Saturday, October 5, 2019
Paul is an Artist of International Fame Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 7
Paul is an Artist of International Fame - Essay Example He will be with us in Houston, for two days. The conference venue is at Richmond.†On the conclusion of the first day of the seminar, at my insistence, Paul uncle gives a brief introduction about his art. â€Å"The sponsoring UNO agency has made all the arrangements for my boarding and lodging. I dislike the ambiance of staying in a 5 Star hotel. I eat simple home food. I live with my three children and we have an ancestral house in a two-acre plot in the suburbs of Port-au-Prince.†â€Å"My children are married, and we live as a joint family. My two sons are not interested in this vocation and the eldest one takes a limited interest in this art which is full of intricacies.†But in general, Paul gives lots of information on the copper-art and the present condition of art in Haiti. â€Å"Many traditional art-forms of Haiti are dying a slow death with no appreciation of genuine art and lack-luster approach of the Government authorities. Materialistic civilization has impacted life in all the segments of life. People have lost love for art. By pursuing this as art as a vocation, it is difficult to eke out a living†¦.my children are right perhaps to pursue alternative careers, where there is money. My second son has already migrated to Australia. †I visit him after 5 years. His house is on a hillock in the distant suburbs of Haiti. He has problems in recognizing me but with the mention of â€Å"Houston,†he embraces me. We speak a lot about Haiti art and his copper plates and pitchers in particular. He shows some of his centuries-old family collections of pitchers. When I tell him that â€Å"Traditional Art of Haiti†is one of the subjects that I teach at the college level, he is greatly fascinated. Â
Friday, October 4, 2019
Place Your Vote Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Place Your Vote - Essay Example Why energy is an important factor to consider when electing a presidentI would like to bring back some memories that most Americans would love to erase from their memories. This concerns the high oil prices that were experienced during Bush’s tenure in White House in 2008. This is a clear indication of the intricate nature of the oil prices to the American economy. Schoen (2008) while talking about the price increases by over 50 percent in January of 2008 observed that:â€Å"Airlines have been struggling to make a profit, even as they cut jobs and flights. American Airlines became the latest to announce it was tightening its belt another notch, saying Thursday that it plans to shrink capacity by as much as 12 percent and cut thousands of jobs†(Schoen, 2008)Furthermore, Schoen elaborates that these airlines were contemplating an increase in the prices of checking the first bag. He contends that smaller airlines would have had to file for bankruptcy. Other industries, su ch as the automobiles also experienced a drop in sales which is definitely not good to the overall wellness of the economy. Moreover, the price of food and other household goods were expected to rise. Threats of inflation were being envisaged at the time and these tended to spill over to the housing sector and the credit markets (Schoen, 2008). This led to job losses, higher costs of living and a generally dented economy.During this trying time inflation was attributed to the high oil prices that were being experienced.Â
Thursday, October 3, 2019
The Ultimate Island Essay Example for Free
The Ultimate Island Essay Global warming has caused our body and our earths temperature to rise by a few degrees. The continuous release of greenhouse gases has turned our once peaceful work environment into a polluted and hellish cell of exhaustion. During those times we spend harassing our mind and body in such â€Å"incarceration†, all of us have imagined being in a place where we can relax ourselves worry-free, where we can retreat with our family, and â€Å"socialize†for the bachelors and bachelorettes. A place away from pollution, noise, and disorder. A place where all we do is appreciate the existence of a heavenly environment here on earth. And if all of you dream of these things while at work, you really need a vacation.            In the long list of vacation spots we can find on the internet or in tourist brochures scattered in hotels and travel agencies, one place would always be ahead of everywhere else, Bali, Indonesia. This island will not be on top of the list for no reason.            Being the largest archipelago found in the Pacific, Indonesia is proud of its 7000 islands including Bali (Diving Indonesia). This particular island includes miles of sandy beaches, enchanting rice-terraces, volcanoes of up to 3,000 meters high, caves, lakes, forests, and valleys enough for you to tell yourself, â€Å"Oh! This is heaven on earth!†(Bali Tours)            Being an island of only 2,000 square miles, appreciating the exotic and picturesque features of Bali is easy. There are lots of day tours which will take you anywhere in the island and take you home very satisfied in the evening (Introduction to Bali).            Surrounded by rich waters of the Pacific, Bali will bring you the best of ocean life through scuba diving, surfing, parasailing, and snorkelling offered by the best facilities in the island (Popular Bali Activities). After your water adventure, the white sand beaches will soothe your tired and aching muscles.            For the young ones who came with adventurous spirits, who are in great need for  physical satisfaction, there are sea-side bars, beach clubs, and activities such as white-water rafting, paint ball war games, bungee jumping, horseback riding, nature tours, mountain cycling, kayaking, and jungle trekking to exhaust your undying energy (Popular Bali Activities).            