances have been found wherein because of this â€Å" udhaar† lot many feuds(Big or Small) has happened between best of the friends. So do we actually want to have â€Å"udhaar† or get rid of this and still continue to enjoy the beautiful and happening ‘College Life’? (This may not seem 100% doable but â€Å"try maarne mein kya jaata hai!!†) So what is the Solution? Very simple – Put the right money in the right pocket in the right quantity in the right time, that’s it! This can be achieved by using the world famous – â€Å"Art of Investment† Investment has its own Oxford Dictionary meaning – ‘the action or process of investing money for profit’. The question is how do we practice this art of investment and make the action work for us. In simple terms – how do we invest, where do we invest and when do we invest? Let’s look out for answers to these questions: a) Where do we Invest? Answer – Avenues for investments have seen a drastic change from yester years till date. Now we have simple formula – â€Å"zarurat jaisi, salaah waisi†. You name your objective of investment and we have a solution available as per your requirements. One may go ahead and invest in a plethora of avenues as per requirement viz. i) Traditional Debt instruments – Bank FDs, Post Office Schemes etc. ii) Tradable Debt instruments – Bonds & Debentures iii) Direct Equities iv) Mutual Funds v) Gold vi) Real estate etc. As per one’s capability, knowledge, resources, risk & time may choose one or more avenues of investments among these. Mutual Funds provide a one-stop solution in all categories. b) How to Invest? Answer – Investment mechanism and procedures have also evolved with time. Now one may invest in most of the avenues in not only a physical mode – filling of application, giving cheque etc. but can also invest electronically viz. using Mobile phone, SMS, online, call centre etc. All that is required is to comply certain regulatory requirements and that’s it. You have enough invest lump sum; you do not have enough invest systematically in small chunks. c) When do we Invest? Answer – Most difficult but again very simple too. A great learner has said – â€Å"You have two options – either time the market or spend time in the market. It is always easier and better to spend time in the market rather than timing the market!!† So, it is always advisable that one invests regularly and systematically rather than trying to capture the highs and the lows. Whenever you think of investment don’t wait but invest – lot many avenues are already available for various needs and timing. Also it has proven record that invest early always yield s better results. â€Å"Papa kehte hain bada naam karega, beta hamara aisa kaam karega† Starting investments at the early ages viz. when in college when you start receiving pocket money definitely adds up a bigger amount to your future life and helps to achieve ones goals and aspirations. Your parents would also feel PROUD.

QoS and network monitoring on Linksys consumer devices (Wireless Research Paper

QoS and network monitoring on Linksys consumer devices (Wireless Protocol 802.11e) - Research Paper Example Key words IEEE 802.11e, Diffserv IEEE 802.11, WLAN, Quality-of-Service (QoS) Introduction As technology advances, communication over a wireless network is becoming preferable over other forms of communication. The modern networks are designed in such a way that they support more sophisticated traffic as compared to traditional networks. The advanced features of modern networks enables various traffic such as web traffic, file sharing traffic, and email traffic (Evans & Filsfils, 2010). In recent time, sensitive traffic such as video and voice have been introduced to share common transmission medium. The use of this sensitive medium demands regulated and guaranteed services. Considering the above stated sensitive nature of the data being transmitted, the traffic on transit is susceptible to many communication obstacles. Among the obstacles the sensitive traffic being transmitted meet include Lack of bandwidth, Delay, Jitter, and Data loss. For better, Quality of service tools have bee n developed (Alvarez, 2006). This Quality of Service tools have been specifically designed to provide applications which enable consistent and guaranteed experience to the user. In broadband technology, IEEE 802.11 has become prevalent. This technology is often referred to as the wireless Ethernet basing on Medium Access protocol and the ability to provide transmission rates of up to 54 Mbps. To make the IEEE 802.11 more efficient, the technology has evolved to support quality of service. Consequently, there has been the emergence of the IEEE 802.11e. This research paper is aimed at discussing limitations of IEEE 802.11 standards, Quality of Service methodologies, IEEE 802.11e standards, and to expose existing weaknesses in the Quality of Services architectures. Overview of 802.11 WLANs and its QoS limitations Point coordination functions and distributed coordination functions are the major access functions of the IEEE 802.11 definitions of the MAC sub – layer. Basically, the access function of IEEE 802.11 is the distributed coordination function (DCF). During packet transmission using the IEEE 802.11 standards, the data is exposed to various vulnerabilities as discussed below. Delay (Latency) This is one of the characteristics of a wireless network that can be measured quantitatively. This is the measure of the time packets that are transmitted across a network form end – to – end. The units for measuring latency are fractions of seconds. Measurement of latency can be done either to a single source from a single source ( One-way) or round – trip, which involves measurement from the single source to the destination and back to the original source (Cisco, 2012). In cases where there is fast communication between the devices, the time taken for packet transmission is automatically very low, this is referred to as low latency. On the contrary, when the transmission of the packets takes significant amount of time to be transmitted, betw een the destination and the source, there is an indication that there is high latency on the network. Generally, the occurrence of latency depends on the location of the communicating computers and the available network infrastructure. Occurrence of delay is not point specific. It occurs at any point along the network. Thus delay is also referred to as end –

International Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

International Business - Essay Example United Kingdom is a country with rich traditions and culture along with the influence of modernization. The business environment of UK is unique with respect to several aspects. There are certain established norms which are supposed to be followed in the British culture such as dress code, conversation mannerisms, dining etiquettes along with conduct related to titles and gift giving. In the field of business, you are required to exhibit judicious and ethical traits in order to win the confidence of the ever observant British businessmen. With globalization affecting the entire world, business strategies in UK have also transformed to yield innovation in markets as the key success indicator. As a result, you need to be very vigilant of the commercial atmosphere to facilitate growth in our subsidiary. I would advice you to understand the British culture scrupulously as well as develop the valuable tool of Cultural Intelligence. I am convinced that awareness of these dynamics will help you in having a prosperous three year contract in UK. INTRODUCTION As the regional manager for United Kingdom, I cordially welcome you to the local subsidiary of our Multinational Organisation. I am conscious of the fact that you are coming to United Kingdom for the first time; hence, I have made an attempt to facilitate your 3 year stay in this country by briefing you about the cultural nuances which you would come across in United Kingdom. Along with that, this paper would also enhance your understanding about the business environment of UK in addition to government policies with regard to subsidiaries and Multinational Corporations. You must be aware that this subsidiary of our company has been active in London, the capital of UK for quite sometime now. London has always been a business nucleus in this region. Recently, London was surveyed as the best city in Europe in terms of establishing a business, employing qualified people, and accessibility to market (UK Trade & Investmen t, 2011). Over the years, our company has earned its reputation in UK through exceptional services to customers and caring attitude towards employees and other stakeholders. However, the multidimensional dynamics of this country have often had a role to play in the functions of our subsidiary. RESEARCH It is necessary to provide you first with the fundamental research I conducted regarding United Kingdom so that you could get a feel of the country. It is a country which provides a perfect mix of traditions and modernism. Situated in Western Europe, its capital is London. The population of the country is estimated to be over 60 million (Directgov, 2012). The ethnic structure consists of a majority of whites including English, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish whereas smaller percentages of Blacks, Indians and Pakistanis are also found. With people migrating in huge numbers to the United Kingdom, the society has become rather a multicultural one. Though there is no declared official language, but since English is spoken by more than 70% of the population, hence it is considered to be the national language (Godfrey-Faussett et al. 2004). The United Kingdom is made up by four countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (William, 2010). Foreigners often err in making use of the word ‘British’. It is imperative to know that British stands for a person who comes from any of the four countries while English, Scottish, Northern Irish and Welsh are used when referring to the particular countries of the person. Though over the last few years, people from diverse races, castes and creeds have

