Discuss the writers use of the supernatural Essay Example for Free

Discuss the writers use of the supernatural Essay The two stories resemble each other with the idea they communicate with the reader, that people should respect the supernatural. In the Withered Arm, Thomas Hardy develops why we should fear and respect the supernatural by showing that by mocking Gertrude about her medicines and counter curses, Farmer Lodge ended up with a dead son and a dead wife. He also ended up selling all his land because he could not endure staying in the village with everyone gossiping about him. Also by keeping the tempo of the story fast and building up to all the supernatural events keeps us tense. In the Monkeys Paw, Sergeant Major Morris warns the White family about the consequences of the wishes the paw grants. However the White family do not take heed of the warning and take advantage of the paw and in doing so, they end up with their son dead, Mrs. White acting senselessly to try and bring back her son and Mr. White having to wish his son back to the grave. The author is trying to tell us that if you do not respect the supernatural and take advantage of it, you will feel its wrath. The two stories are alike in other ways. Both stories involve young innocent people suffering. In the Monkeys Paw Herbert died for his familys foolishness. Whilst in the Withered Arm it was Rhodas and Farmer Lodges son that was innocently sent to the gallows. Another similarity is that people that were selfish earlier on in the stories are punished in the end. Mr. White is self-seeking at the start of the Monkeys Paw and does not take Sergeant Major Morris advice and his son dies as a result. In the Withered Arm Farmer Lodge is punished for his negligence shown to his son and his failure to accept the responsibility for his son. The consequence for this is the eventual hanging of his only son. Also both stories have ironic twists. In the Monkeys Paw the family wishes for two hundred pounds and after the money doesnt appear straight away, Herbert says Well I dont see the money, and I bet I never shall. The wish eventually does come true and the money is handed over to the family but only as an insurance payout for Herberts death at the factory. So the irony is that Herbert will never actually see the money. In the Withered Arm the ironic twist is that when Gertrude was waiting for a hanging she got so desperate that she used to pray for a hanging O Lord, hang some guilty or innocent person soon! It turned out her prayers were answered but the man seen to be in the wrong turned out to be Farmer Lodges and Rhoda Brooks son but it seemed the boy was wrongfully charged with arson. At the hanging, Farmer Lodge and Rhoda were present in the crowd and once Gertrude had realized the hung man must be their son, she entered a sense of shock. This proved too much for her and she died. The irony is that she prayed for a man to be hung, so that she could cure herself but the man in the end was her husbands son and this did the opposite of curing her and the shock of it all ended her life. In conclusion, the writers use the supernatural to show the reader that if you ridicule the supernatural, it will backfire on you and you will feel the consequences greatly. Also they try and make you scared of the supernatural by making the paranormal events happen to normal people. Meaning it could have been you instead.

How femininities and masculinities were constructed in Latin America Essay Example for Free

How femininities and masculinities were constructed in Latin America Essay The upsurge of the American culture has vehemently exploded across the world in general, but in particular in the Latin America, where the conventional living styles have been upset. From the Caracas to Havana, feminism and masculinity have been snared. Socially, a new social fabric is in the memory where gender polarity is being erased to pave way for a neoman who neither recognizes nor respects individual external orientations. Though in numerous cases education system in different courses have recognized the fauna and flora into two distinct groups based on anatomical feature; a good proportion of the modern people have failed to respect this early natural innovation. As far as human studies reveals, the aftermath of long researches with devotion and dedications from global scientists has to be alluded for verification and confirmatory of the kind evolutions that might have taken place. Perhaps, it can be claimed that biologists, psychologists and other individuals in the anthropological research and studies have over the time been disillusioned on their work. (Viveros, 2001) The two terminologies of masculinity and femininity have been widely used in the research involving human being. They have been used primarily in researches in the field of science of biology, sociology and medicine. Despite their wide application in the scientific world, these terms have been used to bring a sense of gender category/ identity. Both masculinity and femininity are two opposite terms which etymologically were derived from the word male and female respectively. In spite of their derivation, masculinity and maleness are widely distinct entities, hence they have meaning which are quite unrelated. Similarly, femininity and femaleness has different application to bring different meanings. Advances in education and technology in defense of new world, masculinity and femininity meanings have been diffused, and this has led to flooding of different characteristics to define them, thus impressive characteristics such as communion and separations by Balkan are widely adopted.   Ã‚  Ã‚  (Stern, 2001) Overall, distinguishing of such terminologies has over the decades been confusing, throwing most readers out of the track. Sex and gender are the most perplexing words especially in relation to masculinity and femininity.   However, the recent simplicity of these indicates the body as being the sex while gender is the complexities which are portrayed by the body. This sophistication thus comprises of the body behavior, the mental thinking and the general features which describes the personality of an individual (Gutmann, 1970). Therefore, masculinity and femininity are highly rooted on the gender term rather than sex. Masculinities and femininities are gendered terms which refers to behavioral characteristics that are distinctive and general pronounced in give sex.   The study of females and males in gender revealed context is something that has not taken place in an overnight elapse; however, this is estimated to have been in existence for more than a century. Approximately, femininity and masculinity studies have lasted from late 19th century and early 20th century up to date. First and foremost, men’s interest on the study of gender work was more inclined in the field of social activities. The arousal of gender related interest was emanating from the many numerous mistreatments that were inflicted on the females by the male counterparts. Since the first inscriptive work concerning gender issues, inequalities in the society were eminent with much exploitation of the females. Thus the imbalances and disparities which are still distinctive in the currently world’s community are the traces of scalds which were inflicted by our forefathers. Variations on behavior and other inherent characters of the males and females in the communities of the Latin America are conspicuous features not only to the Latin America but to the other communities within the United States (Viveros, 2001). Masculinity and femininity has been displayed in numerous ways in the Latin America. The intimacy of power and sexuality is like nut and bolt. Since the creation of human nature, they have always fitted into each other forming a bound which is hard to break. Over the year, sexual powers have played major role in the maintenance of procreation process in the