Since vacation is not only for enjoying the itineraries Bali tours are offering every visitors, with the great variation of their interests ranging from nature appreciation to learning, the island also has opportunities that will satisfy everyone’s thirst for new information.            Its rich Malayan history and culture will amaze you as you witness the everyday lives of its people, visit famous temples and palaces, and watch cultural shows, films, and festivals (Bali Tours). Also, with many museums and exhibitions open to all visitors, Bali will satisfy every tourists need for rare and unique information (Bali Museums and Art Exhibitions).            Lastly, your visit to Bali will not be that convincing without shopping for local products. Shopping areas provide a variety of souvenirs like handicrafts, pieces of furniture, woven fabrics, accessories, paintings, wood carvings, clothes, and jewelry (Shopping in Bali). All these are available for you to take home, that is, if you still want to go home.            All work and no play truly makes our lives dull. And because of the many factors which creates uneasiness and dissatisfaction in our work area, and for those who will be entering the professional world for the first time, it is best to have an idea of what beauty and peace is all about to inspire us in our endeavours.            This summer, why dont we call our employers for a vacation and our travel agents for an immediate flight to this heaven on earth? Dont wait and endure your punishment-like work environment for another year and visit this one-of-a-kind destination. References: Adventure Indonesia. Diving Indonesia. Retrieved 31 March 2008, from http://www.indonesiadiving.com/ Bali Tours. Bali.com Ltd. Retrieved 31 March 2008, from http://www.baliguide.com/balitours.html Introduction to Bali, Indonesia. Bali.com Ltd. Retrieved 31 March 2008, from            http://www.baliguide.com/geography.html Popular Bali Activities. Bali.com Ltd. Retrieved 31 March 2008, from            http://www.baliguide.com/baliactivities.html Shopping in Bali. Bali.com Ltd. Retrieved 31 March 2008, from  http://www.baliguide.com/shopping.html Bali Museums and Art Exhibitions.Bali.com Ltd. Retrieved 31 March 2008, from            http://www.baliguide.com/balimuseums.html
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
Socio-Cultural Impact of Tourism
Socio-Cultural Impact of Tourism Chapter 2 Literature Review There are many researchers who have examined on how tourism affects the local people in a destination. They have worked on how to assess the negative and positive impacts of tourism on society. This literature review will be based on the research of the socio-cultural impact of tourism on the local people in Mauritius. The impacts that tourism brings to the local people will be assessed by the use of a questionnaire. This literature review will be completed by searching for journal articles, relevant studies which have been previously done on the topic. Overview of Tourism Tourism is an active and deal process which include direct and alternative relationship between people and originator of tourism products. The interaction between people is the is often the necessary feature which characterizes a tourism experience. These experiences can lead to both positive and negative impacts and this should be controlled in order to maximize the positive impacts and minimize and negative impacts (Sheldon Abenoja). Positive and negative feature of tourism can be moved to the tourists and the hosts population as a tourism product can only be consumed in a destination. One of the most influential socially based plan refined to examine the impact of tourism has on local people and the environment in which the local people live is dependent on the work of Doxey (1975), who was able to demonstrate the feeling that local people show as tourism extend and start to use greater area of a local economy over time. (Doxey) also argued that there are basically four levels to be considered when assessing local feelings towards the tourism industry. These are as follows: Euphoria: This is where tourist come to a destination where they are received with little control and planning in a destination Apathy: Tourists are accepted by the local people in a destination, commercialization takes place and there is a relationship between groups. Annoyance: As the tourism industry is being saturated, local people tend to have uncertainty about a location of tourism. Tourism planners increase infrastructure instead of controlling the growth of tourism. Antagonism: Local people start to become irritated and this is presented to tourists and tourism and planning is restorative. The number of impacts from tourism is physically wide and it often has the authority on areas beyond those usually linked with tourism (Kreag 2001). It is difficult to measure the exact type and magnitudes of impacts of tourism as they cannot be viewed in a separate way because the effect brought by tourism alone and the effect which has been accomplished by other agents of change such as modernization, development, and the influence of media (Archer Cooper, 1994; Lickorish Jenkin, 1997; Mathieson Wall, 1982). Socio-Cultural Impacts of Tourism According to (Oppermann Chon, 1997), they argued that the socio cultural impacts should be available in towns and it should be designed in such a way in order to achieve the ideals of sustainable development. The socio-cultural impacts of tourism occur when there is the interaction between the host, or local