Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee - 1165 Words

Pheng Lao Mr. Abbott English 9 15 December, 2015 To A Mockingbird Essay In the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, by harper lee, the setting is based on a little town, Maycomb, as scout grows up she sees the changes in her society, role of women, and courage. Scout learns more about the world as she grows up and she starts to see the discrimination between the blacks and the whites. Scout hears a lot about Boo Radley but never sees him. She knows how her society is bad from the day Tom Robinson’s trial and from all the rumours that were made of Boo Radley. Scout fear and emotion changes grows up throughout the novel to kill a mockingbird when she learns the truth about her society and the world she lives in. In the trial†¦show more content†¦Even though Bob Ewell was the real suspect, they never knew that, and without real evidence Tom Robinson was guilty. Scout notices how her community works and knows why Boo will never come out of his house in this bad, judging society. From being disrespectful to others, Scout grows up being mature like her father, Mr. Atticus. She knows everyone should be treated equally and fair. On the first day of school, Scout had a lot of fights, especially with Walter, but later on, Scout notices how a person should all be equal, so Scout became friends with Walter and gave him respect. In a small town like Maycomb, everyone can make rumours and believe one another just by judging each other. In this community everyone was scared of a house couple blocks away from the Finch household. There was a person living in there named Boo Radley and there were many rumours about him. Miss Stephanie said, boo was sitting in the living room cutting some items from the Maycomb Tribune to paste in his scrapbook. His father entered the room as Radley passed by, Boo drove the scissors unto this parents leg, pulled them out, wiped them on his pants and resumed his activities† (Lee, 11). When Scout was a young child she believed all these rumours. She was scared of Boo w ithout knowing him. Later on in the novel she says â€Å"It s only scary in books† because she now knows that rumours

Persepolis Free Essays

string(28) " change the way they dress\." In the current international community, the issue of human rights had been one of the main issues that are faced by the different countries in the world. Topics such as the inhumane treatment towards women and children mostly in the Middle Eastern Countries and Islamic communities around the world are the problems that are still in being debated by my leaders today. Although many feminist say that there is inequality and inhumanity in the treatment of women in the Middle East, in reality, women are really torn between deciding to obey their culture or practice their right as a woman. We will write a custom essay sample on Persepolis or any similar topic only for you Order Now In the past, Persian women are given the equal rights with men. These women have their own properties and are able to retain these even after their marriage. Most of them are given the right to their own freedom and are acknowledged as the most important people in the society given their ability to bear a child and such. In an article written by Massoume Price, he stated that based on historical facts â€Å"†¦the widowed wife inherited from the deceased even if she did not have children. A woman could not act as a witness in the drawing up of contracts, but she could act as a contracting party and have her own seal† (Price, n. . ). Women had the same power as men but as the years progress, female rights in Iran have lessened which led to repression and gender inequality. In the book Persepolis discusses such dilemma of a 9 year old child living in Iran during the Iran and Iraq war. The author of the book is Marjane Satrapi who actually is the lead character in the whole s tory and narrates her experiences as a child until now as an Iranian woman. The book is a graphic novel which looks like a comic strip. The book is filled with black and white drawings (The Creole Cat, 1) which I personally think as unique and cool. It is not like a typical book which is filled with words and serious topics that will turn out to be a boring book in the end. Although the book does not present is self as a serious and a complicated book to read, the issues raised in the book has became one of the most controversial concern in Iran and in various countries in the world. (Revolution, n. p. ) The graphic novel narrates the life of Marjane Satrapi who was then living in a chaotic world of politics in Iran. Her family is connected to the political branches of the government which makes her more exposed to the lifestyle of politics in Iran. Her family was communists who generally do not agree with the system of the Islamic Fundamentalists and its actions. Her family usually hosts under ground parties which was a form of rebellion in the government. These parties were not allowed by the government because they are believed to be a western practice which opposes the belief of the fundamentalists. Therefore heavy punishments could be held to them if they are caught participating in these activities. As Marjane lived in a family that was against the Islamic Fundamentalists, she also created measures that imitated the actions of her family. She got interested in punk and heavy metal music and often bought Nike shoes in the black market. Due to the bold actions of the young Marjane, her family decided that she must live in a different country to prevent her from being arrested by officials, â€Å"It would have been better to just go† (Eberstadt cited in Satrapi n. p. ). During her high school life, she was sent to Vienna Austria however, she felt like she was isolated and typically hated the people around her. She believes that Westerners do not put any value to the freedom that they have. After a few months of her stay in Austria she had a relationship with a young man. She became passionately in love with him but after a while, she discovered that he was cheating on her. Due to this, she had clinical depression and almost died of bronchitis. She went home to Iran with a broken heart (Revolution, n. p. ). By the time that she was in college, she went back to Iran. She was hopeful that changes in the society would be present because the war had already ended however; the problem in Iran seemed to have a much bigger issue to solve. Petty issues such as small differences in religion, and group executions due to political conflicts had been a source of bigger complications in the society which lead to a much chaotic Iran. The conflict made the lives of the people much more difficult most especially to the women living in the country. Iran had a much more conservative law which made life for Marjane much more complicated. Freedom of wearing make-up was prohibited. Marjane was almost caught wearing cosmetics but in the end, she got out of the situation for accusing the police for staring wrongly at her body. In addition she married her boyfriend just to avoid the police scrutiny. In the end, Marjane Satrapi separated with her husband after their three years of marriage. Other events happened and finally her parents decided that she must leave the country in order to