Religions Role in Society

Religions Role in Society Free Online Research Papers â€Å"Religion helps sustain social solidarity in times of transition and stress.† Discuss. Many sociologists believe that religion plays a vital role in society and helps individuals come together in times of hardship, reinforcing social solidarity within a particular community. Some believe that without religion, societies would in some cases fall apart and there would not be social solidarity as people would not have a sense of closeness with each other, nor would they have anything to believe in. This is discussed by Durkheim and Malinowski as the Functionalist view on religion in particular. Functionalists, Marxists and Feminists have generally dismissed the possibility that religion can cause changes in society, They believe religion acts as a conservative force and that it is changes in society that shape religion, not vice versa. Functionalists claim that religion prevents change and acts in this way because it promotes integration and social solidarity. From a functionalist perspective, religion provides shared norms and values, and helps individuals to cope with stresses that might disrupt social life. In these ways it facilitates the continued existence of society in its present form. Marx had similar views although he saw religion as maintaining the status quo in the interests of the ruling class rather than those of society as a whole. Durkheim believed that social life was impossible without the shared values and moral beliefs that form the collective conscience. In their absence there would be no social order, control, solidarity or cooperation. In short, there would be no society. Religion reinforces the collective conscience. The worship of society strengthens the values and moral beliefs that form the basis of social life. By defining them as sacred, religion provides them with greater power to direct human action. In a worshipping society, people are in effect, recognising the importance of the social group and their dependence upon it. In this way, religion strengthens the unity of the group: it promotes social solidarity. Most sociologists believe that Durkheim overstated his case on religion. While agreeing that religion is important for promoting social solidarity and reinforcing social values, they would not support his view that religion is the worship of society. Durkheim’s views were more relevant to small, non-literate societies, where there is a close integration of culture and social institutions, where work, leisure, education and family life tend to merge and where members share a common belief and value system. His views are less relevant to modern societies which have many subcultures, social and ethnic groups, specialised organisations and a range of religious beliefs, practices and institutions. Like Durkheim, Bronislaw Malinowski sees religion as reinforcing social norms and values and promoting social solidarity. Unlike Durkheim however, he does not see religion as reflecting society as a whole, nor does he see religious ritual as the worship of society itself. Malinowski identifies specific areas of social life with which religion is concerned and to which it is addressed. These are situations of emotional stress that threaten social solidarity. Anxiety and tension tend to disrupt social life. Malinowski notes that in all societies, life crises are surrounded with religious ritual. He sees death as the most disruptive of these events and argues: â€Å"The existence of strong personal attachments and the fact of death, which of all human events is the most upsetting and disorganizing to man’s calculations are perhaps the main sources of religious beliefs.† Different events and hardship that may come about in a society are dealt with in different ways. For example a death in society is socially destructive because it removes a member of society. At a funeral ceremony however, the social group unites to support the bereaved thus this expression of social solidarity reintegrates society. Malinowski has been criticised for exaggerating the importance of religious rituals in helping people to cope with situations of stress and uncertainty. The last functionalist view of religion is Talcott Parsons. He believes that religion is part of the cultural system within a society and thus provides guidelines for human actions and standards against which people’s conduct can be evaluated. In a Christian society, the Ten Commandments operate in this way. They demonstrate how many of the norms of the social system can be integrated by religious beliefs. By establishing these general principles and moral beliefs, religion helps to provide the consensus which Parsons believes is necessary for order and stability in society. Like Malinowski, Parsons sees religion as a mechanism for adjustment to such unprecedented events as death or illness, and as a means of restoring the normal pattern of life. The functionalist perspective emphasizes the positive contributions of religion to society and tends to ignore its dysfunctional aspects. With its preoccupation with harmony, integration and solidarity, functionalism neglects the many instances where religion can be seen as a divisive and disruptive force. It bypasses the frequent examples of internal divisions within a community over questions of religious dogma and worship – divisions that can lead to open conflict. It gives little consideration to hostility between different religious groups within the same society, such as Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland, Shia and Sunni Muslims in Iraq or Hindus and Muslims in India. In such cases, religion can be seen as a direct threat to social order. 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Supply and Demand Simulation Assignment Research Paper