people, and guests, or tourists (Smith 1995). However, Glasson, Gofrey and Goodey (1995) argued that the socio-cultural impacts are the people impacts of tourism and it concentrates on the day to day changes and quality of life of residents in a destination. It has been stated by (Opperman and Chon 1997) that tourist and the host interactions does not have effect on the hosts and the society of the host, but also it has an effect on the tourists and the tourists societies. Socio-cultural impacts have both positive and negative forms and it is the hosts and the guests who are affected (Cooper et al., 1998; Oppermann Chon, 1997). Moreover, (Pi-Sunyer, 1973), stated that socially and culturally, tourism has often been victim of social tensions. It can be noted that the principal impacts affected by the tourists and host relationship are the demonstration effect, that is when the behaviour of the hosts community is developed in such a way to imitate the tourists (Boissevain, 1979; Tsartas, 1992). During their stay in a destination tourists interact with the local residents and this interation brings an outcome such as modifications in the quality of life of the hosts community, value system, labour division, family relationships, attitudes, behavioural patterns, ceremonies and creative expressions (Fox 1977; Cohen 1984; Pizam and Milman 1984). The encounters of tourists and the hosts occur when tourists are buying goods and services from any host individual where there are at the same place and at the same time and where they can exchange ideas and information (de Kadt 1979). Another type of encounter which occur in tourism is where there is a failure in promoting mutual understanding among different nations and stereotypes prevail (Nettekoven 1979; Krippendorf 1987; OGrady 1990). In addition, socio-cultural impacts of tourism also include change in the language that is used in a destination (White 1974; Brougham and Butler 1977; Jeffs and Tavis 1989; Wallace 1997); growth in the consumption of alcoholics, crime, prostitution and gambling (Young 1973; Graburn 1983; OGrady 1990). According to Brunt and Courtney (1999) argued that socio cultural impacts of when there is the interaction of tourists-host could be utilized to host residents and was affected by their role and their relationship within the tourism industry. Communities Perspective of Tourism Considering the attitude of local people the large range of the positive and negative impacts of tourism on the community at large and individual can be analysed (Fredline, 2004). (Ratz 2002), said that the lives of the hosts community are changed by two major factors which are namely the tourists-host relationship and the development of the tourism industry itself. Local people and foreign companies are encouraged to invest in different types of tourist enterprises (Larsen 1998) and this is looked in such a strategy to motivate economic activities to take place which will make the state become richer. In a host community, not every people perceive the impacts of tourism in the same manner. Researches says that the level of satisfaction of residents in a destination and their attitudes in relation to tourism are conditional on their perception of the impact of tourism. Socio-Cultural sustainability Cultural sustainability is the maintenance of local values, the way that people live in their environment and identity (Heikkinen et al. 2007). According to (Besculides, Lee, McCornick, 2002; Simpson, 2008) the cultural and social as aspect of sustainability may be supported by tourism development by granting a change of declining traditional industries appealing infrastructure development promoting pride referring to culture and community, fostering cultural acceptance amongst visitors, keeping cultural heritage, fostering cross institutional acceptance and bring into existence educational favorable circumstances. However, (Liu 2003; Stronza, 2007), argued that tourism can bring up new lifestyles, belief, and values to hosts, and come through changes in the living form of the communities. Positive socio-cultural impact of tourism Tourism brings into contribution of an improvement of the social infrastructure in a destination. Cultural development can be considered as a positive impact of tourism. Various situations exist where tourism is the active force behind the preservation and awareness of local culture and traditions. (United Nations, 1996; Jamaica Sustainable Development Network, 2001; Tourism Product Development Company 2005; du Cros; 2001) Negative socio-cultural impacts of tourism For some islands, there are negative social impact that are created due to tourism. An increase in the price leads to a fall in the standard of living of the local community. Fishermen are deprived from their occupation. Sometimes locals are prevented to get access to public beaches as most hotels give priority to tourists to enjoy the beaches and therefore locals are left with only part of the beaches. Moreover, there are capacity issues where the beaches are overcrowded which leads to traffic congestion and noise pollution, reverse acculturation and high crime rates also occur (United Nations, 1996; PA Consulting Group, 2007). Physical influences causing social stress The physical power that increasing tourism has on a destination can cause social stress because this encounter the local community. Cultural degeneration such as damage to cultural heritage may take place from vandalism, littering, pilferage and illegal removal of cultural heritage items or by changing the historical landscape that surrounds it. Resource use conflicts will arise because there is a competition between the host community and the tourists for making use