board. Sexual power on either side of femininity and masculinity has been of great value over the formation of couple families. Man and female partners have served as great firms; each housing within it very important commodities of pressure and live. Although the firm machines is fueled by spiritual means, the running the firms to produce an extraordinary products has always been threatened. While market places are set up for commodities exhibitions, jargonization  Ã‚   has taken place in the market place of the firm established and their commodities are neither valued nor can they enter the targeted marketed audiences. This was earlier perceived by Marx, hence, according to his elucidation of commodity, he pointed out that the process of change has got far reaching consequences. (Sallie, 2000) Family life in the Latin America has been dominated with capitalism, with men trying to harvesting unfairly on what they did not deserve. Repressive and coercive environments raged among many house in the Latin America couple compelling the females to submissive condition. For a number of decades, violence combined with oppression on the Latin America women was usual tolerance of the family life. Through well strategic and tactical ways, manipulations were legally and illegally set to capture the commodity. This conformed to the works of Bauman, whom in his work, he found that consumption was so much important to capitalist and therefore, during the early times, there were deficiency in erecting effective barrier to the consumer. Women were handicapped economically and socially making them vulnerable to challenges of men. Women situations have always been challenged to that of men by the variations of the availability of the commodities and consumers. Like a tourists in foreign land, the proportion of women to men has always been at an alarming level, paving the way for capitalistic men to maneuver their way from entangles of monogamy to polygamy and other kind of behavior misconducts. Bauman said â€Å" our desired are constantly recycled, reinvented and even invented in relation to new products, the endless pursuits for new, which fuses the thrill of invention with the status afforded innovations and newness in most of the world†. Through commodities rareness and scarcity in the Latin America, thrilling and tempting emotions painful punctures the lives of the women making them to surrender the demands of nature. This means natural hierarchy of human power was hence established from the sexuality and its connection to power was thus imbued from creation and continued in human life by inequality (Sueann, 1998). The liberation of the females from the bondages of sexual powers has taken a long struggle. Men have always dominated the females either under the influence of laws of under the ignorance and pride of man. Masculinity and femininity in the Latin America has raised a lot of heated debates over the recent decades due to its continued oppressive nature on both men and women. Though the laws of the Latin America have endeavored to perpetuate the moral thinking of most religious groups such as Christianity, Islamic and many others, the imposing of state power to prohibiting homosexually was impinging making Latin American females to tolerate the unwelcoming condition dominancy of the males. While lesbianism and gay remained prohibited marriage practices in the Latin American region, the citizens were enslaved to the adherence to heterosexual partnership, which was termed as bleach of freedom and liberty from colonial sovereignties. Under the disguise of moral conservations on reproduction, men were privileged to exercise political power which degenerated and deprived off the women freedom of leadership on politics generating a lot of criticism from human right activists. The expression of masculinity and femininity in the society has therefore been a battling matter between the societies, the religions other organization such human right bodies. However, the diversification of masculinity and femininity has solely been propelled through the authorities of the states governments. With the hurricanes and hailstorms of change in culture and traditions, scores of Europeans nations as well as numerous United States have been thrown to the seas of homosexuality with great acceptance. The desire for freed men and women has been the main argument for the easy penetration of the modernized homogeneity of masculinity and femininity. (Stern, 2001) Although there is now generalized acceptance in homosexuality in the globe, some states mostly in developed continents have remained adamant to the forces and pressures of the multitude move, hence, heterosexuality which has been dominating marriage and sex practices for many years is still conserved. According to the works of Sallie, it is observed that not only did most Latin American government prohibit the practices of homosexuality, but they have also abolished use of natural commodities as means of exploitation of fellow men. Thus, both homosexuals and commercial heterosexuals never escape the legal authorities, but mercilessly and without impunity faces the full charges of legal courts where they duly pay their debts. Masculinity and femininity has therefore been maintained in place despites the enormous forces to dissolve it by the authority and the communities themselves. The severity and weight of homosexuality has been varied from one Latin American state to another.   Like in the antiquity of the Israelites, prostitution and homosexuality are illegal in the face of Ecuador dwellers. Besides illegalization of these behaviors, homosexuals and prostitutes in the Ecuador risks their lives to physical abuse which consequently can lead to instant deprivation of live through public stoning or gun shooting. In Brazil, the Brazilians are much more lenient on the maintenance of the healthy community with diversified masculinities and femininities. There is feeling that these are unethical practices, hence Brazilians have outlawed them by just concealing them from the public innocent persons, while on the black points such as brothels far from schools, residential places and other hidden places are business as usual. Undoubtedly, this can be perceived as strategy which is employed to eliminate the paupers either economically of in color discriminatory means. (Peake, 1990) For many decades which have passed over, it was unthinkable for the Brazilian females to get involved into risky relationships as it is rampant in the today world. The moral compulsion together with the cultural laws sternly denied chances of loose living of both brazened girls and mothers in honor of virginity. Virginity among the young girls was so precious that, if it was lost in any undeserving ways, valuable returns were paid by the offenders for not less than five years. The search and confirmatory work of the virginity in the Brazilians advanced technology and knowledge in the field of medicine. At first, lack of enough knowledge about the anatomical sex examination led to numerous errors from inexperienced practitioners. This perhaps led to imposing of unfair punishments to the perpetrators of the legal laws concerning defilements and other related matters. According to Sales, this was an overwhelming opportunity in medical fields especially in Brazil where the government shouldered the task of deflowering examinations. In the eve of the praise of virginity as an honor to the female, Manoel and Maria Pereira appeared in the system of justices in search for honor of virginity. While to the Europeans, deflowering was like a norm, the Brazilians felt that it was an act of guiltiness which could only be compensated fully by marriage union. Hence, Peixoto said â€Å"†¦the scarcity of women makes them so precious, that upon loss of virginity, they promptly demand due repair by marriage†. (Buckley, 1999) The value that was attached to virginity and more to the hymen was unparalleled. Thus, from the ancients time when live was worthy living, most Latin Americas females honored their virginity to the extent that they would commit serious offences like murder rather than losing it. Like a jewel, virginity was preserved by most of females in the Brazilian community of Latinos. Due to the efforts to preserve the culturally valued jewel, men who trespassed in snatching it were heavily reprimanded in the justice systems.   