Should it be a crime to download copyrighted music from the Internet Essay - 1

Should it be a crime to download copyrighted music from the Internet - Essay Example This has prompted the introduction of various laws and regulations in most parts of the world in regard to protection of copyrighted properties such as music and other downloadable files over the internet. In this light, the regulations regarding this protection restricts the general public and any other entity from freely accessing the files and only through seeking permission can an individual get access to them. This has been a source of public outpourings with a majority of the people seeking to stop the restrictions which come with illegality for anyone trying to break the set laws. In regard to my opinion, it is my assertion that personal properties such as music and other downloadable files should be protected and thus it should be illegal to download copyrighted music from the Internet. According to one of the surveys carried out by the popular website Debate.org regarding the issue of whether downloading copyrighted music should be made illegal, a majority of the public (54 percent) held their opinion that they did not really think that was justified (making downloading illegal). To most, downloading the music freely from the internet did affect the music owners or their labels in any big way since most of their money was generated through avenues such as concerts, promotions, brands and cloth lines among others (Debate.Org, 2015). In another study carried out as documented by Stein and Evans (100), downloading the copyrighted music from the Internet has been largely attributed to the young people who are convinced that the CDs that are sold with this music are overpriced and thus will find not guilty when downloading these music from these sources. In this cases, it is evident that most of the public harbour the opinion that they are justified to downloading copyrighted music from the Internet, and thus this practice should not be illegal at all. As seen in the earlier argument about the downloading of copyrighted

Create a project plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Create a project plan - Essay Example This environment is rather so friendly and sophisticated to cultivate a culture of proficiency and also enhancing of the opportunity for the staff to grasp the know how about technology and computers. Bromberg, M (1989). The Information and Technology Help Desk enhances hardware and software technical support and other technical assistance to the management's team, the corporate administrators, employees and even company clients. The customer care in this case in conjunction with the network support experts should continue working to ensure that the state of the art services are offered both to clients and the employees in comparatively more conducive environment. The Information technological department on the extreme end should relentlessly offer on going training to support technological need of the company. This training centers on things like software and hardware installations, troubleshooting, support and maintenance. Support in various departments can be offered by technological internship programs; this can help out the company in facilitating personnel support. In the marketing department, finance department, front office and the planning office. The allotment of the interns should be evaluated after a period of twelve months to enhance versatility to adjust to changes in client needs and to employee changes. Darkwa, O., Mazibuko, F (2003). 1.1 Description of Project To deploy a comprehensive information and technology suit that fosters efficacy and accountability; the IT domain requires a financial portfolio of $ 37,710 from the companies' expenditure fee to cater for some recurring costs. The requisite below outlines the essential services required to maintain IT support across the company all estimated at $37,710 1. Certified expansion (training, seminars, conferences) Refuge augmentation, router configuration, web design Certified conference development for Windows, Macintosh and Unix operating systems 2. Hardware and tangential support and Maintenance concurrence Twelve-monthly preservations on routers, firewalls and switches (with Cisco system). Twelve monthly preservations on complex systems on servers (web, email, database) 3. Authorization contracts conservatory and maintenance (embraces; yearly revises with preservation patches, software's releases and firmware advancements). Antivirus, anti-Spam software Wireless security software 4. Homogeneous, anticipatory safeguarding procedures (comprehensive service agreements and assurance, crisis paraphernalia attainments) Tragedy recuperation and apparatus malfunction emergencies Astringent purveyors for specialized installations and troubleshooting. 5. Provisions in all departments; this consists of toner, paper, office supplies, and computer parts for proxy reasons. 6. Network installation to facilitate comprehensive marketing and corporate affiliation.Budget Quantity Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Price Hardware and software security, (Anti-virus) 1 $ 230 Laptops, 5 $ 10,000 Wireless, 1 $700 Printers, 2 $900 Network, 1 $200 Routers/Hubs/Wiring 10 $500 D-link switches: 5 $230 V-sat 1 $720 Photocopier 2 $1290 Scanner 3 $190 Dell

Marriage and the Family- Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Marriage and the Family- Psychology - Essay Example The deviation from the family’s traditional division of responsibilities shall be explained in this short paper. It should be noted that the challenges of the family in these modern days are quite different from the ones in the olden days. The family is an institution that ensures that some basic amenities are provided to its entire member; the husband is the head of the marriage institution and is expected to fulfill his responsibility by adequately providing for the social needs of the whole family, but these days wives now lend a helping hand in meeting up with these challenges. Poverty is also responsible for the break in the traditional responsibilities in the family as Lewis puts it, â€Å"the culture of poverty cuts across regional, rural-urban, and even national boundaries the remarkable similarities in family structure, the nature of kinship ties, the quality of husband-wife and parent-child relations†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.† (2). The husband is expected to yield to the necessary demands of the wife and their children and when the man of the house does not meet up with his responsibility of catering for the needs of his family, there becomes a problem. Several families witnessed these problems in the past and these have made married women to stand in the gap and assist their husbands in meeting the responsibilities of the family.

Global Skills and Global Knowledge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Global Skills and Global Knowledge - Essay Example The new insights gained from learning the French culture and language equipped me with the basic skills to increase the possibility of living in Europe and enable me to communicate with others using their language. Further, by reinforcing learning the dimensions of culture, I was able to acquire a better edge from other people of the same qualifications as mine, but without the knowledge of speaking French. Through learning intricate details of the French culture, I was fortunate to have shared interesting facts that could improve communication, interpersonal relationships and possible entry to global organizations from that country, in particular, if given the right opportunity. To reiterate, I enrolled in a French for travel class that provided basic theoretical guidelines on grammar, syntax and frequently used statements for daily communication. In doing so, proficiency in French was initially gained. With regular practice and continued study in higher class modules, I am sure tha t I would be highly proficient in the language. These skills could be applied in future plans to either live or work in Europe. The basic communication skills of learning French would be used for relevant correspondences: both speaking and writing, as one envisions working with a global organization, either in France, or with branches in Europe. As a result of learning a third language, I gained more competence and confidence to communicate with people from France or from other French speaking countries.

Cell proliferation experiment, Immunoprecipitation and western blot Essay

Cell proliferation experiment, Immunoprecipitation and western blot experiment, cell imaging experiment - Essay Example The aim of this work was to elucidate the mechanism by which cp250 causes tumors and identify which signaling pathways were activated by its binding to the cell. The first experiment looked at the effect of cp250 on cell proliferation and compared it to the effect of the growth factor PDGFA and the second and third experiments looked at which pathways were triggered by the binding of cp250 to hepatocytes. The aim of this experiment was to determine whether cp250 caused cell proliferation in hepatocytes and also to establish whether it was recognized by the same receptor that bound the growth factor PDGFA. As shown in Table 1, cp250 and PDGFA clearly have similar effects on cell proliferation. Hepatocytes that were treated with either cp250 or PDGFA both showed an increase in proliferation as compared to cells that were not given either. Moreover cp250 and PDGFA appear to bind to the same receptor, PDGFR. There does not appear to be any synergism when both are used together. Hepatocytes that were treated with antisense RNA to the receptor prior to incubation with the ligands did not show a significant increase in proliferation. In addition, scrambled siRNA that does not target any cellular mRNA does not affect the binding of either cp250 or PDGFA to the receptor. This indicates that the binding of cp250 is specific to PDGFR. The next step was to identify which downstream elements in the signaling process were activated on binding to the receptor. In order to do this, hepatocytes that were treated with cp250 and PDGFA were lysed and complexes that were formed were pulled down with an antibody to the receptor. Western blots with antibodies raised against different downstream signaling molecules were performed to identify which components were complexed with the receptor after activation. Controls were performed with cells treated with water. As can be seen in Fig.1A, cp250 and PDGFA both bind to the receptor PDGFR, confirming the first experiment. From Fig.1B, it can be seen that Phospholipase gamma 1 (PLC1) is recruited to the receptor after treatment with either cp250 or PDGFA. From Fig.1C, it can be inferred that autophosphorylation of PDGFR and phosphorylation of PLC1 take place, indicating the activation of PLC1 takes place once it is recruited to the activated receptor. Confocal Microscopy The aim of this experiment was to confirm the activation of the inositol phospholipids pathway and further characterize the downstream signaling pathway set off by the binding of cp250 to PDGFR. The confocal images show that when rat hepatocytes transfected with EGFP-tagged PLC1 are treated with either cp250 or PDGFA, the PLC1 is localized to the cell membrane, indicating their recruitment. This localization is markedly absent in cells treated with water alone. On addition of the red fluorescent Ca2+ sensing dye X-rhod-1, there is an increase in red fluorescence in the cytoplasm of hepatocytes treated with cp250 or PDGFA but not with water. This indicates that the IP3 signalling pathway has been activated upon binding of the viral protein. DISCUSSION The present work was intended to try and deduce the probable mechanism by which cp250 acts upon the hepatocyte and causes tumorigenesis. Given its similarity to the growth factor PDGFA, it seemed reasonable to postulate that it bound to the same