of prime resources such as water and energy which are limited in supply. Conflicts will arise when there will be the construction of hotels in coastal areas. Culture Clashes As tourism is the movement of people to different places geographically and places of social relation between tourists and the hosts, culture clashes may come forward because of differences in their cultures, ethnic and religious groups, values, lifestyles, languages and levels of prosperity. There will be economic inequality between local people and the tourists as they spend more than they often spend in an economy. Behaviour of tourists causing irritation Tourists usually fail to respect local people and their moral values due to carelessness in a destination. They may not respect the locals traditions by taking pictures where they are not allowed to do so and they may also be not well dressed in religious places like temples, mosques, and church. Crime Jud (1975) stated that amount of criminal movement facing foreign tourists grows as the number of illegal chances increase. He also said that the more tourists arrival in a destination will result in more chances for crime to take place. However, Lin and Loeb (1977) argued that there might not be a certain connection between tourists and criminal activities. Moreover, Bernasco and Luykx (2003) stated that there are three factors which pull crimes against property and these are attractiveness, opportunity and accessibility. As a result if communities do not protect themselves and imperfectly put in order by external agencies, some individuals will precise their personal temperament and devotion towards criminal behaviour. Moreover, Shaw and Mc Kay (1992) stated that a weak organizational form within a community may produce an environment more favorable for criminals against people and vice versa. Job level friction There has been a lack of professional training and low-paid tourism jobs such as waiter, cleaner gardening are offered to local people whereas the higher-paying jobs are like managerial jobs are offered to foreigners. Change of local identity and values Conventional tourism can bring impact change or loss of recognition and values and leads to influences as stated below: Commercialization of local culture Tourism can turn local culture into product and this is when religious traditions, local customs and festivals are diminished to adjust to tourist expectations and this has been called as reconstructed ethnicity. Standardisation A destination aim is to satisfy and it risk standardization, accommodation, food and drinks, etc must meet the want of the tourists in a destination Adaptation to tourist demands In destination tourists have the desire to buy souvenirs, arts, crafts, cultural manifestations. Craftsmen in many tourists destinations have changed their products by designing new types to make them match the new customers tastes. Increase of Prostitution and sex tourism According to the WTO (World Tourism Organisation) experts (1994) sex tourism has its principal intention that effect of a commercial sexual relationship. Sex tourism is absolutely tangible encounter in which the partner is not anymore an animated object. Many men go to Asia to choose Asian girls because no communication is possible. Sex workers can be migrant women in a destination from neighbouring countries. Moreover, sex tourism has impacted to an increase in AIDS in India. It has been discovered that upper grade hotels have their supply for sex tourism to take place. Sex tourism is also linked to drug peddlers who search for long vacation tourists at cheap destinations. The economic impacts of tourism According to (Loomis and Walsh 1997) businesses and public organizations are progressively showing interest in the economic impacts of tourism at national, state and local levels as the tourism industry contributes to the nations balance of payment (BOP) and this provide a great supply of income (Tatoglu, Erdal, Ozgur, Azakli, 2000). The World Traven and Tourism Council (2012) reported that tourism can be beneficial to an economy in terms of increasing the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Moreover, (Andereck Valentine, Knopf and Vogt 2005) reported that tourism industries can have a positive effect on the economy of a community by effecting diversity, and tax revenue. Furthermore tourism is taken into consideration as a determinant that provides a higher living standard and which effect to attract investors to do investments and tourists to spend which as a result creates greater benefits than costs (Brida, Osti Faccioli, 2011). The benefits that tourism bring in an economy According to (Rithie, 2000; Carolson Millan, 2002; Getz, 2005) said that the events in a destination tend to improve the infrastructure and development capacity. (Westerbeek et al. 2005, p. 133) reported that when infrastructure is well articulated consisting of physical venues, accommodation and facilities such as transport can lead a an even to success and reducing costs, ameliorating the convenience of spectator, as well as the athlete and long term benefits for the local community when the event ends. Multiplier effect Tourism as a supply of income is difficult to measure, this is because it creates multiplier effect (Clarke et al, 2009; Brida et al, 2010; Rastegar, 2010). Multiplier effect is the abundance of money which is generated due to tourist spending in an economy it increases as it passes through different areas of the economy (Dritsakis, 2008; Boopen, 2006. Tourism does not only leads to employment opportunities but also motivates growth in the primary and secondary sectors of the industry. Primary tourism sectors namely, lodging, dining, transportation, amusements