This saw justice systems being filled with abnormal number of deflowering disputes. Surprisingly, the majority of the seeker for justices hailed from lower class women of the society, which lead to the inappropriate conclusion that they were only sexually preoccupied as result of race, ignorance, climates and the upbringing environment which lead them to have undeveloped moral and mental cultures. (Sallie, 2000) Like many other kinds of cultural practices, the culture on virginity was skewed giving men much opportunity on the freedom of sexual matters more than females. While the acts of deflowering were sternly against the laws of lands, the resolutions were quite simplified through the acceptance of the offender to make marriage with the deflowered female. The continuation of the culture and tradition with increased value attached to virginity, men obtained the status of polygamous marriage which was not only a symbol of wealthy, but this increased their honor in the community. The fact that females were getting married as second wives, thus, they accepted to live as concubine, which meant that men’s virginity was neither an issues nor was it considered as of any value during marriage time. Therefore, men had full freedom and liberty to engage to any number marriage relationships of the opposite sex, while females found themselves adhering to only single man’s relationship that made them to lose virginity. Sueann found it not satisfying on the Brazilian females due to the inequality on sexual issues which had merited men more than females. Though the culture on virginity in the Brazilian community was a way of enhancing diversity of masculinity and femininity among the people, however, the adverse effects were eminent. This was overt from the works of Sueann where he said â€Å"†¦.the persistent valorization of the female virginity and male aggressiveness,   coupled with a long standing tradition of premarital sexual relations, gave men an enormous advantage over their female partners†¦Ã¢â‚¬  There are numerous other noble men and women in different organization with similar opinions and who have got even greater powers to initiate change on them. When the issue dawn on jurists and legislators, the got receive it as a debatable material which ended without unanimous steps of resolutions. It only served as a stepping stone to those in the political sector which was use to broaden their politics drive leaving men the trod on the females as much   as the rules and laws permitted. The defense on the female rights and the definition of the roles and responsibilities are therefore been a rich ground of political expansion while this has left female survival at the fate of tormenting men. (Buckley, 1999) Although female rights and responsibilities have fallen into disarray in most of time, collection of efforts over time has made a break through of female liberation. The enlightenment of women through education and formation movement groups fought for the liberation of women. However, the overthrow of men is long process which is happening at a gradual pace. Beginning with the discrimination of men over punishments on offences which were committed in environment each of the two parties to receive equally penalties, men was more inflicted than the female partners (Green, 1999). Thus, the controversies which arose in the formation of protective rights emerged to overturn the justice to injustice in the men side, making him to be overburdened with penalties. Oppression and undermining of the man through unfair punishments on sexual matters diminished the meaning of family. Women began praising themselves as the heads of their families and defied to be submissive to their husbands. With the support to intimidate men from activists, government and other groups, men became symbolic in the family status; but women encountering men with disrespect and defending their daughter misconducts were issue that made them to be more conspicuous. As a consequence of men intimidation and the usually consensus of the practices to empower women, pride of cultures and tradition lost and men’s authority and manipulations over the women fainted away. However, there was diverged on the interactivity of men and women creating a new ways of social interaction both in power and social activities. (Sueann, 1998) The later years of the twentieth century are marked with great changes of social and power in all Latin American countries. The struggle to equalize men and women in power altered the social interaction and the equality was thus literally applied on the social and power. Men and women in the Latin America became exercising homosexually where men power was dissolved and equality granted to relationship. The scene although has now become a norm over the four corners of the globe, masculinity and femininity in the marriages ground are thus a passive biological terms (Green, 1999). The adoption of the modern lifestyles in the Latin America has changes the stability of most families. With the adoption of the homosexuality and the despise of the early notions of heterosexually, marriage in the new generation of the Latin America has turned to be contractual, which give both men and women the chance of terminating the marriage, a fact which is contrary to the old relationships where death and men like Manoel had the fate of marriage. However, this worsened the healthy families which were once established under the polygamous culture as more flexibility of men and women doubled, tripled and sometime went several unaccounted folds. Despite the presences of the pernicious ailments such as HIV/AIDS, lesbianism and gay has continued at rapid rates in the Brazilians community. The stigmatization of the HIV/AIDS with homosexuals and bisexuals made them to be vulnerable than their counterparts heterosexuals. Hence, sex preference was now becoming a factor of consideration in the job market. The homosexuals and bisexuals became to be discriminated in the employment sectors which gave another race for such patients. The effect of AIDS/HIV gave a new setting of the society by dissolving the boundaries of culture; however, the distinction which existed on role and work responsibilities was generalized. (Haggerty, 1985),

Facts and Values in Social Science