Supply and Demand Simulation Assignment - Research Paper Example The shift in the demand curve in the simulation may take place because of any determinant other than price; therefore, there may be a shift in the demand curve due to the availability of a supermarket or grocery store near the apartment because if people are not able to find a store for daily needs near to their homes, that would not encourage them to buy the apartment. Furthermore, if there is a change in the prices or the quality of the Oakridge Builders’ homes, then the consumers may buy those and not the Goodlife apartments. This shift would reduce the number of homes being sold to families and thus the curve would go below the equilibrium price level. The supply curve would mostly shift due to a technological innovation and thus if the Company is able to bring about some technological innovation in their homes, that is, make them more digitalized, have proper security systems inserted then consumers will be interested in purchasing them. This shift will cause an increase in the supply of homes to consumers and thus result in going above the equilibrium price level due to the want of more homes by consumers and possible lack of the equal amount of supply. From the simulation the supply and demand can be understood as follows; taking products made by Apple and Microsoft, they may be similar in terms of usage however are different in terms of technological innovation. In the same way, Goodlife apartments appeal to families more than the retail homes from Oakbridge thus providing a clear competition for Goodlife to dominate the market just like Apple does even though it produces more expensive products, but it has a certain unique selling price. The concepts of microeconomics help in understanding the factors that affect supply and demand shifts on the equilibrium price and quantity as they talk about the shifts on an individual level; for example, if in a household, an individual had to choose between buying tea or coffee as a preferred beverage, the p rices of the same would affect his personal choice. Furthermore, if there was a shortage of supply of one of them, he would go for the other and similarly, if there was an increase in the price of one, he would choose the other as a substitute. This would affect the demand and supply curves to move up and down affecting the equilibrium price levels as per the quantities. The concepts of macroeconomics on the other hand refer to an aggregate demand and aggregate supply which takes place on a market level taking into account the personal needs and choices of all the consumers in a given area. Thus, from the point of view of households as well as firms, the factors that affects the shifts in demand and supply curves in macroeconomics may be understood by looking at the aggregate equilibrium price and quantity levels. Price elasticity helps in understanding how an individual’s demand can be lowered or increased by fixing a certain price for a particular commodity. As seen in the simulation, when the prices for the apartments are lowered, the demand for the same will be higher. At a higher price however, the demand will remain consistent for the group of people belonging to the category that can afford the apartment. At this point, the supply of the number of apartments is not taken into consideration to determine where the price of a single apartment will be set. The main

Democratic states have historically been fouded upon the exclusion of Essay

Democratic states have historically been fouded upon the exclusion of women. What, if anything, does this tell us about the nature of democracy as a system of g - Essay Example This remains the case even today, if the discourses on democracy are not restricted to the mere exercise of the right to vote or to hold an office. The idea of democracy dates back to the ancient Greek and Roman forms of governance and a prototype of the modern democratic government were perhaps found in India, in the 6th Century BC. However, the ideological elements of a democratic state are still in the developing stage, as the concerns of various minority sects emerge every day. In all the ancient forms of democracy, the right to participate in the governance and policy decisions was restricted to certain privileged sects, mostly men. In ancient Greece and Rome, women and slaves were excluded from the running of the government of the people, where the idea of ‘people’ was attributed solely to free men. In ancient India, though women were given ample opportunity for education and participation in the theoretical aspects of governance, they were prohibited from the actual material aspects of it, thereby denying them any agency in the system. The Middle Ages focused on the limited participation of people in the gov ernance, where the traditional hegemonic structure of nations was mainly decided by the clergy. Even in the 18th and 19th Century when the United States emerged as a liberal democracy, the ostensibly democratic rights reserved for the white adult male citizens left out various ethnic minorities and women from active participation in the system. The historically exclusive nature of democratic ideals had even been transformed to strong and open dictatorships in the early part of Twentieth Century, but the Second World War led to a lot of introspective analyses that brought back the idea of democracy both a system of government and as an ideology that reflects the general quality of life in every sphere. The nature of democracy, in its Aristotelian and historically developed terms, relates to the participation of people