prevent her from being arrested by the police. Marjane agreed to the plan of her parents however, after her departure from Iran her grandmother died. In the whole story, the role of women was one of the strongest and most evident participation. In some articles that critiqued the book has stated that the graphic novel is about feminism and women empowerment in the Middle East. The book highlights the role and responsibilities of women in a conservative and Islamic community such that of Tehran, Iran. When the Islamic Fundamentalist party one the most obvious changes that the women had to do was to change the way they dress. You read "Persepolis" in category "Papers" Women need to cover their hair in order to not entice the men. In the conservative belief of the Islam religion, women must not show of a body part because it might lead to something sinful for the part of the men. The veil became a mandatory outfit of every woman whether they may be young or old (Creole Cat, 1). Make-ups are also not allowed by the Islamic Fundamentalists for they believe that it is a Western belief and thus is should not be put on by any woman. In the story Marjane was almost arrested by the police but she was able to make an alibi. In addition, women in many ways had created actions in order to prevent men from being caught by the police while going against the action of the government. A scene in the graphic novel where in the police stopped their car for inspection. The police officer inspected her father and suspected that Marjane’s father had drunk wine. Upon inspection, the mother tried to negotiate with the officers pleading that her father just became surprised with the inspection. In the continuing scene, the grandmother excused herself through justifying that she has diabetes. She was understood by one of the officers and through this, the grandmother and Marjane were able to go up their apartment and sneak in. They were able to throw away the wines that they have kept in their apartment. Females in Iran were able to somehow cover up for the men because of their characteristic of being compassionate and patient with negotiations with other people. Marjane’s mother is specifically patient and calm during situations like these. She gives support to her husband but is more composed. Although she wanted to have justice and equality amongst everyone in Iran she does not act as violently as others would do. (Satrapi 107-110) The role of the maid in the story was also an important part of the novel. Although it is given small attention, the scene of the story is proclaiming that there is social construct of limiting oneself from interacting with other people due to the social class. A maid is not a high paying job compared to other jobs available. Maids are also seen as low class citizens and must not go out of their social class. They must not marry higher class people such as the middle class and the elites. It would be immoral and improper because in the Iranian society, any individual must not go out of their social class, like Marjane’s father said â€Å"In this country you must stay within your own social class† (Eberstadt cited in Satrapi n. p. ). Due to this belief and social construct, the interaction of the society becomes limited which creates in equality. However, Marjane stated a line in which makes the readers realize that there must not be boundaries with the relations of people â€Å"We were not in the same social class but at least we were in the same bed†( Eberstadt cited in Satrapi n. p. ). Her line expressed states that everyone is equal with one another, in terms of loving another person. The situation of the maid, demonstrated that class difference is one of the main issues faced by Iran. The main character, Marjane illustrates a child that was born in a family that wanted to have a just world. Just like her parents, she also employs her own belief system which led to many troubles which were narrated in the book. Her boldness and strong belief present a modern Iranian woman that wants to get out of her shell to explore other realities. Marjane advocates the openness to other new experiences such that of the western culture. As a young girl, she immediately had a different sense of desire for freedom and equality. When she was in her younger years, she was already out spoken about her ideas and her dreams. She wanted to become a prophet which is not really a dream for most the girls of her age. Her teacher even called her parents because she got disturbed by the idea the Marjane wanted to be a prophet. Her dream of becoming a prophet evidently makes her represent the female population that wanted freedom and equality from the Islamic Fundamentalists belief. Although Marjane was being bold and was acting against the principle of her belief, she still believed in a higher and stronger being which was shown in her graphic novel. Though, women were repressed and were forced to the will of the fundamentalists, Marjane’s role became an important in the book to show that she was a woman that pursued what she believed is right even though she was held back by the society. She did chase her dream in making the lives of women and other Iranians free from all the difficulties that she had in her past life. Marjane’s life became a symbol of courage and change for many women in the Iranian society. In conclusion, women in the book all have their own roles. The elderly women in the book such as the mother and the grandmother of Marjane played the role of protecting their families through peaceful means. As much as possible, these elders are fighting for what they believe is right however, they do not do the extremes unlike Marjane. They move with grace and caution to make sure that their family is well protected and at peace. The maid’s role in the story is being a woman less powerful than the normal one due to her status in the society. Being a woman and being poor held her back to the lower part of the social system. The Iranian conservative society does not allow a lower class female to marry or be in a relationship with a male who is in the higher social status or vise versa. On the other hand, Marjane’s role in novel changed the perspective of many of the characters. Her rebellion made gave her a little freedom which was needed by most of the women during her time. Marjane showed her strength and courage in battling the norms of her society to prove that women should be given more freedom than their culture allows. How to cite Persepolis, Papers

Mental Health Approaches Prediction and Prevention