Facts and Values in Social Science It is not possible to separate facts from values in social science research. Discuss this statement by using empiricist and interpretative approaches Introduction The most complicated study in the realm of knowledge is the behaviour of human beings. It is always relative and unpredictable, the thought pattern always moulds with respect to time, space and circumstances. The social structure and embedded traditional fabric guides the human behaviour accordingly (Harris, 2001). So if we are into research we ought to consider the valve system as a major variable. The social science research methods are thus incomplete if we ignore the role of values. It is not possible to separate facts from values in social sciences because of the huge impact factor of the social structure over a phenomenon, for instance doing research in Indian society and ignoring the caste structure; would not bear considerable results. To work in Saudi Arabia it is mandatory to study the Arab traditional way of life and the blend with Islamic fundamentals. The empiricist school follows purely scientific tools of research; which is not influenced by social orders or value syst ems (Barton, 1999). On the contrary the interpretative school take in to account the value structures; this school is also known as hermeneutic approach (Barton, 1999). The laws of pure science arent concerned with the traditional ways of life; they are same in all parts of the world. But on the other hand social sciences such as anthropology, sociology, political science, economics, international relations, psychology involves the study of human behaviour that is not value free (Harris, 2001). In these soft sciences the importance and impacts of social life cant be ignored out rightly. This is not because the research work is not rigorous or lacks in objectivity or validity but the subject matter is human attitude and behaviour which includes norms and values. Both these norms and values have different forms and manifestations in every particular society. Historically the study was known as humanities because of the mode of inquiry and approach to the methods of discourse towards t he realm of knowledge (Harris, 2001). Explanation With the development of the subjects of social sciences the need emerged that empiricism must be applied for more effective and problem solving generalizations. The growth patterns in research lead to the development of different variances while following these traditions, the nature of empiricist tradition has been mathematical and value less which is only based on empirical data that is regardless of the fact that there is deviation in human behaviour and circumstances. This deviation may cause disorders in the data which is only reflected through positivist traditions. Therefore, while dealing with human behaviours through this approach it is a far possibility to arrive at a value free theory. Critical theorists have come up the assumptions that there is always a circumstantial reason behind every school of thought, power structure govern the body of knowledge according to its interest needs that cater the policies of powerful in the world where chaos is the only political order ( Harris, 2001). The realist school of thought is the greatest justification of status quo for the powerful nations of the world; the liberal school is thought to be coined for the interests of capitalists and their free trade paradigm. The idea of clash of civilization by Samuel P Huntington caters the foreign policy of US in the later decades of 90s, so as the theory of the End of History by Francis Fukuyama which says that liberal world order is the only solution for the global governance (Ritzger, Smart, 2001). Thus coming to the definitions of the phenomenon of facts and values, online dictionary implies that the fact can be defined as something that actually exists; reality; truth or something known to exist or to have happened. A fact can be known as the truth known by actual experience or observation; something known to be true. On the other hand values can be defined sociologically as the ideals, customs, institutions of a society toward which the people of the group have an affective regard. These values may be positive, as cleanliness, freedom, or education, or negative, as cruelty, crime, or blasphemy. From the above definitions it can be deduced that value is an ideal and fact is the happening or the practical manifestation of the value. Values are intertwined with facts and give meaning with the help of facts (Harris, 2001). With out values facts are meaningless and vice-versa. Answers regarding the simple facts regarding a river or pollution level in the air can be given through scientific research but when it comes to sociological facts values becomes the guiding principles or the driving force for the facts. In social sciences behaviouralism brought a fundamental transformation in the thinking process which took turn after the age of reason and enlightenment in between 1600 (Ritzger, Smart, 2001, p371). It started with the study of the natural world and spread to the study of social sciences or soft sciences. People now believe that most of the natural and social phenomenon is under the jurisdiction of science. Social scientists gather data through specialized techniques. These techniques include participant observation, key informants, focus group discussion and sampling. The empirical data includes the evidence which people have felt through their sensory perception. This thing creates confusion among researchers as they cannot employ their senses directly to observe things like intelligence, opinions, attitudes, feelings, emotions, power and authority (Ritzger, Smart, 2001, p371). This thing also creates confusion in the research world and gives birth to debate that it is not possible to separate facts from the values. For instance, the difference between the cure, prevention and ones attitude towards disease is called cancer. In other example the approach would be different while a researcher would measure the attitude towards economic systems applied in different societies. The German sociologist Weber is the creator for freedom from value decision in the social sciences, an ideal he referred as Werturteilsfreiheit (value-freedom). He says that there is a rational distance; its not a matter of quantity, separating the causal premise and empirical generalizations of science from value judgments. It is more of moral, political, and aesthetic first choice. Social scientists keep the two sides, fact and value. Thus it can be argued from the Weber, that this separation is not observed by anyone. Weber seized that values affect the way in which research is done in the social sciences and that the values are also affected by the research results. Facts can be brought to bear on values, affecting ones holding of them. On the research side of the human disciplines, evaluations enter into the subject matter. Using understanding explanation that is, the subjects evaluations seen in relation to the conditions of his or her action, the researcher can hope to sort out the decisive motives of the actor studied. In research, the scrutiny of values permits a discussion between investigators that can clarify the points of view each brings to bear. Values serve the science by an empirical treatment. Values ultimately come into view, in practical situations the implications of values are judged in particular terms. In addition new values can be revealed and their factual consequences can be judged (Weber, 1949). Value is not determined by any fact for instance and is necessarily free (Weber, 1949). It is free because it is a value (Weber, 1949). And it is because there are a lot of values and they are at odds, and according to Weber these are warring gods in the modern world. Humans are cultural beings and are caught in the chains of the culture, values, norms and traditions. Both the researcher and the respondent cannot get rid of the cultural implications. Taking the culture as the object social scientists must recognize the prerequisite for a cultural science is as cultural beings, humans take up behaviour to the world and give it meaning and significance. Values permit this. Core cultural values in cultural science change with culture over time (Weber, 1949). Webers idea of value-freedom is of extreme importance that research cannot be conducted in space. Hence the cultural values are enveloped in the cultural facts. Values and facts are interrelated and interdependent. No value in culture is out of context of facts (Weber, 1949). Infact cultural facts give meaning to values and norms. Thus it cannot be separated from the cultural context. Thus this idea gives that Weber is positivist and facts be studied for scientific purposes and only science cannot save the human beings only. The empirical researcher asks for the objectivity in the research keeping in view the apolitical environment (May, 1993). However the interpretative research looks for the reflection of personal point of view. It infact does not ask for the value