and retail trade are influenced directly and most of the other sectors are have impacts of the secondary effects. Direct effect in the economy These are production changes which are linked with the actual effects of changes in tourism expenditures. An increase in the number of tourists staying in a hotel would lead to an increase in profits due to sales in the hotel sector. Direct effects of tourists spending also include hotel payments for wages and salaries, taxes, and supplies and services. Indirect effect in the economy This is the re spending of the hotel industrys revenues in other behind industries. For example industries which supplies products and services to hotels. Modification in sales, jobs, and income in the linen supply industry shows another area of indirect effects after all connecting hotels to various degrees to multiple other economic sectors in the region. Induced effect in the economy Induced effect is the household income earned directly or indirectly by tourism spending. For example employees from the hotel and employees from the linen supply are supported directly and indirectly by tourism, they spend their money in the local region expenses of housing, food, transportation and spending of added wage, salary, or owners income are considered as induced effect. Indirect effects of tourism on GDP (Gross Domestic Product) Tourism is a big constituent of the services economy, representing 30% of international trade in services. Taking into account of the revenue, the T20 countries generate nearly 70% of global tourist activity. In addition, the contribution that tourism can make to the growth of the economy is found in its indirect impacts, which in the T20 countries showing over 45% of tourisms total contributions to the GDP. These indirect impact which are linked both to goods and services bought by the tourism sector and to investment and public spending multiplied by tourism are an important factor of economic growth. The exchange rate effect of tourism Tourism is a major foreign currency earner as it supplies the market with foreign currency and this market would not exist if tourism would not be so large. This diminishes the cost of foreign currency below what it would otherwise be. Creation of employment According to (Bridenhann and Wickens, 2004), tourism is an industries among many other industries which has the highest power to contribute towards job creation and economic development, especially in rural areas. Environmental impact of tourism Negative environmental impacts takes place when the level of visitors in a country exceeds the carrying capacity of an environment or use greater space that is required for an environment. When it is uncontrolled, it brings threats to many natural areas around the world. The environment quality, natural and man-made is of great importance to tourism. However, the relationship with the environment is intricate. The environmental impact is related with the construction of the general infrastructure in a destination such as roads and airports, and of the facilities of tourism, such as resorts, hotels, restaurants, shops, golf courses. As the negative impacts of tourism can destroy the environment in the long-term, and these impacts should be minimized. Further literature of the negative environmental impact of tourism is as follows: Land Degradation The important resources of land are fertile soil, forests, wetlands and wildlife. Due to an increase in the construction of tourism facilities there has been pressure on these resources. Direct impact can be caused by providing tourists with the facilities needed such as accommodation and other infrastructure needed on the environment. Moreover, when there is deforestation, forest often suffers from this disaster. Air and noise pollution Pollution is something harmful that begins into the environment and these harmful materials are called pollutants. It can be natural such as volcanic ash. Pollution can be also produced by human activity for example trash or runoff produced by factories. Pollutants damage the quality of air, water and land. There are various things that are useful to people create pollution. Cars eject pollutants from their exhaust pipes. Burning coal to produce electricity pollutes the air. Industries and homes spread garbage and sewage that can pollute the land and water. Impacts on Biodiversity Tourism can cause loss of biodiversity in various ways for example by competing the wildlife for habitat and natural resources. Negative impact on biodiversity can be caused by trampling, stress in animals, import of invading species, destruction of habitats, marine habitat deterioration. Strain on water resources Water is one of the important resource that is needed to survive and for a business to continue to operate water is need in the everyday operation of the business. Hotels use water in swimming pools, golf courses and also water is used by the tourists for personal use. Therefore there is a tendency for shortage of water and generating a greater volume of wastewater. Energy Utilisation Hotels use huge volume of water. Tourists staying in a hotel use on average 1/3 more water per day than a local inhabitant. The consumption of energy per m2 per year by one star hotel is 157kwh (380 KWh in a four star hotel) (EEA, 2003). However, the infrastructure is not suitable as it has been designed to cope with peak periods. The role of the UNWTO, (United Nations World Tourism Organisation) towards the environment In order to prevent the unfavorable impacts of climate change, the IPCC reports 2007 need 25-40% emission reduction sphere for the Annex 1 Parties (industrialized countries) by 2020, compared to the basis year 1995.