New Military Interrogation Rules Essay Example for Free

New Military Interrogation Rules Essay The film â€Å"In the Name of the Father† had been based on occurrences that occur even in real life. The film gave us a close look on how our justice system could be manipulated in order to suit the wishes of certain people. The film showed innocent people being convicted and accused of the crimes they have done. The fact that those guilty of the crimes confessed their wrongdoings did not hinder the police from punishing the innocent people. The film showed how unfair the British system of Justice is. It showed how the police made use of their positions in order to justify their brutality. They have even made it a point to use brutality in order to make innocent people confess of the crimes they have not made just as can be seen on one part of the movie wherein Gerry had been beaten by the police in order to write a false confession of the sin he did not make. Another annoying part on the movie had been the fact that his father had been charged as an accomplice and thus he had also been taken into prison where he died. The very fact that his innocent father had been made into a criminal and had died in prison grilled Gerry a lot and thus he did everything in his power in order to clear his father name as well as his own, thus the title â€Å"In the Name of the Father†. Denying their prisoners food, and beating them into pulps can be seen on most part of the movie and the police did not stop their brutality until the prisoners confessed for the sins they have done. Dogs are treated in better ways than the prisoner had been treated by the police in the movie. The things the police did goes against the principle of what justice ought to be like. In fact, the brutality did not even ceased when the real crime offender admitted his sin. The police covered the happenings for such a long time until a lawyer came and meddled with their affairs. Of course, the unfairness of the justice system is not as bad as it used to but it does not necessarily mean that the unfairness of the justice system is no longer present on our society as of today. Being forced to sign a false admission by using police brutality as well as involving the suspect’s family on his hardship is still happening today. I mean there are those who are condemned as criminals and their family suffers almost the same level of torture the suspect’s suffer simply because they are related to the suspect. There are even times that even those people close to you are also accused of as accomplice even though the police do not have any sufficient evidences. Often times, we are deceived into thinking that those who are in power is doing things for the common good without realizing the fact that they have been doing things to ensure no one’s good but their own. There are certain rules on the interrogation tactics that are legal to use nowadays but it does not stop some people from abusing their power and still going on with the interrogation tactics being prohibited by the law. We should bear in mind that some interrogation tactics are not allowed nowadays. However, they still happen. There are many cases being reported about police brutality which necessitates improvement however, no such improvements ever happen because police brutality is still very common up to this point in time. The subjects of these abuses are mostly poor people because they do not have the means necessary to demand for justice and thus their voices are seldom heard. Innocent people are being convicted of crimes which they know nothing about. All of us should acknowledge the fact that certain interrogation tactics are banned by the government because they are unjust and it goes against the principle of human rights. Kantian ethics would tell us that each human ought to be treated with respect and not simply as a means to an end. Even using its anti thesis, utilitarianism, police brutalities would still not be justified since it goes against the principle of greatest good for the greatest number of people since only those who hold power could benefit from the rotten way the government works and thus it could lead to the disturbance of the peace within a society. However, these does not stop some people in power from disobeying the law and this could go on forever unless the citizenry decides to do something about it. Reference: CBS News. (2004). New Military Interrogation Rules [Electronic Version]. Use Of Aggressive Tactics Barred; 300 Iraqis Released From Abu Ghraib. Retrieved May 21, 2007 from http://www. cbsnews. com/stories/2004/05/15/iraq/main617654. shtml. Sheridan, J. , George, T. (Writer) (1993). In the Name of the Father. In L. OConnor, G. Byrne T. George (Producer).