freeness, rather it sees the values and meanings fused together (May, 1993). The empiricist approach tends to say that all the social research is based on the empirical data and evidence. All the knowledge is empirical in nature and intensity. Social research is based on rationale and empirical observations. Social research involves the contact between thoughts and evidence. Ideas help social researchers to give sense to the evidence and the researcher use this evidence to support ideas. Research has attempts to influence the real world. No laws in social science are parallel to the laws in the natural science; whereas law is a universal generalization about a fact and fact is an observed phenomenon and it means it has been seen, heard or otherwise experienced by researcher (Barton, 1999, p232). Thus the researcher holds a relationship with the society directly. Empirical school is all about data collected through sensory perception and all that. This term was used for certain ancient Greek practitioners of medicine who rejected following to the basic principles, preferring to rely on personal experience and observation. Building further, empiricism became a theory which refers that knowledge arises from experience and evidence gathered using senses (Barton, 1999, p232). Scientifically, the term refers to the gathering of data using only evidence that is observable by the senses or in some cases using calibrated scientific instruments. The investigator tries to descr ibe the interaction between the human senses and the unit being observed. The researcher is expected to adjust tools by applying it to known standard objects and documenting the results before applying it to unknown objects. Thus in short it can be analyzed in empirical school that the facts and values are part and parcel of any culture and society (Couvalis, 1997, p40). Facts give meanings with the help of values and values through facts. Both are pre requisites of each other. When the word scientific comes in vogue than it means that only scientific and systematic methods of inquiry are applied to understand and investigate the social phenomenon that includes interaction among more than two individuals. The values and norms are the guiding principles of this interaction. Values are a set of ethics or standards of behaviour and are held in high esteem and sough-after by a particular society in which a person lives (Couvalis, 1997, p45). Without values, life is confusion, signifying nothing. It is the pre-requisite to be human. Everything in this world is relative, truth is not truth but it is being made truth, constructed as a truth, thus perceived to be truth, so it is the perception which makes our impression which we except as a truth and the only truth in this time frame is that only the creature is absolute. So facts are actually truths about social world driven under the umbrella of values. Relatively speaking neither Earnest Najel is wrong nor Longino or Karl Marx. But every phenomenon has some critique, which is valid to considerable extent. For this reason not totally disagreeing with any one I would just highlight some angles upon which light could be thrown. It is not against the use of scientific method to apply to social research, no doubt science has developed a lot it has revolutionized our lives and mechanized as well, here the stress is at, mechanized our lives, when it comes to human thoughts the development means a lot but as man is social animal so his social world tends to be developed the world around him and the world in which he lives. For this reason objectivity of using scientific methods in social fields is sought. But prior to check whether there is any similarities between natural science and social phenomenon, for using them simultaneously they must be identical in subject matter, in terms of application and generalisation. Are the patterns to the theories similar in these respects? Social science is based on rules while natural science is based on laws. Social theory need to be reduced to natural theory. Replicating a social phenomenon for the sake of experimental study might be possible in some cases but not in all cases, thus behavioural, cultural, and the normative order could make difference. Anatol Francis said that the difference between animal and human being is like literature and lying. Scientific approach has been very rigid as far as the conclusion are concerned either right or wrong while on the other side it not the same case. Social scientific thesis is not compatible and universal, that is not applicable every where and could not be tested or verified universally as values very society to society and same as the facts. Science approach cannot give you perceptions. It can tell a person what s/he can do, not what s/he should do. Put another way, treating the ideas as a coherent system of thought, science can point out to an actor what is possible within his or her value system, and what would be contradictory to that value system. Social constructivists urge that understanding the production of scientific knowledge required looking at all the factors causally relevant to the acceptance of a scientific idea, not just at those the researcher thinks should be relevant. Science is thought to be the knowledge of elites. Authoritative explanation of knowledge makes difference, while tradition also plays its part in your knowledge system. Problems of social policy are not based on purely technical considerations of specific ends, but involve disputes about the normative standards of value which lie in the domain of general cultural values. This conflict over general cultural values does not occur solely between class interests but between general views on life and the universe as well. The non-scientific world information is accepted on trust, so in science, knowledge grows by depending on the testimony of others. What are the implications of accepting this fact for our conceptions of the reliability of scientific knowledge? Until recently, apart from a few anomalous figures like Caroline Herschel, Barbara Mcclintock, and Marie Curie, the sciences were a male preserve. Feminists turned to Marxist models of social relations and developed versions of standpoint theory, which holds that the beliefs held by a group reflect the social interests of that group. As a consequence, the scientific theories accepted in a context marked by divisions of power such as gender will reflect the interests of those in power. Alternative theoretical perspectives can be expected from those systematically excluded from power. (Rose 1983; Haraway 1978). Objective science must distinguish between value judgments and empirical knowledge, and try to see factual truths. However, value-judgments of the practical interest of the scientist will always be significant in determining the focus of attention of analytical activity. Interpretative social sciences go back to the German sociologist Max Weber and another German philosopher Wilhem Diltey. This is related to the word hermeneutics that originated in the nineteenth century. This employs that making the obscure plain. This thing refers that true meanings are rarely simple or obvious on the surface. One absorbs that scanning through the complete text. In this method the researcher uses participant observation and field research method. The interpretative researcher lives for year among the respondents to collect data. This is the organized analysis of the social actions through direct and detailed observation of the people in the natural world. The goal of the social research is to deep down understand the social life and discover how people construct meanings in the natural setting. The basic aim of the interpretative social science research is to discover social reality. Conclusion All the social sciences studies and researches are conducted to find out the meaning and truths behind the values. All the facts give