What Is Philosophy Essay Example for Free

What Is Philosophy Essay Philosophy is integrated into every individual’s life. This essay will analyse the differences between Western, Chinese and Indian traditions. It will evaluate what it is that constitutes a valid philosophical enquiry and investigate different branches of philosophy. It will also look into the ways in which philosophy is utilised in contemporary society and the ways in which language impact on philosophy. Greco-Roman tradition originally came from Greek and Pagan culture, later gaining influences from other cultures. When the belief in the actual existence of Gods and Goddesses died, reasons needed to be provided for human existence, the purpose of life, and the problems of living in a civilisation. This saw the Greek philosophy grow and the traditions main issue was to define and describe human life and conditions. The tradition later became known as Western tradition, as the Greek’s and Roman’s used ideas from other cultures and ingrained them within their tradition. This still remains a key feature of Western tradition today. There are few surviving original sources of the tradition, preserved by Catholic and Orthodox monasteries, despite their differences to Christian teachings. The influences from Western tradition are key features in society today. It provided reason and science which can be seen as the ground works for technology and science today. â€Å"From the Greco-Roman period came respect for the rule of law, the idea of natural law, and, for its day, toleration of religious beliefs. † (Pappas, 2005) If anything was so prevalent in society today it would be that thought. The ability to live among others with different beliefs but still all follow the same laws is a necessity in todays society. The Western tradition taught us to question who we are and respect individuality, a teaching which lives on to this day. Dissimilar to Western tradition, which looks to define human life and conditions, the Chinese traditions main aim is to keep harmony at all times. Confucius was China’s most famous philosopher. â€Å"The most important thing to Confucius was Jen, or human kindness, love of man. Jen is the ideal feeling of warmth, kindness, dignity, and respect that should develop between two people. † (Powell, 2000, p. 95) The Chinese tradition is one of practicality, therefore the importance of logic is paramount. Logic sees that everything is subject to change, and that opinions and beliefs are of their time and place. Differing to the Western tradition, the Chinese took few ideas from other cultures, highlighting the desire for China to remain separated from other societies. It did however, take influence from Buddhism, but even this was adapted to suit Chinese culture. The Chinese tradition believes that to remain harmonious is of more importance than finding the truth. Followers of Chinese tradition may not see it fit to unburden themselves of their woes onto others as this is not harmonious. Arguably the oldest surviving tradition, Indian tradition aims to eliminate unhappiness and create nirvana, the cessation of suffering. Unlike the Western tradition, both the Chinese and Indian combine philosophy and religion. Indian tradition however does so more harmoniously by combining them both equally. Because of this, Indian tradition is compared to a Banyan tree, with its deep roots and tangled canopy representing the intertwining of Indian philosophies and religions. Buddhism is originated from India. This philosophy believes in karma, that what you are reincarnated as is a reflection of your past life. From a cynical point of view, it could be seen that followers of Buddhism are kind only to protect their reincarnation, and that it is not a selfless act they are carrying out, just one which will benefit them in their next life. It is important that all philosophical enquiries are valid so correct outcomes are produced. There are many elements that constitute a valid philosophical enquiry. It must not be biased or favour one side. It must be non-emotional and it must be able to bring together the deductive and inductive methods of reasoning. It is arguable that for the enquiry to be valid it would need to be proven. This may not be the case and it could be believed that it would just need to not be disproved. For example, it has not been proved that God ever existed, however it has not been disproved. Therefore, the question as to whether there is or was a God, is a valid philosophical enquiry. A valid philosophical enquiry should only be based on evidence and not include feeling or opinion. The final conclusion of the enquiry should then be interpreted and evaluated. No hasty predictions should be made as it should be based just on fact. Descartes provides his process when producing a philosophical enquiry in Discourse on Method. (See appendix 1) There are many different branches of philosophy. Romanticism is originated from 18th century Germany. Romantics react negatively to what the modern world does to people, for example the effects modern day technology have on human interaction. Jean-Jacques Rousseau marked the way for the Romanticism movement as he â€Å"believed that civilisation was a corrupting influence on people, who are instinctively good † (Kindersley, 2011, p. 144) Romantics are very much against the dehumanisation of the modern world where technology replaces people. A romantic might argue that the self-service check outs provided at most supermarkets have a negative effect on human interaction as there is no need to communicate with people face to face now when shopping. Romanticism links with another branch of philosophy, Environmentalism. This philosophy is concerned with keeping the planet green. Environmentalists, like Romantics, are concerned with the developments happening in society and the effects they could have on the planet and those within in the future. In complete contrast to Romanticism and Environmentalism, The Enlightenment is another branch of philosophy. It also originated in 18th century Western Europe but is closely allied with science. It challenges the rule of religious superstition and tradition and uses science to provide most, if not all, of the answers. It sits well with the development in human beings and their surroundings. Ethics is a branch of philosophy that moves with the times. As society, religion, and politics move forward, so do the ethics within those institutions. It is perfectly possible that the ethical issues one experienced in their upbringing could totally differ from those they experience in their adult life. Ethics is a system of values where certain things are â€Å"right† and certain things are â€Å"wrong†. Abortion is a subject that has always been surrounded by moral and ethical issues. (See appendix 2, BBC, 2013) Until 1967, abortion was illegal in England. This however, does not mean it did not happen. In the 1950’s, when abortion was still illegal, mothers carrying unwanted babies would seek non medical personnel to carry out abortions. This was highlighted in a recent episode of Call the Midwife, a drama series based on the personal experiences of an East End midwife in the 1950’s, where a mother had an illegal abortion which lead to her contracting septicaemia. (‘Episode 5’, 2013) Times have clearly moved on, and today abortions are far more available and medically safe. But that does not mean that the ethical views of some have changed with the times, regardless of whether the law has changed. It is important to consider teleological and deontological theories when dealing with ethics. Teleological theorists believe that it is the end result of an action that determines whether the action was good or bad. Deontological theorists however, believe that each action in itself is good or bad, regardless of the consequences. (Harrison-Barbet, 2001, p. 186) There are many ethical issues raised in the arguments against abortion, one of the main being that killing an innocent human being is wrong. (BBC, 2013) This is a deontological argument. It is arguable as to when you consider a foetus a human being. Is it at the conception stage when it is simply a collection of cells, or is it when the heart begins to beat and when the brain starts to function? At around 18-22 weeks a foetus acquires sentience, the awareness of pleasure, pain and perception. As it stands, abortions can be carried out on females up to 24 weeks into pregnancy so ethically one could argue that carrying out abortions this far through in pregnancy is wrong. (Lacewing, 2010) Arguing from a potential perspective creates further questions as to whether contraception is as wrong as abortion. People who oppose abortion may argue that although the foetus may start off as just a collection of cells, it has the potential to become a human being who has the right to life. Therefore, even using contraception is wrong as it prevents the potential of life. Pro-abortionists however may argue that potential means that something does not yet exist so why treat it with the same ethical values as something that does exist. (Lacewing, 2010) Pro-abortionists would also argue that the pregnant female has moral and ethical rights and these may outweigh the foetus’ rights. This could be the case if the female was a victim of rape and would suffer mentally and emotionally if they went through with the pregnancy, or if the continued pregnancy could have detrimental effect on the female’s health. In conclusion, abortion faces many ethical issues from both pro and opposing viewpoints. It is a subject that cannot be determined as right or wrong by science or philosophy. In the end, the most important viewpoint that should be considered when making such a decision is the pregnant female. The impact of language on society is a lot more prevalent than one may assume. Umberto Eco believed that we learn through our knowledge of languages, and that translating between one language and another is not just about comparing them both, but interpreting them in the ways they were written, based on culture. The philosophy of language looks at what the nature of meaning is. John Searle explains that language is crucial in the understanding of human life, and to look into human characteristics without language would be impossible. (YouTube, Unknown) Language is what distinguishes human from animals, the ability to understand the concept through language, which would not be possible through just observation. The development of language continues through time. Words used in an offensive manner now, were often used many years ago in day to day language. In Gloria Bertonis’, Stone Age Diva, she talks about the word ‘cunt’ and how its original meanings of woman, queen, and female genitalia, should evoke pride in females and that the word should not offend. It encourages females to reclaim words that have been used as weapons against them and recapture them for their positive qualities. (Bertonis, Date unknown) Such a word would once have just been used to describe a part of the body, like head or knee, but the context in which it is now used has turned it into a derogatory term. Semiotics is the study of the meaning of linguistic expressions. Clear examples of this are apparent every day. The letter ‘M’ presented in such a way is no longer just the letter but also an expression for McDonalds. The same applies to the letter ‘f’, which is now universally seen as a symbol for Facebook. Therefore, applying philosophy to language gives the language itself a whole new meaning. It is not just the letter and words that need to be taken into account, but also the context in which it is received. â€Å"A paradox is a statement that contradicts itself or a situation which seems to defy logic. † (Unknown, 2012) The liar paradox is a clear example of this. If one were to say they are lying, and were truly doing so, then they are actually telling the truth. (See appendix 3, Unknown, 2012) There are four primary paradoxes (see appendix 4). This essay will discuss knowability paradox. This is the recognition that some truths are not currently known but that they are all knowable. This means that we as a world do not know everything, so truths that may be proven in the future, could make what we consider as known truths today untrue. (Salerno, 2009) An example of this could be developments in medical science. With the constant developments in medicine, something we thought we knew as true 50 years ago, may now prove to be untrue because of new medical knowledge. In conclusion, it is clear that all individuals use philosophy in day to day life, whether they are aware of it or not. Philosophy aids us in learning more about ourselves and the world, which is what humans naturally strive for. It helps us be reasonable, which is a characteristic which helps one fit in to society and live among others who may be different. It also helps us be moral and ethical, as discussed previously in this essay. Without morals and ethics we would have no guidance as to what is right and wrong. Therefore, the world would not be as it is today without philosophy, and may be a much harder world to live in without it. ‘Episode 5’ (2013) Call the Midwife, Series 2, episode 5. BBC One Television, 17 February BBC. (2013). Ethics Guide. Retrieved March 3, 2013, from BBC: http://www. bbc. co. uk/ethics/abortion/philosophical/introduction. shtml Bertonis, G. (Date unknown). Say It! The Origins of Cunt. Retrieved March 3, 2013, from vdaysunyoswego: http://vdaysunyoswego. worldbreak. com/custom2. html Harrison-Barbet, A. (2001). Philosophy. New York: Palgrave. Kindersley, D. (2011). The Philosophy Book. London: Dorling Kindersley. Lacewing, M. (2010). Philosophy for A2. Oxon: Routledge. Pappas, J. (2005, September 24). Our Greco-Roman Heritage. Retrieved March 2, 2013, from Liberty and Culture: http://libertyandculture. blogspot. co. uk/2005/09/our-greco-roman-heritage. html Powell, J. (2000). Eastern Philosophy For Beginners. New York: Writers and Readers Publishing, Inc. Salerno, B. B. (2009). Fitchs Paradox of Knowability. Retrieved March 3, 2013, from Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: http://plato. stanford. edu/entries/fitch-paradox/ Unknown. (2012). Famous Paradoxes. Retrieved March 3, 2013, from BrainDen. com: http://brainden. com/paradoxes. htm YouTube. (Unknown). John Searle on the Philosophy of Language: Section 1. Retrieved March 3, 2013, from YouTube: http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=jOlJZabio3g.