Protection From Abuse And Neglect :: essays research papers

Protection From Abuse and Neglect I have recently been elected in a new statewide project in Minnesota to create and provide leadership in a small scale voluntary association for children . The focus of the small scale association is based on the United Nations General Assembly that adopted a Convention on the rights of the Child. It is a program to provide information and knowledge on the substantive right for "Protection from abuse and neglect" designed specifically for children. The right states that " the State shall protect the child from all forms of maltreatment by parents or others responsible for the care of the child and establish appropriate social programs for the prevention of abuse and the treatment of victim". The purpose of the new state-wide small scale association is to inform children through first-hand knowledge and example on the protection from abuse and neglect. The substantive right is very important for children to know and understand in case they, or someone they know is ever involved in an abusive situation. The small scale association is limited to children so they can feel free to express their experiences and ask questions openly to others without having to worry about adult supervision. This may interest children to comment on situations and on general conversation that they normally would be scared to ask their parents. I feel that this is relevant to children in today's society because these situations of abuse and neglect occur in many households, and children either do not know their rights or fail to take action to them. The kinds of topics and issues discussed in the association and in connection with children's rights will vary according to importance. The beginning stages of the meetings will consist of examples and definitions of what abuse and neglect constitute. We will then as a group apply what we know to everyday situations in which these forms of maltreatment by parents or others responsible for them. Next we would apply these situations to the substantive right for Children according to what the United Nations Generally assemble established. In connection with the "Bill of Rights" and through discussion, children will learn that they might have been involved in a situation of abuse or neglect and failed to realize it. This gets aback to the focus of the small scale association which is to inform children what the "Protection from abuse and neglect" really means and what they can do about it. After the early stages of the meetings where we introduce the substantive right, the group will become further involved in field trips and

Digestion: Describe the digestion of a burger Essay

Digestion A burger is broken down mechanically by biting into it. The food in the mouth sets off salivary glands that secrete salivary amylase, which breaks down amylase in the burger. When the food is broken down enough, the tongue shapes the food in a bolus, or a ball. The bolus is pushed back to the pharynx at the back of the throat. The food stimulates the opening of the flap so the good goes down the esophagus, rather than the windpipe. Because of peristalsis, rhythmic waves created by muscles in the throat, the food slides easily down the digestive tract. Salivary amylase continues to break down the starch all the way down the esophagus. When the burger reaches the stomach, the epithelium, or stomach wall, secretes gastric juice which has a very high concentration of hydrochloric acid and breaks up the burger. In the gastric juice is also an enzyme that hydrolyzes proteins called pepsin. This pepsin starts out as the inactive pepsinogen, and is activated by hydrochloric acid in the epithelium. After this, the burger is churned in the stomach and becomes chyme, or vomit. From the stomach, the burger goes through the pyloric sphincter and into the small intestine. In the first 25 cm of the small intestine, the food goes through the duodenum, a place where pancreatic enzymes and bile from the live are stored. Bile, along with the enzyme lipase, breaks down fat while the enzyme nuclease breaks down nucleic acids and various enzymes, such as trypsins and peptidases, break down the proteins. These substances are called by hormones which act based on stimuli received, such as the food in the duodenum. Absorption also occurs in the small intestine because of its large surface area. It has a very large surface area because villi, or finger like projections on the surface, contain microvilli, smaller projections on the surface of the villi. Because of this, the surface area of the small intestine is greatly increased. The large intestine, or colon, has the job of retaining water. It reabsorbs water and nutrients that remain in the lumen. The undigested materials are then excreted in feces, and the digestion of the burger is completed.