Question: Discuss about theMental Health Approachesfor Prediction and Prevention. Answer: This paper is about Identification and exploration of current approaches to deal with the problem of aggression in mental health care treatment settings. In this paper, literature review, analysis, and inquiries have been done and presented. Moreover, current approaches to the prediction, prevention, and management of aggression in inpatient and community-based treatment settings and their relevance in contemporary mental health nursing practice are presented in detail. To exemplify this point a distinction between physical and verbal aggression cannot be useless. Understanding these differences can have favorable consequences for individual companies. Intentionality is a concept that's implications for both professionals and researchers. It is recognized between instrumental and mad aggression. That is useful in differentiating between volatile, aggression actions and those who have a part that is planned (Dickens et al., 2013). This should be differentiated from a competitive scenario where an individual may be upset so that you can reach a target but stays somewhat in control in their behavior (Paterson, 2006). In compare, a person could lose monitoring of the answers and may experience an elevated arousal level. In the latter situation, the violence and the aggression may be driven and premeditated (Ahn et al., 2015). Therefore, because this can be seen as a potential first step in the chain of aggression behavior, constant vigilance is required to give focus to the lowest expression of aggression. A satisfactory and early reaction about the severity of the action can prevent a more severe type of aggression that would need a more restrictive intervention. Every 5 minutes an individual contact checks the patient whether the child has calmed down enough to participate in group tasks (Becher Visovsky, 2012). These interventions are not quite restrictive with autonomy and maximal dignity. As such we make an effort to stay with the objective of improving the autonomy and fury control managing styles, out of any power disagreement. The orderly enrollment, carefully tracked by the research worker, keeps staff attentive for actions and minor aggression against confusing the ethical standards (Fluttert, 2010). Room referral means the child is requested to visit their room for a brief time. We focus more on repetition as an alternative to the intensity of the interventions. Fixation and seclusion are so and seen as last period last selection responses (Allnutt et al., 2013). The practical alternatives differed between the states although aggression management practices included the same components in all four elements. Four-point leather straps with a restraint bed were used just in Finland. Giving was used in different ways and for various functions. In the Netherlands and Belgium, the youth was provided in a seclusion room when they left the room as a way to ensure staff security. A duvet was used as an aid in, physical constraint, or instead of. The interviewees in teen forensic units described similar components of aggression management techniques in Great Britain, Finland, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Nevertheless, options that are practical seeing the best way to use them, and precedence of different approaches differed from one unit to another (Berg et al., 2011). Verbal de-escalation was considered the favorite choice when interceding in escalated scenarios of adolescent behavior that is aggressive. Verbal interaction also appeared to have another function in different degrees of aggression behavior. This contradicts previous studies in adult psychiatric setting, where nursing staff still seemed to prioritize common strategies (seclusion, restraint) to handle aggression behavior. This also enabled the team to perform physical constraint with fewer staff members (Foster et al., 2007). The seclusion practices used varied across states. Intensive care units were in use just in Great Britain. Additionally, even though all the players described beginning their intervention by striving to create contact with the aggressor and speaking with the teens, for progressing to physical intervention, the thresholds changed (Bonifas, 2015). Aggressive behavior in people with a mental health condition connotes using real physical violence toward self, others, or property or making personal verbal dangers that are at hand. In healthcare settings, strategies for actively competitive patients have historically included using either seclusion (automatic positioning of a patient in a secured room or place where the patient is not permitted to leave) or restraints ((Paterson, 2006). Automatic management of mechanical, pharmacologic, or physical interventions, which can be viewed as more prohibitive than seclusion); these practices continue today. Standard care, as whatever was done before a new intervention was attempted frequently symbolized in comparative studies, differs considerably. Determining to use restraints or seclusion raises several significant clinical or policy problems. First is the best way to balance dangers and the advantages of restraints or seclusion to those practices with those of various options. Whether an evidence base exists to support using restraints or seclusion is debatable (Hector Bonifas, 2013). The direction of aggression behavior presents a significant challenge to mental health services. The interventions that can be utilized fall under three broad headings: physical, psychological and pharmacological interventions. In practice, health-care professionals may draw upon facts from all three groups in the direction of a potentially violent or violent scenario. Much interest targets using alternatives to restraints and seclusion (Allnutt, 2013). These strategies can address preventing aggression behavior or reduce aggression behavior once it has developed (or both). Both of these tactics that are preventative can overlap; appropriate strategies can also be used as a broad strategy on an unit-wide basis. In such situations, options range from emergency response teams; psychiatric emergency response teams, quick response teams, and these encompass behavioral emergency response teams. Furthermore, clinicians can use pharmacologic interventions to reduce agitation immediately (ra ther than more slowly treating the underlying sickness). We see a continuum of behavior and danger (Hector Bonifas, 2013). This spectrum may include patients with these illnesses who may be at risk of aggression behavior (i.e., aren't actively competitive), in which case interventions are preventative. Additionally, it may comprise those who find themselves demonstrating aggressive behaviors (i.e., are actively competitive), in which case interventions are directly active. Interventions can happen at any point along this continuum, and they can include an extensive assortment of strategies that can have parts that are educational, behavioral, psychological, organizational, environmental, or pharmacologic. The interventions must target a decrease either in aggression behavior or use of restraints and seclusion (Hector Bonifas, 2013). We classify and define responses to represent either prevention or intervention that is direct. Preventative strategies can be either general, part interventions that apply to all people (whether or not they are competitive) or individual processes directed at men who are at particularly high risk to become competitive. General preventative strategies often concentrate on whole care units and highlight supplying serene surroundings where aggression is not as likely to develop (Bonifas, 2015). They contain the following: risk assessment milieu-established changes including sensory rooms, which provide a supportive and peaceful environment for patients staffing changes, including increased staff-to-patient ratios staff training programs that are special; and peer-based interventions. Preventative strategies that are special frequently attempt to intercede at the stage of agitation, which