Health Care Museum Essay Example for Free

Health Care Museum Essay Development Description Analysis (How does the development affect the current U.S. health care system?) 1. Surgery A surgical procedure is medical treatment that involves a physician cutting into a patient’s body to repair or remove something. Surgery procedures have existed since prehistoric man. In 1540 C.E. barbers and surgeons united to form The United Barber-Surgeons Company. These barber-surgeons performed tooth extractions and bloodletting procedures. As our knowledge grows, so do our abilities. Some procedures such as tracheostomy, described in detail by Paul of Aegina (625-690 AD), remain pertinent today while others which contributed to the demise of many patients (e. g. bloodletting) were surprisingly slow to disappear (Hindle, K. S., Hindle, S. J., 2001). Surgeries save many lives. Today surgeries are used for replacements and transplants. Elective non-life threatening surgeries are performed quite commonly now. Microsurgery uses small incisions to minimize exposure and reduce the impact of the procedure all together. There is also cosmetic surgery which is usually elective and not medically necessary. With today’s surgical practices the body can be manipulated in many ways with minimal effect. 2. Technology Technology is the creation and usage of tools for achieving goals. In health care, technology is used for information purposes, to teach, and heal. We have computers that keep track of medical records. We have machines that can see through the human body. There are sensors that can collect data from a patient and transmit it wirelessly to a physician. There are even machines that aid physicians during surgery. Technology completely affects health care. It has allowed patients and doctors to stay connected better than ever. Telecommunications provide health care workers with the ability to  communicate with each other all around the world. Technology has allowed for easier storage and access to medical information. Health care workers can locate a patient’s information with the click of a button. Patients can go online and access a plethora of health information. Technology also enables us to view the body in new ways (CAT scan, x-rays). Robotics allow physicians to perform s urgeries in places where they cannot be via remote link. 3. Child Birth Beginning back in the Renaissance era barber-surgeons provide child birth services. Much later in 1716 midwives were given the ability to obtain licenses and help women through labor. Shortly after the war of 1812 medical schools began teaching birthing techniques to physicians. By the 1900’s physicians attended approximately half of the nation’s births. Child birthing at hospitals performed by physicians are much safer than the â€Å"home births† of yester years. With hospitals the patient’s area is always clean and sterile. This reduces risk for the mother and child. With physicians as the primary deliverer, complications can be handled sooner and adequately. These techniques have allowed the safe birthing of millions. This protects are future generations by keeping them safe. 4. Vaccines As the United States grew toward independence in the 1700’s, public health efforts also grew. In 1796 Dr. Edward Jenner created and tested the first vaccine (Henderson, D. A., 1997). After word of the discovery two London doctors confirmed Jenner’s findings and began wide distribution. Within 3 years the information was translated into 4 different languages and spread across 4 continents. The success of vaccines has led to a situation where many health care providers and parents have not witnessed the morbidity and mortality of the diseases for which these agents are indicated (Ruddock, B., Malak, K., 2005). Vaccines offer protection from numerous disease. Without vaccines illness would be far more rampant. 5. Medicare In 1965 President Johnson signed into law the Medicare program. Medicare provides medical access for citizens 65 and older who cannot afford care themselves. Over time the coverage has expanded to include disabled citizens  and those with end stage renal disease. Medicare gives medical access to many people who would not have it otherwise. Medicare is the government’s first program associated with public health insurance. Since then the U.S. has seen Medicaid and now recently the Affordable Care Act. Essentially, these are government programs designed to ensure care for citizens. These programs expand health care. As more people are able to have health coverage, more health care services become needed. While these programs provide protection they also stimulate growth within the medical field. Part 2 How does everything connect? Write up a comprehensive overview of how these events evolved into each other. First on my list is surgery. While child birth has been around since the dawn of man, modern birthing practices did not come into effect until the 1800’s. Surgical procedures on the other hand, have been dated back to 6500 hundred years before common era (BCE). Skulls found in France show signs of a rudimentary surgery called trepanation, which involves drilling a hole in the skull. (Heisler. J., 2014). Surgery has been a major health tool for a very long time and we are still improving upon it today. Technology comes second on the list because ever since man realized he could manipulate the body, tools have been needed to do so. Even the skulls in France required some sort of tool to drill the hole. Of course technology goes beyond simple tools. Technology encompasses numerous devices each with their own unique quality. Technology expands our capabilities and allows us to do things we simply could not do ourselves. Technology also improves child birthing techniques. Thanks to sonograms physicians can see babies inside of the womb. This gives them great insight into the condition and development of the child in the womb. Before technology such as this, parents had to wait till the day of birth before they knew anything about the child. Next on the list are vaccines. While child birth did not directly influence the invention of vaccines, technology in fact did. Without the tools to collect and hold specimens, Jenner would never have been able to conduct his research. Additionally, vaccines have improved the health status of everyone  including children. Thanks to vaccines, children (and ultimately the population) no longer have to worry about Polio and other various viruses. Most required vaccines are given to children during their developing years. This protect the child through their entire life. Last of the developments is Medicare. Vaccines didn’t directly lead to Medicare, however all other developments did. With surgical procedures, technology, vaccines, and better child birthing practices, more people are able to live longer lives. As the population’s life expectancy increases, so does the need for care in all facets of life. Programs like Medicare protect the elderly by providing health care for those who could not afford it on their own. Essentially, social policies eventually become important for societies that can provide health care. Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act are necessary social devices that protect U.S. citizens. References Austin, A., Wetle, V. (2012). The United States health care system: Combining business, health, and delivery. (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education. Lemelson-MIT. (2003, April). Louis Pasteur. Retrieved from http://web.mit.edu/invent/iow/pasteur.html Henderson, D. A. (1997). Edward Jenner’s vaccine. Public Health Reports, 112(2), 116-21. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/230183418?accountid=458 Ruddock, B., Malak, K. (2005). Sorting out risks, benefits of vaccine. Canadian Pharmacists Journal, 138(5), 59-60. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/221177193?accountid=458 Hindle, K. S., Hindle, S. J. (2001). A history of surgery. Royal Society of Medicine (Great Britain).Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 94(8), 423. Retrieved from http://search.pr Heisler. J. (2014). The Evolution of Surgery. Retrieved from http://surgery.about.com/od/surgeryinthemedia/a/HistoryOfSurgeryTimeline.htm