Concept of Species :: essays papers
Concept of Species Over the last few decades the Biological Species Concept (BSC) has become predominately the dominant species definition used. This concept defines a species as a reproductive community. This though has had much refinement through the years. The earliest precursor to the concept is in Du Rietz (1930), then later Dobzhansky added to this definition in 1937.But even after this the definition was highly restrictive. The definition of a species that is accepted as the Biological species concept was founded by Ernst Mayr (1942); "..groups of actually or potentially interbreeding natural populations which are reproductively isolated from other such groups" However, this is a definition on what happens in nature. Mayr later amended this definition to include an ecological component; "..a reproductive community of populations (reproductively isolated from others) that occupies a specific niche in nature The BSC is greatly accepted amongst vertebrate zoologists & entomologists. Two reasons account for this .Firstly these are the groups that the authors of the BSC worked with. (Mayr is an ornithologist & Dobzhansky has worked mainly with Drosophila). More importantly Sexual reproduction is the predominate form of reproduction in these groups. It is not coincidental that the BSC is less widely used amongst botanists. Terrestrial plants exhibit much more greater diversity in their mode of reproduction than vertebrates and insects. There has been many criticisms of the BSC in its theoretical validity and practical utility. For example, the application of the BSC to a number of groups is problematic because of interspecific hybridisation between clearly delimited species.(Skelton). It cant be applied to species that reproduce asexually ( e.g Bdelloid rotifers,eugelenoid flagellates ).Asexual forms of normally sexual organisms are also known. Prokaryotes are also left out by the concept because sexuality as defined in the eukaryotes is unknown. The Biological species concept is also questionable in those land plants that primarily self-pollinate.(Cronquist 1988). Practically the BSC has its limitations in the most obvious form of fossils.-It cant be applied to this evolutionary distinct group because they no longer mate.( Do homo Erectus and homo sapiens represent the same or different species?) It also has limitations when practically applied to delimit species. The BSC suggests breeding experiments as the test of whether a n organism is a distinct species. But this is a test rarely made, as the number of crosses needed to delimit a species can be massive. So the time, effort and money needed to carry out such tests is prohibitive. Not only this but the experiment carried out are often inconclusive. In practice even strong believers of the BSC use phenetic similarities and discontinuties for delimiting species.
Tuesday, October 1, 2019
Religion Essay -- Secularization, Anomy
With a multiplicity of variances among the myriad forms of it which exist and have existed in the past, religion is a difficult topic on which people can come to any mutual agreements, especially regarding its purpose in the lives of human beings. Taking a sociological viewpoint of this phenomenon, Berger defines religion as the human endeavor, stimulated by man's unique biological constitution, by which a sacred cosmos is created for the purpose of establishing a sense of order and meaning within man's life and to protect him against the horrors of nothingness and chaos. Non-human animals enter worlds which are mapped out for them, with limited choices available and secure guidelines by which they must live. Man, however, has an â€Å"underspecialized and undirected†instinctual nature (5), so he must create his own world. This world-building, creating society, occurs in three steps. First, man pours out meaning into the environment which surrounds him and creates culture, a process known as externalization (5-6). The society and all of its parts that he creates, material and non-material, becomes â€Å"objectivated human activity†(11), in that its status as existing apart from the humans who created it changes it into objective reality that men collectively regard as fact. In the final step of world-building, through the process of socialization, man is not only taught the objectivated meanings of his society but â€Å"internalizes†them so that they shape his very consciousness (15). This socially constructed world is †Å"above all, an ordering of experience...a nomos†(19). By externalizing meaning upon an otherwise meaningless environment, transforming those meanings into objective realities, and internalizing them within consciousness, ... ...within the private sphere. The above argument aims to emphasize that religion is a powerful human construction which, in its use of the sacred as validating the world man creates, has the power to detach itself from its human origins and take on a reality all its own. Since man comes into the world with limited instincts and an overwhelming variety of choices to make, religion helps him to construct and maintain a world that gives him a sense of grounding, allowing everything he does to feel more ordered and meaningful than it otherwise would. So thoroughly comprehensive is religion that, even when secularizing forces remove religious legitimations from the overall social world, religion still maintains ordering, meaningful positions inside