can be seen as a risk factor for becoming competitive. Additionally, it may entail patients identified as being at a heightened danger to become competitive (e.g., were evaluated as being agitated) but who were not yet actively competitive (Paterson, 2006). Aggression happens as a defense mechanism and is established by constructive or destructive actions towards self or others or originates from innate drives. Competitive individuals disregard the rights of others. An aggressive way of life can result in verbal or physical violence. The aggressive behavior covers a significant dearth of self-confidence. Individuals that are competitive improve with their self-esteem by showing their superiority and thereby overpowering others (Bonifas, 2015). They vary from using drugs, patient instruction and assertiveness training to anticipatory strategies including verbal and nonverbal communications, and preventative strategies including self-awareness. If the patients aggressive behavior escalates despite these activities, the nurse may have to execute containment strategies and disaster management techniques including seclusion or restraints (Foster et al, 2007). Chemical controls are drugs used to limit patients freedom or for crisis management of behavior, but it is not a conventional treatment for the patients psychiatric or medical illness. They have been a breach of rights that are patient if used as a natural method of discipline, coercion or convenience. Teaching patients about the proper way and communicating to express rage can be among the most successful interventions in preventing the aggressive behavior. Teaching patients that feelings are wrong or bad or right or sick can enable them to investigate feelings that could happen to be bottled up, ignored or repressed (Foster et al, 2007). Restraints should be used efficiently and with the attention that to not injure a patient. Before the patient is approached sufficient staff must be gathered. Each public servant should be delegated responsibility for commanding particular body parts. Restraints should be accessible and in working order. Padding of restraints that are cuff helps to prevent skin breakdown. In anatomical alignment, the patient should be placed for the same (Renwick et al, 2016). Rage is a normal human emotion which is critical for persons development. Expressed assertively and when managed appropriately, age is a positive, creative power that results in productive change and problem solving. When directed and expressed as physical aggression or verbal aggression, anger is harmful and possibly life (Pillemer et al, 2012). Psychiatric nurses specifically, work with patients who've insufficient coping mechanisms for coping with anxiety. During these times of tension acts of violence or physical aggression can happen. For these reasons, it is essential that psychiatric nurses intervene and have the ability to evaluate patients in danger of violence before, during and after an episode that is aggressive. Debriefing is an essential part of terminating using restraints or seclusion (Fluttert et al, 2010). Debriefing is a therapeutic intervention which includes processing the answer to them and reviewing the facts related to an occasion. It supplies a chance to clarify the logical for seclusion, offers reciprocal responses, and identify methods of managing that may help the patient prevent isolation as time goes on, alternate to the staff and patient (Paterson, 2006). Time out from reward is a behavioral technique in which temporary removal of the patient can decrease unacceptable behaviors from through sometimes strengthening scenarios and exciting. Patients should be removed from restraints or seclusion when they satisfy standards for release (Foster et al, 2007). It is necessary to review the behavior that precipitated the patient and the interventions present ability to control their behavior. Patients should be told which behaviors or instincts which intervention they must command before the intervention can be discontinued and they must show (Paterson, 2006). Attentive documentat ion and communicating are essential in making a precise evaluation of a patients degree of management. Timeout usually will take a quiet region of the patients room or the patients component. When he can stay, composed patient is permitted to be from the time out place. Patient discovers their preparation to leave the time out place (Foster et al, 2007). References Ahn, H., Horgas, A. (2014). Does pain mediate or moderate the effect of cognitive impairment on aggression in nursing home residents with dementia?. Asian nursing research, 8(2), 105-109. Ahn, H., Garvan, C., Lyon, D. (2015). Pain and aggression in nursing home residents with dementia: Minimum Data Set 3.0 analysis. Nursing research, 64(4), 256-263. Allnutt, S. H., Ogloff, J. R., Adams, J., ODriscoll, C., Daffern, M., Carroll, A., ... Chaplow, D. (2013). Managing aggression and violence: The clinicians role in contemporary mental health care. Australian and New Zealand journal of psychiatry, 47(8), 728-736. Becher, J., Visovsky, C. (2012). Horizontal violence in nursing. Medsurg nursing, 21(4), 210. Berg, J., KALTIALA?HEINO, R., Vlimki, M. (2011). Management of aggressive behaviour among adolescents in forensic units: a four?country perspective. Journal of psychiatric and mental health nursing, 18(9), 776-785. Bonifas, R. P. (2015). Resident-to-resident aggression in nursing homes: Social worker involvement and collaboration with nursing colleagues. Health Social Work, hlv040. Dickens, G., Piccirillo, M., Alderman, N. (2013). Causes and management of aggression and violence in a forensic mental health service: perspectives of nurses and patients. International journal of mental health nursing, 22(6), 532-544. Fluttert, F. A., Van Meijel, B., Nijman, H., Bjrkly, S., Grypdonck, M. (2010). Preventing aggressive incidents and seclusions in forensic care using the Early Recognition Method. Journal of clinical nursing, 19(11?12), 1529-1537. Foster, C., Bowers, L., Nijman, H. (2007). Aggressive behaviour on acute psychiatric wards: prevalence, severity and management. Journal of advanced nursing, 58(2), 140-149. Hector, P., Bonifas, R. P. (2013). Organizational Processes Matter: Addressing Resident-to-Resident Aggression in Nursing Homes. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 14(3), B24. Paterson, B. (2006). Developing a perspective on restraint and the least intrusive intervention. British Journal of Nursing, 15(22). Pillemer, K., Chen, E. K., Van Haitsma, K. S., Teresi, J., Ramirez, M., Silver, S., ... Lachs, M. S. (2012). Resident-to-resident aggression in nursing homes: results from a qualitative event reconstruction study. The Gerontologist, 52(1), 24-33. Renwick, L., Stewart, D., Richardson, M., Lavelle, M., James, K., Hardy, C., ... Bowers, L. (2016). Aggression on inpatient units: Clinical characteristics and consequences. International journal of mental health nursing. Sim, M. G., Wain, T., Khong, E. (2011). Aggressive behaviour: prevention and management in the general practice environment. Australian family physician, 40(11), 866. Zeller, A., Dassen, T., Kok, G., Needham, I., Halfens, R. J. (2012). Factors associated with resident aggression toward caregivers in nursing homes. Journal of nursing scholarship, 44(3), 249-257.