explanations to the prevailing values in short. The purpose of the research is to give scientific explanation to the facts and to dig out the universal laws about human behaviour (Weber, 1949). It is not the motive to separate values from the facts. As I have previously mentioned that both are interlocked. In our society the correlation of values with daily life holds a clichà ©. The above debate can be concluded that values and facts are interlinked and phenomenon and concepts which give meaning while combined (Barton, 1999, p232). All research is empirical in nature and holds roots in the society that is composed of human beings. Research is an ongoing, evolving, moving process. The current knowledge and paradigms are not perfect. The only aim is construct scientific laws about human behaviour and when the word behaviour is used, the term values aut omatically jumps in. facts in any cultural, societal and communal reflection explains the values and norms of that particular society. Social scientists gather and explain data accordingly. Thus it can be concluded that generally established objectivity and subjectivity or simply reality versus values that is applicable to individual cultures only. In their own conclusion, the authors state that it will be the theory of argumentation that will help develop what pure logic could not, the justification of the possibility of a human community in the sphere of action when this justification cannot be based on a reality of objective truth. (Bizzel and Herzberg, 2001, p. 1377) Bibliography Barton, E. (1999). Review of Strategies for Empirical Research in Writing. Journal of Business and Technical Communication, 13, 2, p. 232. Bizzel, P. and Herzberg, B. (Eds.) (2001). The Rhetorical Tradition. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins. Caws, Peter (1972). An Immense Density of Systematicities. The Archeology of Knowledge. By Michel Foucault. Translated by A. M. Sheridan Smith. http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/comm/steen/cogweb/Abstracts/Foucault.html (retrieved 11/23/08) Chalmers, A (1999). What is this thing called Science? Open University Press. p19-26, 27-58. Couvalis, G. (1997). The philosophy of Science. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications. p36-61. Harris, M. (2001). The Rise of Anthropological Theory. AltaMira Press. Kuhn, T. (1962). The structure of Scientific Revolutions. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Ladyman, J. (2002).Understanding the Philosophy of Science. New York: Routledge. p93-123. MacNealy, M.S. (1999). Overview of Empirical Methodology. In Strategies for Empirical Research in Writing. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. May, T. (1993). Social Research: Issues, Methods and Process, Buckhingham: Open University Press. p27-41. Neuman, W Lawrence, Social Research Methods, Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches , University of Wisconsin at Whitewater. Ritzger, G Smart, B. (2001). Handbook of Social Theory. London: SAGE. p371-385. Weber, Max. 1949. Max Weber on the Methodology of the Social Sciences. Trans. and eds. Edward A. Shils and Henry A. Finch. Glencoe, IL: Free Press.

Growing Up With Terrorists :: Living With Terrorism

On September 11, 2001, I walked downstairs to have my breakfast and turned on the T.V. since I was alone. Coincidentally, I turned to the right channel at the right time when the news was informing the nation about an event that would change our lives and leave a mark in history. Everyday, things affect us in ways we have never experienced, teaching us new lessons and information which help us grow as individuals, or in this case, also as a nation. Events that affect us personally tend to change our perspective on life and introduce us even more into the "adult" world. I had just been informed that our own American commercial airlines had been hijacked and run into the World Trade towers and the Pentagon. Later, on my way to school, they announced that the second of the twin towers had finally collapsed. We continued watching the news and discussing the current and upcoming events in each of our classes, and finally, as time went by, the story unfolded revealing who was behind it all and why they did it. In history, our teacher taped a T.V. special on the background of Osama Bin Laden, the Taliban, and their relations with America. Before I watched the special, I had never heard the name Bin Laden before in my life, and I did not really know anything about the Taliban either, except it was some group in the Middle East. I felt very naà ¯ve that it was possible that I did not know of something this big and important, and now I had a million questions to ask. Perhaps it is because I do not read the newspaper daily and rarely watch the news that this would come as such a shock to me. I have been relying on my friends, parents, and teachers for information on current events going on in the world, so I never felt the need to actually search for information myself because it had always been handed to me. I had no idea that I had been missing out on so many important details about our world, and now all the things that I had been missing out on were instantly making more headlines, and I was overwhelmed.

Technologys Impact on Children With Communication Disorders Essay

Technology's Impact on Children With Communication Disorders â€Å"†¦If all of my possessions were taken from me with one exception, I would choose the power of communication, for by it I would regain all the rest. Daniel Webster† (Lloyd, Fuller, and Arvidson 1). Imagine that you were born one hundred years ago and as you grew, you never learned to talk, or at the very most, could only communicate in two or three word sentences. What would you do? How would you make your wishes known to those around you? Remember, this is one hundred years ago and you didn’t have computers or other augmentative devices to â€Å"talk† with. Perhaps you are able to use your hands to write, but often communication disorders are joined with other problems like Down syndrome, autism, or cerebral palsy, all of which make it more difficult to control your hands. Be thankful that you live in the twenty-first century, where computers can help communicate as well as teach children with these disorders how to survive within a communicating world. I will discuss the impact, effects, and Christian perspective of technology on communication disorders. Impact of technology on children with communication disorders A communication disorder is described as, â€Å"‘an impairment in the ability to receive, send, process, and comprehend concepts or verbal, nonverbal and graphic symbol systems [ASHA, 1993, p. 40]’† (Owens, Metz, and Haas 14). Several years ago, people with communication disorders could get therapy to learn how to talk if they were able, but there wasn’t much that could be done if it was physically impossible to say the speech sounds. This person would have to go through life trying to communicate by hand signals, writing, and maybe a few choice wo... ...Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.; Baltimore, 1992. 175-202. Hjelmquist, Erland. â€Å"Form and Meaning in Alternative Language Development.† Augmentative and Alternative Communication. Whurr Publishers; London, 1999. 31-39. Lloyd, Lyle L.; Fuller, Donald R.; and Helen H. Arvidson. Augmentative and Alternative Communication. Allyn and Bacon; Boston, 1997. Nelson, Lauren I. And Julie J. Masterson. â€Å"Computer technology: Creative interfaces in service delivery. Topics in Lavguahe Disorders v19 n3, May 1999, 67-86. Owens, Robert E., jr.; Metz, Dale Evan; and Adelaide Haas. Introduction to Communication Disorders: A Life Span Perspective. Allyn and Bacon; Boston, 2000. Yorkston, Kathryn M.; Beukelman, David R.; Strand, Edythe A.; and Kathleen R. Bell. Management of Motor Speech Disorders in Children and Adults. Pro-Ed Publishers; Austin, Texas, 1999.