Long Term Consequences Of Residualisation Social Policy Essay

Long Term Consequences Of Residualisation Social Policy Essay For those in need of housing in the UK, many low-income and disadvantaged people and families have turned to the Government for assistance in the form of public housing. However, there has been any number of challenges in terms of providing the right quantity and, most importantly, quality of public housing to meet the needs of various UK communities. In the Thatcher era of the 1980s, the Government decided that residualisation of council housing would be the best solution, thereby shifting the responsibility to provide needs and services away from the state and onto the individual and family. In order to further investigate the causes and long-term consequences of the residualisation policy of the 1980s, the context for council housing will first be examined in order to understand the need for this type of public housing, including its social composition and why a shift toward residualisation occurred. It is also important to examine some of the economic, political, and social forces that may have also led to this shift, including globalisation and industrialisation, the new anti-state ideology of Thatcherism, the policies that were created during this time such as the Housing Act 1980, and the growing problems within the UK that led to the reliance on council housing. Lastly, in looking at the long-term consequences of residualisation, it would seem that this shift only led to greater problems rather than solutions. Various consequences will be explored, including the increase in poor housing stock, neighbourhood instability, greater inequality between the classes, and the poor perception of council housing. However, one long-term consequence that can be seen as positive is the overall increase in home ownership during the 1980s and beyond, which has provided a new way for many individuals and families to establish a better economic stature. The Context for Residualisation In order to better understand the causes of residualisation, it is important to first set the context for this shift. At one time, the public housing sector was the fastest growing aspect of the UK housing system and was favoured by the Labour government as a way to house individuals and families after World War II. In 1945, Aneurin Bevam, the Minister of Health, told the House of Commons; We shall ask the local authorities to be the main instruments for the housing programme. It is a principle of the first importance that the local authorities must be looked as the organizations and the source for the building of the main bulk of the housing programme. The local authorities are admirable suite for this purpose. (House of Commons 1945: 1). This was seen as a way to better service everyone within society and create a more equal playing field between classes. It was seen as a way of housing working people, regardless of their income, and there was no stigma of failure attached to those that did choose this option during its early years (Cowan and Maclennan 2008: 11). Council housing was viewed as an investment structure that would allow the UK to offer affordable housing, and this system was found to be capable of sustaining new building programmes on cost balanced rents, well within the affordability of people on average incomes (Ready 2007: 2). In analysing council housing during this period, the belief was that the emphasis was on breaking down the barriers and distinctions between groups in society, opening up public services to all on the basis of need, without investigation of ability to pay (Malpass, 1990: 74). This time period was known as Welfare Capitalism, focusing on the common good and equality through the development of public services and social protection (Scanlon and Whitehead 2008: 17). The term, working classes was even removed from the 1949 Housing Act as a way to establish council housing as a new mixed community that broke new ground on removing the class and income barriers that had previously existed. This meant higher quality standards for council housing, thereby producing a positive viewpoint on council housing up until the 1980s. At that point, there was a definitive shift in how council housing was viewed with a rapidly depleted housing stock that only offered small flats for the neediest groups. The public housing sector stock essentially peaked at 6.5 million in 1979 but, by December 1986, the figure had fallen to under 5.9 million (CIPFA, 1986: 1). As of 2007, the council housing stock has fallen to 3.8 million (Housing and Dependency Working Group 2008: 14). Figure 1.1 also shows the decline in council housing from a peak of 31.7 per cent in the late 1970s to 26.7 per cent in 1986, illustrating how the residualisation policy altered the availability of quality council housing. The latter section will discuss the causes of the decline of council housing. Causes: Shifting Policies, Political Ideologies, and Economics In the early 1970s, Titmuss linked the residual model of social welfare to the idea and beliefs of right-wing economists, such as Hayek, Friedman, and followers of the Institute of Economic Affairs, who were to become so influential with the government a decade later (Forrest and Williams, 1984: 1165). The residual model of social welfare is based on the view that the market and the family should be the main provider of all needs and services. This was part of the Post-Industrial perspective, which was a reaction by the Governments after the 1970s because they feared that they would be unable to manage their national economies in the face of globalisation (Scanlon and Whitehead 2008: 17). As such, the state has a minimal role to play in direct provision, catering only for those who truly have proved that they cannot support themselves. This approach measures a persons welfare against their position in the labour market so that the state would be sure to only complement the market rather than to compete with it. Globalisation Within the realm of globalisation, the UK housing market has become integrated into the global flow of financial markets where money moves freely and rapidly through countries and uses (Waters, 1995: 64), changing how the country has viewed its housing stock. To participate in the global markets, the British economy was then restructured in an attempt to better handle their labour markets, taxation policies and public expenditures in a way that would keep tighter control over what was doled out to its citizens in the form of public assistance. The result was then to reconsider where the country would invest its money in terms of programmes for public assistance, thereby shifting the focus away from council housing and onto investing in private housing that could be financed through the global market system. The policy has shifted to right to buy in public rented housing, leading to a shortage of investment funds for public housing and influencing the stock transfer to housing associations that use private borrowing to stretch what public money is received (Forrest and Murie 1988: 131). Political factors When the conservative party won the 1979 general election, it considered that its housing policies, including the Right to Buy scheme that became part of the Housing Act 1980, had contributed to its electoral success, so the political movement was geared toward the concept of home ownership for as many citizens as possible. This philosophy was inherent in the politics of the day that was geared toward a capitalist approach to society in which there would be an expanded access to capital assets beyond just what was supplied on a public assistance basis. The political movement during the Thatcher administration believed that the state would be freer to help the country become more competitive in terms of its industries and financial prowess if it no longer had to be lumbered with the infrastructure that is involved in operating a welfare state. The British New Rights welfare policies absolve the Government of taking any responsibility in terms of adhering to a certain standard of living for all, thereby choosing to redistribute income from the poor to the rich (Smith 1995: 189). This would mean that those that exist at the bottom of society must be disciplined and wrenched from its dependence on social welfare (Wheelan 1999: 5). Hence, the idea of residualisation was led by the political forces during that time period. Policy changes Policy changes, including the Right to Buy scheme under the Housing Act 1980, were also one of the primary causes of residualisation. During this time, there was more of a concern about area renewal rather than public assistance (Stephens and Lynch 2005: 6), so providing for home ownership was one way in which area renewal could take place without a major investment by the Government. Michael Heseltine set out specific objectives to increase the opportunities for home ownership, improve housing quality, provide greater value for money and more effectively use resources where the needs are more severe. The solutions were seen in privatising the housing market, which meant reducing the existence of council housing stock, restricting capital investments by local authorities, and changing the terms of tenants rental rights (Stephens et al., 2005: 4). Those within council houses were then given the right to buy at a discount up to a maximum of 50 per cent after twenty years and would receive a mortgage from their local authority, taking away incentives for staying in council houses except for those that could not financially purchase a home or take out a mortgage (Stephens et al. 2005: 4). As the figure below indicates, 1980-1984 sales of council homes exceeded new building by private developers, indicating that residualisation was well underway. Thatcher believed that establishing a Right to Buy programme that would replace the state-issued council housing was a way to free many in society from what she saw as the deadening grip of municipal landlordism and a way to create a new cadre of housing consumers (Houghton 2009: 2). And, this plan did work remarkably well for those that had the means to participate whilst the rest were left to compete for a diminishing pool of subsidised homes whilst the worst of the council homes-mostly those ugly block buildings of the 1960s and 1970s-were deserted or left to decay with no funding for refurbishment (Houghton 2009: 2). Stock transfer Stock transfer was one of the primary ways that residualisation was enacted because this policy severely reduced the council housing stock. Stock transfer had a much more significant impact than the Right to Buy policy with the government permitting the transfer of some 200,000 council houses per annum under stock as compared to 50,000 Right to Buy sales in 1999 (Stone 2003: 10). During this time, there were numerous measures that facilitated the transfer of the public stock to alternative landlords through the Tenants Choice and Housing Action Trust. The Large-scale Voluntary Stock Transfer (LSVT) also played a key role in which LSVTs were involved the sale of the local authoritys entire stock of rented houses and the transfer of its staff to a newly-formed housing association set up for the purpose (Stone 2003: 11). By April 1997, 54 councils had divested themselves of their housing stock via an LSVT, leading to more than one quarter of a million homes being transferred (Stone 2003: 11). Overall, it has been estimated that this aspect of residualisation led to over fifty per cent growth in the owner-occupied sector (Stone 2003: 11). Long-Term Consequences of Residualisation Due to these various factors, the causes of residualisation have led to some long-term consequences. Some of these consequences relate to what is now viewed as persistent market instability in terms of housing prices since the low-cost rented sector that was at its peak before the residualisation process of the 1980s has now all but disappeared whilst there has also been more significant changes in the UKs social structure as mentioned below (Ready 2007: 4). Depletion of quality housing stock and homelessness The Right to Buy scheme and