Euthanasia Essays (922 words) - Euthanasia, Medical Ethics

Euthanasia I am coming from a Christian standpoint on the subject of Euthanasia. Throughout this paper I will be playing little bit of the Devils advocate, so don't get worried. I am totally against Euthanasia or assisted suicide, whatever you may call it. I have done much research on this subject and feel it is not the answer to anything! I will give you the Christian beliefs on it as well as the any other beliefs on it. But when it comes down to it Euthanasia is wrong and illegal both in the law and in the eyes of God. There are two forms of suicide, first there is emotional suicide or irrational self-murder in all of it complexities nd sadness. This is where the person feels his or hers life is too terrible to go on anymore, keep in mind that they are fine both physically and emotionally the majority of the time. Then there is the second kind of suicide, which is "Justifiable Suicide". I put that in quotes because as a Christian we do not believe in suicide and feel that no suicide is justifiable! This kind of suicide is rational and planned self-deliverance from painful and hopeless disease which will shortly end in death. This is by no way acceptable, for one there is no rational way of suicide and there is no justifiable reason to end your or someone else's life. Even if a hopelessly ill person is requesting assistance in dying for the most compassionate reasons, and the helper is acting from the most noble motives, it remains a crime in the Anglo-American world. There are many reasons why Euthanasia should be the right answer. Such as an advanced terminal illness that is causing unbearable suffering to the individual. (This is most common) This may seem like the perfect answer to end someone's life so you don't have to see them suffer anymore but, there is a reason that that person is the way they are and it is because of God and by the will of God he will take them soon enough. Another reason is grave physical handicap which is so restricting that the individual cannot, even after due consideration, counseling, and re-training tolerate such a limited existence. For one God will never give you anything that you cant handle, so if you get a grave handicap don't give up God knows you are strong and will be able to get through that and anything else. The word "Euthanasia" comes from the Greek ?eu, "good", and thanatos, "death". Literally meaning "good death". But the word Euthanasia has acquired a more complex meaning in modern times. It is generally taken nowadays to mean doing something about achieving a good death. A good question that comes up often is how do they do it?! These so-called doctors have been known to use drugs, which is most common. They put their patients under and slowly they stop breathing and pass away. Another way that I found while researching is a plastic bag. If they think they are doing these people a favor by taking them out of there suffering and pain then what are they doing with plastic bags?! They go through that fear for about 5 minutes until they finally suffocate and die. This is a very in-human way to kill a human being I don't care what they want or did. Police, Paramedics and Coroners put a very low priority of investigation of suicide when evidence comes before them that the person was dying anyway, and there is a note from the deceased. Detectives and Coroners officers will walk away from the scene once they are satisfied that the person who committed suicide was terminally ill. Instead of killing yourself there are a lot of other solutions. For instance you could always go into a hospice program and receive not only first-class pain management but comfort care and personal attention. A few hospice leaders claim that their care is so perfect that there is absolutely no reason for anyone to even consider Euthanasia. I have no wish to criticize them, they are wrong to claim perfection. If ones body has been so destroyed by disease that it is not worth living, that is an intensely individual decision which should not be thwarted. Let me ask you this, What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul. Those few words are very powerful. To lose your soul and to give up everything because

Is the Family a Fabricated Thing

Is the Family a Fabricated Thing Introduction The family has traditionally occupied a central place in society with communities hailing it as the basic unit of society. Families provide the social core in all societies and the nuclear family is present in all societies in the world. The unifying function of the family has been credited with the development and advancement of societies since time immemorial.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Is the Family a Fabricated Thing? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For this reason, the family unit is unanimously considered as the basic building block of a successful and functional society. This is the ideal institution within which children are created and brought up in a protected environment until they are able to take care of themselves. The family also serves as a tool for socialization since the shared moral and social values of the community are inculcated in the children withing the family setting. For these reasons, the family is assumed to be an innate experience with some authors suggesting that the family is a natural institution. However, this notion has been questioned by anthropologists whose studies have led them to question the â€Å"naturalness† of the family unit. The findings of these scholars have led them to conclude that the family is not a natural thing but rather a construction of the society. This paper will set out to discuss the ideas of some of the most outstanding anthropologists of the 20th century, Adam Kuper, David Schneider, and Claude Levi-Strauss, in order to show that the family is a fabricated thing. The Idea of the Family The family is regarded as the basic unit of society and at its most base level; it is made up of a man, woman, and their children. Kuper (1982) states that the family preceded the formation of the society and in these early stages, it comprised of a male figure who exercised jurisdiction over his wives and children. Each fami ly paid no regard to the other and acted in its own self-interest. The aggregation of families was the next step in social evolution and the ties of kinship became the basis of societies. The family provided the basis on which societies were ordered with expanded extended families serving as the social core.