Persuasive Essay On Smoking - 707 Words

The sound of a cough rings throughout the park. The foul stench of thousands of chemicals wafts through the air. Peering around, the culprit is spotted; a man smoking on a nearby bench. Smoking has long since been regarded as one of the number one avoidable causes of death (Pietrangelo Cherney, 2017). Tobacco is one of the most widely-used recreational drugs in the world and although most countries put age restrictions on its use, over a billion adults smoke tobacco legally every day. As well as having serious health consequences for smokers themselves, the pollution of other peoples atmospheres with cigarette smoke causes the issue of secondhand smoke. Attitudes towards smoking have changed over the years and many governments have†¦show more content†¦All people standing around a smoker breathe in contaminant smoke. As soon as one individual begins to smoke a cigarette, each passerby has been exposed to the secondhand smoke. You can be exposed to secondhand smoke in homes , cars, the workplace, and public places. The inhalation of secondhand smoke can cause lung cancer, even if the individual inhaling said secondhand smoke isn’t a smoker themselves. In the United States, approximately 3,000 adults die each year due to lung cancer from secondhand smoke exposure. Children all over the United States are unwillingly exposed to parental secondhand smoke in public, in cars, and at home. Approximately 7,500 infants die due to sudden infant death syndrome due to exposure of secondhand smoke in America (â€Å"Health Effects of Secondhand Smoke†). Those who have been exposed to secondhand smoke as children are also more likely to develop dependence to nicotine and begin smoking by the age of 15. Over the past few years, smoking has seen a surge in popularity in millennials, especially teenagers under the age of 18, as well as young women. Young adults are more likely to acquire the bad habit when smoking is acceptable in society. Teenagers are easily influenced and when they see an adult smoking, they are more likely to try tobacco in the future. Students have been listening to presentations on theShow MoreRelatedPersuasive Essay Smoking885 Words   |  4 Pagessuch as smoking. People smoke for numerous reasons. These reasons include: socializing, coping with emotions, parental influences, advertising, and for the thrill of risk taking behaviors. In consequence, many people are unaware of the negative aspects to smoking. Smoking not only affects the individual but has negative impacts on others that are around the smoker and the environment as well. In result of these harmful aspects of smoking, smoking should be banned in public places. Smoking shouldRead MorePersuasive Essay Smoking911 Words   |  4 Pages Do you know anyone that has/does suffer from a smoking related issue, that has never even touched a cigarette in their life? The problems that develop from smoking a cigarette are widely known and many people think it is harmful to smoke, but people never think about the harmful effects from inhaling second-hand smoke. Many smokers smoke in public areas every day. Not only are they inhaling all of the deadly chemicals, but so is everyone else around them. Being around a smoker too often and inhalingRead MorePersuasive Essay On Smoking929 Words   |  4 Pages Have you ever wondered why people continue to smoke cigarettes although they are aware that it is harmful for them and the people around them? For some, smoking cigarettes is a solution to relieving stress. According to K.H Ginzel, a professor of pharmacology and toxicology, cigarettes contain over 4,000 different chemicals and one of these chemicals is nicotine. His work at the University of Arkansas is on the area of nicoti ne and its effects. Ginzel, M.D states â€Å"Nicotine is a highly addictiveRead MorePersuasive Essay Smoking896 Words   |  4 Pagesoften seen as a safe or safer route to smoking. It is also relatively new to the market, only hitting the mainstream over the past decade. Due to the fact that it hasn’t been a part of the public consciousness for as long as cigarette smoking, there is a lot of people that still do not fully understand about it. Smoking is an evil habit that millions of people around the world have adapted. However, luckily vaporizers have become a huge trend in the smoking world. â€Å"About 3.7% of adults currentlyRead MoreSmoking Persuasive Essay778 Words   |  4 Pagesworldwide start smoking every day, and almost half of those children live in Asia. 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Naturally, the query ascends: how plausible is it to quit with a horrible addiction like smoking? The simple answer to this question is â€Å"Yes† only if the personRead MorePersuasive Essay On Smoking853 Words   |  4 Pages Cigarette smoking has become the number one cause of preventable diseases and deaths in the United States. While many are aware of that fact, more than 45 million Americans still participate in the activity of smoking. Approximately 480,000 deaths occur annually as an aftermath from smoking†”meaning 1 in every 5 deaths (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Furthermore, a heavy smoker, smoking an average of 20 cigarettes to a pack each day, dies 13 to 14 years earlier. Smoking is an all-in-oneRead MorePersuasive Essay On Smoking713 Words   |  3 PagesDuring the past few decades it has come to light that smoking kills. The federal government mandates that every pack of cigarettes carry a warning on it that smoking can lead to health problems including death. But the messages are rather clinical, for example: â€Å"Smoking Causes Lung Cancer, Heart Disease, Emphysema, and May Complicate Pregnancy.† Smoking is a danger to one’s own health but there is now evidence that smoking can affect others as well. Second hand smoke has been shown to cause cancer