the large-scale stock transfer to housing associations meant that most of the quality housing was now sold, leaving available council housing for the needy that was in disrepair and in desperate need of modernisation (Cantle, 1986: 58). The prices of available homes grew at a major faster pace than wages and there were very few rental options available (Cowans and Maclennan 2008: 11). Despite the fact that most of the structures were built prior to World War II and were traditionally constructed to a higher standard, the 1980s saw these structures begin to disintegrate with estimates of  £19 billion to make repairs and modernise them (Cantle, 1986: 61). Since the Government was unwilling or unable to make these repairs, the existing stock of council housing disintegrated further, further marring the reputation of council housing (Cantle, 1986: 62). This depletion of council housing stock and the inability of certain groups to either qualify for what is available or wait on a list has led the numbers of homeless in the UK to rise, illustrating that the residualisation process has created new problems rather than solving old ones (Smith 1995: 196). Despite the increasing homelessness problem, the New Right in Britain continues to view increased public housing as a mean to continue creating dependency on a welfare state amongst the poor and unemployed (Smith 1995: 199). Negative perspectives, stigmatisation, and reduction of the council sector Since the residualisation process seemed to help out those that were willing and capable to support themselves with minimal assistance from the state, which left only the disadvantaged to remain in the council sector, reducing the size of the sector whilst also stigmatising those that remained a part of this public assistance programme (Burrows, 1999: 31). The statistics of those within the council housing system further substantiated stigmatism of certain groups of individuals, creating prejudice, inequality in home ownership, and leading to instability in neighbourhoods. For example, the London Housing Survey, 1986-7 showed that 4% of all households in London were headed by single parents but 9% in the council sector, and nearly half of all Afro-Caribbean households lived in council housing but were underrepresented in the owner occupation sector (London Research Centre 1988: Tables 1, 2, and 4). Additionally, Forrest and Murie (1988: 68) stated that, by 1984, more than half of households in council housing were headed by an economically inactive person and that nearly two-thirds of council housing head of households were not working. Those that do work have incomes in the bottom 40%, as compared to the early 1980s when council tenants had average income that was 73% of the national average (Housing and Dependency Working Group 2008: 14). Table 1.1 shows how the elderly and younger age groups have also become significantly over-represented in council housing since the early 1970s. The result has led to a long-term system that geographically contains and stigmatises those living in council housing as bad places in which those seeking public assistance are looked down upon and excluded by society (Social Exclusion Unit 1999: 2). The general perspective that council housing is welfare housing for those on welfare has been ingrained into the overall society, in large measure, by the residualisation processes that have occurred over the last fifty years (Somerville 2004: 2). The lines between poverty and crime have become so blurred that the Government now uses the council estates as an example of how those within the bottom of society are responsible for their own wretched existence (Wheelan 1999: 5), so that the rest of society takes the same negative viewpoint of council housing and those that live there. The New Labour rationale continues that of the Thatcher era in terms of destroying the UKs culture of a welfare state by threatening to demolish all council housing, regardless of whether people living there now need this shelter or not, if these areas continue to retain high numbers of the unemployed and welfare dependent (Wheelan 1999: 4-5), proving that the long-term effect of residualisation will continue. However, at the same time, it is interesting to note that, despite the efforts of residualisation to help those in need, the number of people in the UK living in poverty doubled from ten million in 1978-1980 to twenty million by 1998-1999 (Stephens and Lynch 2005: 27). It seems as though the intentions of this process actually continued to create more negative consequences than it was able to solve. Neighbourhood instability and lack of community cohesion The residualisation of the council housing segment has led to a constant churning and rotation of people within neighbourhoods, creating the long-term effect of instability and a lack of community cohesion (Holman and Simpson, 1999: 23). Leaving just less affluent older people and younger people within the council housing segment has created constant change with the older generations dying and the younger generations growing restless and changing their residences more often than families or other demographic groups (Holman and Simpson, 1999: 24). For example, the majority of people moving out of council housing had lived at their previous address for less than five years and 31% have moved after less than two years, indicating that those entering council housing in the recent past are increasingly unlikely to anticipate a long-term future as local authority tenants (Pawson and Bramley, 2000: 1257). The instability will be further enabled by the polarisation between available quality homes and poor homes. As one building society noted, Prices for quality homes will continue to rise, while prices for poor homes continue to fall as the market increasingly polarises (Wheelan 1999: 4). Growth in home ownership This is not to say that the long-term consequences are all negative as the growth of home ownership since the 1980s, making the UK as home-owning society, can only be viewed as a positive. As of 1995, the rate of home ownership was 66%, up from 55% in 1979 (Smith 1995: 190). Owning a home has been shown to be a means of raising ones social status as well as improving ones economic footing and long-term stability (Smith 1995: 191). Home ownership also helps many communities regenerate and improve the overall social cohesion. The fact that council housing has not lived up to the promises of fifty years ago may push the Government to strike the entire programme and develop innovative solutions for social housing needs or devise new ways of helping the poor to help themselves (Wheelan 1999: 5). The only problematic aspect of this overall advantageous consequence is the continued inequality in class in terms of home ownership and the discrepancy amongst demographic groups in terms of who can afford home ownership and who cannot. There continues to be a severe shortage of quality housing stock for everyone, including those who would like to purchase homes. And, while the globalisation of financial markets did allow for greater housing finance options, the recent credit crunch has also shown that participating in globalisation has its price too as funding for mortgages has all but disappeared. Conclusions In looking at the present state of council housing and public assistance, it seems as though the primary causes of residualisation from the 1980s in terms of the globalised financial and lending system and the political perspective of measured spending on social programmes will continue in the same manner going forward. The recent global credit crunch further impacts the ongoing lack of focus on providing social housing due to reduced financing sources and budgetary cuts to Government funded programmes. The future brings the need for new strategies that offer community housing rather than council housing under a new umbrella of what is being called mixed tenure to ensure the right stock of affordable social and private housing that is intended to better balance the ability to make quality housing within the grasp of all levels within society. Whilst residualisation was one attempt at breaking free of a welfare state but also one that continues to keep certain groups stuck without any upward mobility, there are other types of social processes that can be explored to better balance and sustain local communities. In the end, it may not be the council housing or public assistance that is creating a vicious cycle for the disadvantaged since the residualisation process has actually led to greater poverty, homelessness, and other social issues. The real issue may be the need to fix other programmes that do not involve public assistance in terms of providing more job opportunities, education and training, and strategies that improve the internal infrastructure of the UK rather than trying to put a plaster on the problem and hoping it just gets better on its own or transferring income over to those that are already sustaining themselves. The issues involved have seemingly been exacerbated by the residualisation process rather than solved the issue of a welfare state. This is the time when the UK Government must look inwards on how to provide more assistance that allows people to help themselves and invest in what is already available to refurbish and renew areas so that more citizens can enjoy a better quality of life. References Burrows, R. (1999). Residential mobility and residualization in social housing in England. Journal of Social Policy, 27-52. Cantle, T. (1986). The deterioration of public sector housing in Malpass, P (Ed.) The Housing Crisis. London: Croom Helm. Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPA). (1986). Housing statistics, Part 1: Rents, rebates and allowances at April 1976 and housing rents statistics. Cowans, J. and Maclennan, D. (2008). Visions for social housing: international perspectives. The Smith Institute, 1-100. Forrest, R. and Murie, A. (1988). Selling the Welfare State. London: Routledge. Forrest, R. and Williams, P. (1984). Commodificaton and housing: emerging issues and contradictions. Environment and Planning, 1163-80. HMSO. (1988). Annual abstract of statistics. Holman, A.E. and Simpson, M. (1999). Low Demand: Separating Fact from Fiction. Coventry: Chartered Institute of Housing in England. Houghton, J. (2009). The ideological importance of housing, 1-9. House of Commons. (1945). House of Commons Debates, Vol. 414, Col. 1222. Housing and Dependency Working Group. (2008). Housing poverty: From social breakdown to social mobility. Centre for Social Justice, 1-132. London Research Centre. (1988). Council tenants in London. Malpass, P. (1990). Reshaping Housing Policy: Subsidies, Rents, and Residualisation. London: Routledge. Pawson, H. and Bramley , G. (2000). Understanding recent trends in residential mobility in council housing in England. Urban Studies, 37(8), 1231-59. Ready, B. (2007). Homes for the future: more affordable, more sustainable. UK Housing Green Paper. Available at: www.thereadyfamily.com/housing/archive/submission.htm. Scanlon, K. and Whitehead, C. (2008). Social Housing in Europe II. London: London School of Economics and Political Science. Smith, J. (1995). Class war conservatism: Housing policy, homelessness and the underclass. The Socialist Register, 188-206. Social Exclusion Unit (SEU). (1999). Bringing Britain together: A national strategy for neighbourhood renewal. Somerville, P. (2004). Transforming council housing. Housing Studies Association Conference, 1-13. Stephens, M. and Lynch, E. (2005). The cost, quantity, and quality of housing consumption in the UK: Comparisons with other European countries, 1-90. Stephens, M., Whitehead, C., and Munro, M, (2005). Lessons from the past, challenges for the future for housing policy: an evaluation of English housing policy 1975-2000. London: Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. Stone, M.E. (2003). Social housing in the UK and US: Evolution, issues and prospects, 1-90. Waters, M. (1995). Globalization. London: Routledge. Wheelan, S. (1999). The impact of globalisation on urban development. The World Socialist Web Site. Available at: www.wsws.org.