Mermaid Swims In Essays -- Personal Narrative Aquariums Papers

Mermaid Swims In I am new to the hobby of keeping and maintaining an aquarium. My boyfriend, Andrew, gave me an aquarium for my birthday two months ago. I was very excited. When I was little, my family had two goldfish in a small, round bowl. Watching my mother clean out the tank was the extent to which I knew how to care for fish. The aquarium that Andrew gave me is an Eclipse 6; a six-gallon aquarium equipped with a bio-wheel filtration system. The bio-wheel system is a three-step filtration system: the water is sucked out of the aquarium into a tube, passed along a carbon filter, and then into a chamber that houses a bio-wheel-a small rotating filter that absorbs impurities from the water. Finally, the water is dropped back into the aquarium via waterfall. Eclipse aquariums have wonderful reputations; I am confident in saying that it is one of the best if not the best aquarium on the market. As you can imagine, maintaining this aquarium is a lot different from caring for the small fishbowl that I grew up with. At first, I knew not how involved the process was and decided to start stocking my aquarium. I purchased four plants (all plastic) because I was told that beginners should not start with live plants, which can alter the chemical levels in the water. My final purchase was the gravel and I quickly assumed I was ready to get started. Was I ever wrong. Keeping a healthy aquarium turned out to be much more work than I had ever imagined. However, I did not find this out until I failed several times. After killing five fish I was afraid to try again. I was overwhelmed with how much there was to learn. I wondered if I would ever be able to learn all I needed to be able to keep a healthy aquarium. Thus... ... is that they seem to "suck you in". I found myself happily chatting to people for what seemed like minutes and later realize I had been sitting in front of the computer for countless hours. It is somewhat worse than watching television because it completely draws you in. There are no commercial breaks where you can dart to the bathroom before the show starts. This is the downside of the Internet for me. I feel guilty when I am stuck in my house on the computer and it is a beautiful day outside. The time I spend on the Internet also seems to cut into the time I am supposed to be doing schoolwork or cleaning my house. Oh well! It is fun! WORKS CITED Aquaria Central. http://www.aquariacentral.com/. (01 May 99) Fish Link Central. http://www.fishlinkcentral.com/. (01 May 99) The Aquaria. http://www.actwin.com/fish/index.cgi. (01 May 99) Mermaid Swims In Essays -- Personal Narrative Aquariums Papers Mermaid Swims In I am new to the hobby of keeping and maintaining an aquarium. My boyfriend, Andrew, gave me an aquarium for my birthday two months ago. I was very excited. When I was little, my family had two goldfish in a small, round bowl. Watching my mother clean out the tank was the extent to which I knew how to care for fish. The aquarium that Andrew gave me is an Eclipse 6; a six-gallon aquarium equipped with a bio-wheel filtration system. The bio-wheel system is a three-step filtration system: the water is sucked out of the aquarium into a tube, passed along a carbon filter, and then into a chamber that houses a bio-wheel-a small rotating filter that absorbs impurities from the water. Finally, the water is dropped back into the aquarium via waterfall. Eclipse aquariums have wonderful reputations; I am confident in saying that it is one of the best if not the best aquarium on the market. As you can imagine, maintaining this aquarium is a lot different from caring for the small fishbowl that I grew up with. At first, I knew not how involved the process was and decided to start stocking my aquarium. I purchased four plants (all plastic) because I was told that beginners should not start with live plants, which can alter the chemical levels in the water. My final purchase was the gravel and I quickly assumed I was ready to get started. Was I ever wrong. Keeping a healthy aquarium turned out to be much more work than I had ever imagined. However, I did not find this out until I failed several times. After killing five fish I was afraid to try again. I was overwhelmed with how much there was to learn. I wondered if I would ever be able to learn all I needed to be able to keep a healthy aquarium. Thus... ... is that they seem to "suck you in". I found myself happily chatting to people for what seemed like minutes and later realize I had been sitting in front of the computer for countless hours. It is somewhat worse than watching television because it completely draws you in. There are no commercial breaks where you can dart to the bathroom before the show starts. This is the downside of the Internet for me. I feel guilty when I am stuck in my house on the computer and it is a beautiful day outside. The time I spend on the Internet also seems to cut into the time I am supposed to be doing schoolwork or cleaning my house. Oh well! It is fun! WORKS CITED Aquaria Central. http://www.aquariacentral.com/. (01 May 99) Fish Link Central. http://www.fishlinkcentral.com/. (01 May 99) The Aquaria. http://www.actwin.com/fish/index.cgi. (01 May 99)

Organizational Impact Paper Essay

Organizations today use creativity and innovation to change the products and services they provide to accommodate market demands. Companies may have difficulty with changes if there is no consideration for a competitive advantage or plans to transform and adjust their company to accommodate the demands for innovation of products and services for consumers. Organizations will conform to changes or transformation to achieve an economical advantage in business for innovation or it will fall behind its competitors. It will then be known as an organization of past success and current market absence. This paper will evaluate the impact of innovation, strategy, process, product, and services on three different organizations American Family Life Assurance Company (AFLAC), Microsoft, and Nike. American Family Life Assurance Company (AFLAC) The impact of innovation can be evaluated by looking at how organizations react or interact with the changes that are necessary. Commonly known as Aflac, the organization was founded November 17, 1955 by three brothers from Columbus, Georgia, (AFLAC, 2008). Aflac has been operating for more than 50 years, and is the number one provider of guaranteed-renewable insurance in the United States, and provides insurance protection worldwide for more than 40 million people (AFLAC, 2008). Internationally, Aflac targeted Japan, entering the insurance market almost 30 years ago and writes business for two-thirds of Japan, ensuring one in every four Japanese households (Best Review, 2003). A definite marketing strategy that contributed to Aflac rising market was their well-known pekin duck. An individual could not travel far without  meeting a stranger who could easily identify the duck icon and mimicking its tagline, â€Å"Aflac!