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Reproduction is universally considered to be the basis of family relations since each person must have a biological father and mother. This simple parent-child relationship makes it possible to perform genealogical tracing since it is a biological fact that a man and a woman must be involved in procreation. Therefore, the concept of kinship was formulated based on this blood relation and relationships though marriage unions between previously unrelated parties. The naturalness of the family has been presupposed for many centuries due to the prevalence of this social grouping. However, the arguments made by anthropologists suggest that the family is a cultural construct. Family: A Fabricated Concept Adam Kuper’s Ideas Adam Kuper suggests that the family was formulated as an organization through which people could live in harmony and accomplish greater exploits. Before the concept of family, each individual acted at his own discretion and there was no order or system of laws in place. Kuper (1982) records that the original state of human society was characterized by promiscuity rather than family life and this status quo was detrimental to the raising of children. This primitive existence was unsustainable since violence and anarchy reigned. The family unit emerged as a more ordered system of procreation within which the child could exist in a more secure environment. As the family concept became more sophisticated, legal paternity became recognized and the child could grow in an environment where he/she h ad a mother and a father. The extended patriarchal family group provided the basis for jural order and continuity (Kuper 1982, p.73). The earliest form of government was therefore based on the family concept. The political ideas were grounded in the assumption that kinship in blood is the sole possible ground of community in political functions (Kuper 2008, p.723). The family was formulated as the best structure to foster social stability and encourage good governance. The prohibition of some relationships in some cultures while the same relationships are allowed in others is further proof that kinship is a culturally constructed concept. Human beings formulate the laws governing who should marry whom and therefore forms a family and they vary from society to society.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Is the Family a Fabricated Thing? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Kuper (2008) documents that in the nineteenth centu ry, there was no crime in incest, and there were no rules articulating which marriages were allowed or forbidden. Before the 1880s, incest was an acceptable practice in England and there were no laws against the practice. The social perception of incest only underwent a radical change when the danger of sexual relations between fathers and daughters, or brothers and sisters began to be publicized by the National Vigilance Association. Following this, incest came to be conceived of as an offence with a victim. Because of this change in public perception, the British Parliament passed a Law in 1907 that made incest a crime and criminalized sexual relationships between members of the immediate family. As such, the family is a fabricated institute that is prone to changes based on the public needs. Kuper (2003) argues that the family was necessary to ensure survival in the primitive societies where division of labour was necessary. In these pre-modern societies, the nuclear family compr ised of male and female enabled the parties to specialize in various activities for sustenance. The males typically acted as the hunters while the females were gatherers within a nuclear family setting. This economic function increased the value of the family and kinship was integral for survival Kuper (2003). It is conceivable that without the economic need of family, this institution would never have been created. Further reinforcing this supposition is the observation by anthropologists that with the rise of the individualist modern society, the economic functions of family have shrunk and each sex can manage to exist without the need of the other. Another indication that family is a fabricated concept is the difference in preference placed on a particular side of the family by different cultures. While some cultures emphasize on matrilineal descent (kin from the mothers lineage), others emphasize on patrilineal descent (kin through the fathers lineage).Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In addition to this, the location of residence differs with some cultures promoting marriage residence at the mothers family house while most promote residence at the fathers family house (Kuper 2003). If the family was a natural construct, there would be universal preferences and all cultures would follow the same conventions. The fact that different ideals are practiced by different cultures proves that family is a human construction. The rapid changes in society that were experienced in the 1950s and 1960s demonstrated that the family was not an integral component of the society. During this period, consensual unions became widespread and the traditional family unit was dismantled in some circles. Some people began to view the family as a major source of discontentment within the society and this greatly discredited the nuclear family as an unshakeable institution. The sentiments of the time are best articulated by Leach who asserts, far from being the basis for the good society, the family with its narrow privacy and tawdry secrets, is the source of all our discontents (Kuper 2003, p.332). The nature of partner relationships has also experienced significant changes over the decades with a marked decline in the importance of the social origin of a partner being exhibited in all modern societies. In the past, great weight was placed on marriage with major kinship involvement in the process (Dykstra 2006). Today, marriage unions are primarily a matter of personal choice and preference with the families on both sides of the partners being involved only marginally. In addition to this, the frequency with which family unions are dissolved has risen tremendously. The increased rate of marriage dissolutions is blamed on the heightened emphasis on the emotional side of relationships, which leads to higher expectations and demands by both partners on each other (Dykstra 2006). In traditional marriage unions, emphasis was placed on the social and material benefits of the union. Claude Levi-Strauss’s Ideas Claude Levi-Strauss is credited with advancing the Structuralism theory in which he argued that the phenomena of the external world are apprehended as having distinct characteristics because of the way our senses communicate these perceptions (Voss 1977). Human beings are predisposed to categorize things into separate units or segments and assign these things named classes. Any material object of culture or belief system is in imitation of human apprehension of nature (Levi-Strauss 1970). Mans perception of nature as segmented is therefore responsible for his view of society as ordered. Advocates of the family as a natural unit might argue for the natural nature of the family structure since it exists universally. Both primitive and civilized societies have some concept of family, which is typically made up of females and at least one male figure either related to the female(s) by blood or by marriage. Levi-Strauss refutes this assertio n by highlighting that cultures are bound to have some similarities since they are all products of human minds (Voss 1977). For this reason, universal features such as the family unit can occur. Levi-Strauss suggests that the basis of marriage rules was to create bonds between otherwise unrelated people. He argues that the since pre-historic times, communities had the option of intermarrying among themselves or giving away their women to other communities (Johnson 2003). The communities that gave away their women cemented political alliances and thus reduced the risk of being annihilated by superior enemies. The incest taboo was