Survey on Family life Essay -- essays research papers

Survey of Family Life A social institution is an organized pattern of beliefs and behaviors centered on basic human needs. Family is a major social institution in our society that controls how children are brought up, and are taught how to behave and act in the world. It is a major support system, and a guide to be introduced into our society. In our Society today, when people are asked what a family is, there are many different responses. Because of the media, people often associate what they think is a family is through their favorite television shows, books, and magazines. The problem with programs such as Family Ties, or the Cosby show is that they don’t always portray or provide realistic views. Through a survey given to ten random people at Merrimack College, I concluded that families differ in many ways whether it’s through marriage or divorce, decision making, and family unity. One type of family that is typically portrayed by the Media is the nuclear family. A nuclear family is a married couple and their unmarried children living together. From the nuclear family, many larger family groups can be formed. Demonstrated by my survey I found that the average nuclear family has about four members. My survey also showed that the amount of blood related siblings living in the same household was about two per family. Among the nuclear family there is also extended family, where relatives live in the same home as parents and their children. The results from my survey presented that not many people have extended family, but the extended family that does exist consists mainly of grandparents. There are advantages to the extended family over the nuclear family, such as more emotional, physical, and economical support for the family as a whole. In the television show Family Matters, extended family is demonstrated when the grandmother comes to live with â€Å"Winslows†. She was portrayed as a loving person who was always there to listen to her family’s problems. In this case of the media, we see that extended family is properly used. In the United States, most people would prefer the nuclear family as their family arrangement, but studies show that only one third of the population actually fulfills this model. Research has shown dramatic increase of divorce rates, and remarriages over the past 30 years. Through my survey taken at Merrimack College, results show ... ...estion that favored the female parent over the male was whose side of the family had preference over the other, and the results were mostly of matrilineal descent. Richardson, a feminist researcher, concluded that the family is the â€Å"source of a women’s strength† and I completely agree. The claim is in agreement with my survey seeing as how the mother is dominant in many aspects of family life. Along, with my conclusions with women being dominant in a family, I also acknowledged that the people who responded to my survey whose parents were divorced seemed to have a bitter outlook on their family life. They often used negative comments when answering if their kin was close or not, or who made decisions in the family. I believe that today’s society is falling into a downward spiral of divorce, separation, and remarriages, and in most cases are effecting the nuclear family negatively. Family should be a support system in your life, and not looked upon negati vely. In a forward direction, we see more egalitarian families emerging, and patriarchy’s declining. A family is in important social institution within our society and should be held highly within our kinship, and nuclear families.