† The market tagline was created in 2000 by the Kaplan Thaler Advertising Agency Group and recognized by nearly 90% of Americans; the pekin duck is an international icon and has done wonders for the organization (Best Review, 2003). For Example, after airing Aflac’s first duck commercial in January 2000, the organization rose practically overnight and became one of the most recognized brands of insurance in the market (AFLAC, 2008). The company advertised for six days and received more hits on their website for all 1999 and sales increased by more than 29% that is more sales increase during the first two weeks of the year than two previous years combined (Best Review, 2003). Aflac would never have experienced such success without the demands granted by innovation. Able to differentiate their competitor’s products, Aflac enforced an important marketing strategy in 1986, when the company expanded from rural to the metropolitan areas (AFLAC, 2008). The company used more independent insurance brokers rather than exclusive producers to sell their insurance and they recognize that brokers had already directed major medical coverage, other financial services, and could represent the organization with an excellent distribution channel (McCoy, 1996). Aflac offers a number of different services and products, including life, dental, vision, and supplemental health insurance such as cancer, hospital, accident, and disability. Microsoft Microsoft was found in 1975 and has become the world leader in software services, applications, and solutions (Microsoft, 2011). The organization leads the way in creativity, innovation software, hard ware products for individuals and companies, and offers products such as financial management tools, networking, web browser, and desktop (Microsoft, 2011). Almost every organization within an industry uses Microsoft products and often use customize applications to accommodate better that particular organization (Microsoft, 2011). One strategy that has enable Microsoft to stay ahead of the innovative curve is the development of the a new software computing called Microsoft surface that responds to hand movements, is capable of identifying genuine objects,  and can use barcode tags (Microsoft, 2011). The surface computer with a 230-inch display in a table-like form provides effortless interaction with digital content through hand touch movement and physical objects (Microsoft, 2011). This product is revolutionary because of future possibilities and innovations that will come from it, and will show the next generation a profitable outlook that will allow every user to remove and improve communication barriers, encourage social interaction, gain customer loyalty, and provide a unique shopping experience (Microsoft, 2011). Microsoft envisions that with the innovation of technology, surface computing will be available and used at all levels of government, organizations, and industries. Nike Nike, athletic shoes was found in 1962 by Phil Knight, who saw a gap and a need in the market of athletic shoes (Nike, 2000). Nike had a profound change on its marketing strategy and product when it introduced the Air Nikes, featuring Michael Jordan with the â€Å"Just Do It† slogan and â€Å"Bo Knows† commercial, (Nike, 2000). These innovative styles made the Nike shoes more recognizable and popular to consumers worldwide (Nike, 2000). Nike could modify its products and services through its innovative marketing strategy taken from evaluations on customer benefits and needs, whereas the product succeeded innovation technology with fashions that cater to customer satisfaction on a global level (Nike, 2000). Nike currently seeks out innovative ways to create advance athletic products and methods to speak creatively to the market because the success of Nike is based on marketing strategy that weighs current factors and trends (Nike, 2000). If Nike continues the innovation of new marketing ideas for their services and products, the organization will maintain their current role of innovative leadership with products, developments, and revenues in the athletic sports-wear industry (Nike, 2000). Conclusion Based on the information given from the three above organizations it has been determined that innovation can either make or break an organization.  Innovation is inevitable in organizations today because businesses have to make preparations for an innovative market by focusing their efforts on current market strategy, process, product improvement, and services. The three organizations discussed above used innovation and creativity to change the products and services they provide to accommodate the market demands. As the organizations indicated above, innovation is an important advantage for business growth and profitability and an important contributor to the business strategy to gain a competitive advantage. . References A Brief history of Microsoft. Retrieved January 18, 2011, from http://www.microsoft.com/misc/features_flshbk.htm. AFLAC. (2008). About AFLAC. Retrieved January 18, 2011, from http://aflac.com/us/en/aboutaflac/history.aspx. ENEWS Best’s Review (2003, May). The mighty duck. Retrieved January 18, 2011, from http:goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi-0199-2846151/The-mighty-duck-Aflac-is.htm. McCoy, T.A. (1996). Independent agents benefit from AFLAC’s marketing strategy. Retrieved January 18, 2011, from http://findarticles.com/p/arrticles/mi_qa3615/is-199612/ai-n8754524microsoft(n.d.). Nike History and Heritage. 2000. Retrieve January 18, 2011, from http://www.nikebiz.com/company-overview/history/1950.