formed out of the need to enforce exogamy and therefore increase the societys chances of survival. Voss (1977) best articulates this idea by stating that if survival of a society is dependent upon alliance, strong sanctions against incest must be interdicted (p.28). The family concept was formulated as an important unifying force through which the social coh esion was fostered and propagated. Levi-Strauss formulated the alliance theory in which he argued that sibling groups were linked through the exchange of sisters in marriage thus extending sibling solidarity to larger groupings (Kuper 1982). Levi-Strauss argued that all the pre-modern societies of the world were organized on the basis of cross-cousin marriage (Kuper 2008, p.726). He further stated that the family as a function of marriage was an institution that was formulated to create and maintain alliances. These alliances took place through the exchange between groups as people married for strategic reasons such as to strengthen political alliances (Levi-Strauss 1969). Kinship served the practical purpose of preventing war by setting up a diplomatic alliance between groups. The class structure that is based on family status is a cultural construction. Levi-Strauss considers the practice of totemism an expression of the differences among members of the society. Totemism, which is the naming of individuals or clans after particular plant or animal species, was a widespread practice since historical times (VonSturmer 1970). This practice emerged from the need of man to develop a system of social ordering by giving different class structures. Human beings are able to distinguish each other according to their mutual social status, which is normally articulated in the form of social classification. David Schneider’s Ideas Throughout the 19th century, Americans held the view that the family relationship was biologically given and of huge importance to the society. Many Europeans also shared this assumption and they presumed that kinship was a biological outcome. However, Schneider argues that if this were the case then the same set of ideas would have been developed by other peoples across the world. This is not the case and the family structure varied from continent to continent, and tribe to tribe. For this reason, David Schneider suggested that kinship was a function of civilization and not a feature of primitive society. According to this anthropologist, there is nothing natural about kinship and it is the production of the society. Social conventions alone may lead to a family relationship even if there is no biological relationship between or among parties. This view is corroborated by Johnson (2003) who reveals that a person is regarded as family based on some socially prescribed duties and privileges that the person fulfils in his/her relation to others. The manner in which people act towards each other is based on the concept of kinship, which is a construction of man. Schneider (1984) argues that there is no such thing as kinship and that kinship is in fact a creation of anthropologists and it has no concrete existence. Schneider (1984) suggests that family is a social construction that is useful for the allocation of rights and their transmission from one generation to the next. The family was formulated as an entity throu gh which continuity could be guaranteed. Patrilineage in many societies served as a landholding corporations with parents leaving property to their children. Dykstra (2006) notes that resources are passed down from one generation to the next, in the form of gifts or inheritances for example, or in the form of financial support (p.1). Schneider (1984) theorizes that biological kinship is culturally constructed and it was formulated to help establish paternity with a fair degree of likelihood. He elaborates that primitive man lived at a time when promiscuity prevailed and there was no way of establishing who the childs father was. The concept of marriage of pairs was formulated to help establish paternity and this was the earliest and greatest act of human intelligence. The bonds and ties that are attributed to the sexual reproduction that occurs in the family setting are not natural but a function of the society. Schneider (1984) observes that sexual relations can occur and have sign ificance even outside kinship. However, the social and cultural attributes that are created when sexual reproduction occurs in a nuclear family setting are formulated by the society. Biological relations are for this reason afforded special qualities by the society. This has led to the ties being regarded as natural and inherent in the human condition. The ties between biologically close members are not natural since they would not be special without the social and cultural connotations ascribed to them. The socialization process is responsible for inculcating the concept of kinship in children. As a child grows up in the family, he/she is taught the logic by which his/her specific culture classifies kin and these concepts become ingrained in him/her. The child is often ignorant as to what kinship terms such as â€Å"uncle†, and â€Å"aunty† mean but he/she is brought up to attach special meaning to the relationships. Schneider (1984) points out that the classification s of relatives may extend beyond the simple biological and genetic relationships with stipulated descent being included in the categories. Without the socializing process, the concept of the family would die out as individuals would not be confined to this socially prescribed structure. Schneider strongly rejects the understanding that family has to do with reproduction and he assertively declares that kinship is essentially undefined and vacuous which since it has little that can justify it (Read 2003). The inadequacy of blood relationships for a definition of family is accentuated by the inability for this consanguinity to account for practices such as adoption that still make fatherhood and motherhood possible. Read (2003) argues that it would be more convincing to state that family is a social convention rather than a function of procreation and parturition. Schneider argues that the family is a fabrication since some cultures do not have words that can reasonably translate to f ather or even child. In his ethnographic work among the Yapese, Schneider noted that the relationship between the biological father and offspring could not be translated as father and child in the English sense of the word (Schneider 1984). The Yapese people were able to exist without this genealogically based kinship relationship and even the passing down of property from generation to generation was not done on the basis of biological relationships. Further Evidence In addition to the thoughts of the renowned anthropologists referenced herein, current developments in the family structure provide more evidence that the family is a cultural construct. The traditional gender-specific division of labour has had to change with the increased participation of women in the labour market. Dykstra (2006) notes that the interaction between the partners who make up the family has become more of a matter of negotiation with the traditional gender-specific notions being all but discarded in mos t developed nations. The recent legitimization of gay and lesbian family formation