The Lady of Shalott and Industrialized Misery Essay -- Lady of Shalott

The Lady of Shalott and Industrialized Misery Alfred Lord Tennyson, one of the mid-Victorian's most celebrated poets of the time, was genius in "eloquently presenting the anxieties and aspirations of his era" (Longman p. 1909). Trademarks of Victorian life included questioning faith, the Bible, the past, and the self. More and more people were interested in the industry of man rather than the uniqueness of nature, and progress of society proved that man was made to dominate and take everything for himself. Tennyson greatly recognized this trend as "he called attention to the industrialized misery and revolutionary anger of the poor" (Longman p. 1909-08) produced by the industrial progress in the mid-1800s. He noticed that as people delved into improving society, they at the same time lost their sense of humanity and innocence as they sped up industry and the making of material wealth for the well to-do. This loss of innocence is echoed in Tennyson's Arthurian lyrical poem "The Lady of Shalott" (Longman pp. 1913-1918). ...

Computers In Education :: essays research papers

Computers in Education The typical school has 1 computer per 20 students, a ratio that computer educators feel is still not high enough to affect classroom learning as much as books and classroom conversation. Some critics see computer education as merely the latest in a series of unsuccessful attempts to revolutionise education through the use of audio- and visually-oriented non print media. For example, motion pictures, broadcast television, filmstrips, audio recorders, and videotapes were all initially heralded for their instructional potential, but each of these ultimately became minor classroom tools alongside conventional methods. Communications Satellite A communications satellite is an artificial SATELLITE placed into orbit around the Earth to facilitate communications on Earth. Most long-distance radio communication across land is sent via MICROWAVE relay towers. In effect, a satellite serves as a tall microwave tower to permit direct transmission between stations, but it can interconnect any number of stations that are included within the antenna beams of the satellite rather than simply the two ends of the microwave link. Computer Crime Computer crime is defined as any crime involving a computer accomplished through the use or knowledge of computer technology. Computers are objects of crime when they or their contents are damaged, as when terrorists attack computer centres with explosives or gasoline, or when a "computer virus" a program capable of altering or erasing computer memory is introduced into a computer system. Personal Computer A personal computer is a computer that is based on a microprocessor, a small semiconductor chip that performs the operations of a c.p.u. Personal computers are single-user machines, whereas larger computers generally have multiple users. Personal computers have many uses such as: Word processing, communicating to other computers over a phone line using a modem,databases,leisure games are just some of the uses of a Personal Computer. Computers for Leisure Games As they proliferated, video games gained colour and complexity and adopted the basic theme that most of them still exhibit: the violent annihilation of an enemy by means of one's skill at moving a lever or pushing a button. Many of the games played on home computers are more or less identical with those in video arcades. Increasingly, however, computer games are becoming more sophisticated, more difficult, and no longer dependent on elapsed time a few computer games go on for many hours.

The Role of Religion in Presidential Elections

The Role of Religion in Presidential Elections â€Å"The relationship between faith, reason, and fear sometimes resembles†¦rock, paper, scissors (45). † This is the opening sentence in chapter two of Al Gore’s book, The Assault on Reason. In this chapter Gore talks about how fear takes over reason, reason challenges faith, and eventually faith defeats fear. This is the way that our society worked when he wrote the book, and it has not changed for the better since then, although it has not necessarily gotten substantially worse.Today religion is still a huge player in political debate because people are guided, for the most part, by their morals and it is commonly held that morals come mainly from religious teachings. This is a complex subject because that also opens the door to the idea that atheists, agnostics, etc are not moral people because they are not religious. By that logic, only the religious should be allowed to lead our country because they are the only moral people. Do we believe that all religions are good, though? Are some better than others?Ideally, and under our Constitution, no; all religions are equal in the eyes of our laws. However, there are stigmas attached to certain religions, and to many non-religious people there is a stigma on religion itself. So why, then, does religion play such a large role in political campaigns? It’s simple; because we view religion as having a direct correlation with morals, politicians, political parties, and interest groups can use fear to override our reason in order to sway our opinions. Historically, here in the United States, our citizens have elected white Christian men to the office of the President.To go even further, we have elected Protestant Christians to office. It is apparent that, political parties aside, we have a preference as to what our President should be, religiously. We have only had one Roman Catholic President, John F. Kennedy; during his campaign there were fear s that he would follow the wishes of the Bishop rather than the people. To some degree we still hold these beliefs. If we did not, religion wouldn’t be used as a fear tactic. The colonists who came from England were escaping religious repression, and were the inspiration for our freedom of religion.In modern times, we seem to have lost sight of that. Four years ago, Barack Obama was running for office for the first time. Among many other controversies, i. e. whether he was actually born a U. S. citizen, was the rumor that Obama is a Muslim and not a Christian as he has time and time again identified himself to be. In the United States, where we have the freedom of religion outlined in our Constitution, people were worried that someone of a Muslim background would be able to become the most powerful man in the world.A large part of that fear certainly stems from the attacks on September 11, 2001 but surely there is no legitimate reason to fear Muslims other than the combinatio n of our ignorance of Muslim culture and faith, and the fear that is instilled in us not only by political parties but by non-affiliated extremist groups as well, that say all Muslims are terrorists. Barack Obama went on to win the election, which is not surprising because the public could see right through these shaky scare tactics. However, this has not stopped people from trying to use it in the current election.In a ninety second audio clip taken from a call between a Republican volunteer and a constituent, the volunteer calls Obama a Muslim and says that he wants to take away their Medicare (Dixon, 2012). So even though this tactic has not worked in the past, it doesn’t do much to stop people from trying to spread these rumors again. Between the 2008 election and the upcoming election not much has changed, although in this year’s election the religion card will likely play a larger role in who will win the electorate.Mitt Romney is a Mormon, and while the small ou tcry claiming Obama to be a Muslim was never on firm ground, there is no question of Romney’s religion. This is where we fall back to the days of Kennedy’s campaign. People are worried that Romney will place his religious views before the welfare of our nation. The accusation that people are making is that he is incapable of leading our country because he is a Mormon. Some of the big issues on his plate currently involve women’s rights.As a Mormon, he does not believe in abortion and has made it clear that he would try to pass legislation that sets the beginning of life at conception. While there are certainly non-Mormon people who do not believe in abortion, this is being attributed to his religion. Fifty years ago, or even twenty-five to thirty years ago, this would have been a non-issue. Romney’s beliefs would have been more in line with the more conservative nature of the time period. Needless to say Mitt Romney faces an uphill battle on his quest for the White House.Given all of this information, it would seem very apparent that religion plays a huge role in presidential elections. This is true, but not necessarily in the way that one might think. According to an article in the Huffington Post, most Americans say that it is important for the President to have strong religious beliefs, even if the beliefs differ from their own. This information seems to undermine what the media would have us believe. In addition, constituents tend not to know or be confused about the candidates’ actual religion.Only four in ten citizens could correctly identify Mitt Romney’s religion and forty-six percent of American’s said they did not know (Neroulias, 2011). This goes back to the idea of morals; those who have religion are moral and good, while those who do not cannot be moral and therefore should not lead our country. In the end, politics have not done much to change for the better. We still fear religions that we have no need to fear, and this is largely because fear tactics are used every day by political parties as well as extremists who have the ability to make it into mainstream media.Absolutely anyone can start a rumor that a candidate is Muslim and can’t be trusted, and that could catch like wildfire, or it could be blown off for the most part. It is also exponentially easier to take a candidates religion and a single belief, and then convince the country that he should not be President. Another thing that we see is that citizens place a large emphasis on religion itself, but there is still a large stigma on religions that are not traditional Christian. Until we become collectively more knowledgeable about other religions and debates become more informed, not much could possibly change.References Dixon, M. (2012, September 27). Call from clay county gop:obama is a muslim who'll take away medicare. Retrieved from http://m. jacksonville. com/news/metro/2012-09-27/story/call-clay-county-g op-obama-muslim-wholl-take-away-medicare Gore, A. (2007). The assault on reason. (p. 45). New York, NY: Penguin Group. Neroulias, N. (2011, September 24). How religious identity is influencing the presidential election. Retrieved from http://www. huffingtonpost. com/2011/07/25/presidential-candidates-religious-beliefs_n_908858. html