in many Western countries further reinforces the assertion that family is a fabricated concept. For centuries, homosexual relationships were frowned upon by societies with severe penalties being imposed on individuals who engaged in these unions. Schneider (1997) reveals that the notion of sodomy was so abhorred in Western culture that if justified killing and enslaving so many in the 15th and 16th centuries (p.271). This has changed and homosexual unions are today tolerated on a greater scale. Schneider (1997) notes that gay and lesbian rights are today asserted with antidiscrimination laws and fringe benefits being accorded to this previously marginalized sub-group. The traditional notion of family has had to be reinvented as non-heterosexual couples form relationships and become â€Å"families†. Discussion The idea that family is a fabricated concept has led to the fall of kinship studies as modern anthropologists have abandoned the subject due to the many internal problems and theoretical weaknesses contained in it (Kuper 2003). In spite of the different approach taken in their arguments, the three thinkers analysed in this paper, Levi-Strauss, Kuper, and Schneider all contend that family is a cultural construct. The paper has demonstrated that the prevalence of families in all communities is not an indication of their naturalness. Renowned anthropologists such as Levi-Strauss have demonstrated that the seemingly universal concept is not an indication of the naturalness of the family unit. Rather, it is a statement of the scientific operations of classification of objects and phenomena which occurs in both Western and primitive societies. The universal family structure as we know it is a product of identical mental manipulations, which explains the seemingly self-consistent systems exhibited all over the world. The fact that the family unity is not what it used to be is proof enough that the family is a fabricated unit that keeps evolving with the culture of the society. In the recent past, alternative household organizations such as single-parent families and singles have become prevalent hence necessitating a review of the importance of the nuclear and extended family. These realities suggest that the assumption of genealogy or biology as the basis of the family is faulty since if this were the case, the family structure would remain static through time. In spite of the understanding that the family is a fabrication, this unit will continue to play an important role in society. The nuclear family is still the engine-room of socialization and it continues to bestow economic benefits for its members. Even Schneider (1984) acknowledges that kinship is a privileged institution since it is the major building block out of which all social systems are constructed. Conclusion This paper set out to examine the ideas of prominent anthropologists in orde r to demonstrate that the family is a fabricated thing. A review of these ideas has revealed that family is an ideological illusion constructed by man over the centuries. The paper has demonstrated that the concept of family started from the individual actor playing for economic and political advantage and using the family as a tool for social cohesion. The paper has convincingly shown that most aspects of kinship are not natural but rather the social construction of various societies over the centuries. The family relationship is not primarily one of genealogical and reproductively, instead, it is culturally specified and the manner in which it is expressed and perceived is a fabrication. It can therefore be authoritatively stated that family is not inherently human or universal; rather, it is a cultural construction that is arbitrary and variable in nature. References Dykstra, A 2006, Family relationships: the ties that bind, Amsterdam Study Centre for the Metropolitan Environment , Amsterdam. Johnson, C 2003, Claud Levi-Strauss: The formative years, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Kuper, A 1982, ‘Lineage Theory: A Critical Retrospective’, Ann. Rev. Anthropol, vol. 11, no. 1, pp.71-95. Kuper, A 2003, ‘What Really Happened to Kinship and Kinship Studies’, Journal of Cognition and Culture, vol. 3, no. 4, pp. 329-335. Kuper, A 2008, ‘Changing the subject – about cousin marriage, among other things’, Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, vol. 14, no.1, pp. 717-735. Levi-Strauss, C 1969, The Elementary Structures of Kinship, Beacon Press, Boston. Levi-Strauss, C 1970, The raw and the cooked, John and Harper, New York. Read, D 2001, What is Kinship? In The Cultural Analysis of Kinship: The Legacy of David Schneider and Its Implications for Anthropological Relativism, University of Illinois Press, Urbana. Schneider, D 1984, A critique of the study of kinship, University of Michigan Press, Michigan. Schne ider, D 1997, ‘The power of culture: notes on some aspects of gay and lesbian kinship in America today’, Cultural Anthropology, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 270-274. VonSturmer, J 1970, Claude Levi-Strauss: the anthropologist as everyman, Cornell University Press, Ithaca. Voss, S 1977, ‘Claude Levi-Strauss: The Man and His Works’, Nebraska Anthropologist, vol. 145, no.1, pp. 21-38.

The True Crime Book Publishing Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

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Grammar and composition Pet peeve - Essay Example Just a few minutes will not hurt you at all. I am ___ and I will talk about my pet peeve. If you suddenly interrupt me when I am saying something, or when I am obviously concentrated on a particular task, you will get killed by poisoned arrows from my gaze or receive sarcastic responses to brainless questions. I think hard before and even as I speak. I do not throw words carelessly like crumpled paper missing the trash as its target. The thinking-before-and-while-speaking process is an arduous and sophisticated process for me. It needs and involves order, analysis, and reflection. I frequently speak because I want to say something important. Oftentimes, I want to defend my ideas or claims, or give instructions to others. These arguments and instructions are from my consciousness and subconsciousness, so it is important for these words to flow out continuously. Interruptions are the bane of my creative juices. Attention and concentration will be gone, and I will be loss for words. When I am also doing something, I devote my whole body and mind on it. I remember I was writing a complaint letter to a company, when my dear cousin interrupted me. I forgot a very important detail, which I believed was crucial to my complaint. I could not remember that lost detail up to now. And up to now, that complaint remains unresolved. Point 2: I admit that I have memory retrieval problems, so interruptions stress me to the point that my look alone will feel like arrows on your skin, or my responses to thoughtless questions will result to sarcasm. Interrupt me and arrows will come from my eyes. You will feel yourself shrinking, as I say: â€Å"Can you not wait? I am speaking and you will have your turn. Now that you have interrupted me, you twisted my sanity and dislodged me from humanity.† And then I will smile to dissipate tension. After that, I will say, â€Å"Please do not interrupt me again. What do you have to say that is