the private lives of people all over the world, remaining a sacred canopy under which human beings can feel safe and secure. Religion Essay -- Secularization, Anomy With a multiplicity of variances among the myriad forms of it which exist and have existed in the past, religion is a difficult topic on which people can come to any mutual agreements, especially regarding its purpose in the lives of human beings. Taking a sociological viewpoint of this phenomenon, Berger defines religion as the human endeavor, stimulated by man's unique biological constitution, by which a sacred cosmos is created for the purpose of establishing a sense of order and meaning within man's life and to protect him against the horrors of nothingness and chaos. Non-human animals enter worlds which are mapped out for them, with limited choices available and secure guidelines by which they must live. Man, however, has an â€Å"underspecialized and undirected†instinctual nature (5), so he must create his own world. This world-building, creating society, occurs in three steps. First, man pours out meaning into the environment which surrounds him and creates culture, a process known as externalization (5-6). The society and all of its parts that he creates, material and non-material, becomes â€Å"objectivated human activity†(11), in that its status as existing apart from the humans who created it changes it into objective reality that men collectively regard as fact. In the final step of world-building, through the process of socialization, man is not only taught the objectivated meanings of his society but â€Å"internalizes†them so that they shape his very consciousness (15). This socially constructed world is †Å"above all, an ordering of experience...a nomos†(19). By externalizing meaning upon an otherwise meaningless environment, transforming those meanings into objective realities, and internalizing them within consciousness, ... ...within the private sphere. The above argument aims to emphasize that religion is a powerful human construction which, in its use of the sacred as validating the world man creates, has the power to detach itself from its human origins and take on a reality all its own. Since man comes into the world with limited instincts and an overwhelming variety of choices to make, religion helps him to construct and maintain a world that gives him a sense of grounding, allowing everything he does to feel more ordered and meaningful than it otherwise would. So thoroughly comprehensive is religion that, even when secularizing forces remove religious legitimations from the overall social world, religion still maintains ordering, meaningful positions inside the private lives of people all over the world, remaining a sacred canopy under which human beings can feel safe and secure.
Europe Africa And The Americas In 1492 To 1750 Essay
Throughout history, many changes have happened throughout the world. These changes shaped the world to be what is it was and also lead to other changes. For example, advances in technology, such as the creation of the magnetic compass, drastically changed exploration. However, these changes these changes did not occur without continuities. Take the bow for example, whether being used to hunt, wield in battled, or just to showcase skill, man has been using the bow for decades since the first bows were crafted. The years of 1492 to 1750 was a period of great change in Western Europe, Africa, and the Americas that resulted in changes in economy, like the introductions of new trade routes, along with changes in society such as changes in demography, which were especially relevant in the Americas. With all of these changes also existed continuities such as, in terms of economic continuities, the rich were still employing slave labor in order to produce materials for trade and desire of th e Spanish to convert people to Christianity in regards to social remained. In the years of 1492 through 1750, many questionable choices and things occurred due to the use of new trade routes that both furthered and damaged the economy in different regions of the world, mainly Western Europe. The triangle trade was one of the most notable of these trade routes considering that it lead to so many things that affected the world because it was a trade route that connected Europe to Africa to the Americas. This trade route would be a major cause of economic change on the world because of its use to trade slaves, raw material produced in the Americas by those slaves, and along with silver from the mines of the Americas which were shipped to Western Europe. The silver at first was an undeniable positive for Western Europe much like the export of raw materials from the colonies in the Americas. This export of materials was a great advantage to the mother countries because it means the mother countries could dedicate their land and time to other issues. Furthermore this leaves having to import theses raw materials from other countries thus giving the other counties more money which in turn gives them more power, having to pay taxes to trade route controllers, and it cuts out and political disputes that had a chance of occurring. The trade of silver on the other hand was far more controversial. At first it was a big boom to Spain’s economy because of how valued silver was at this time. However, that all changed when the value of silver drastically dropped due to inflation. This caused Spain economic problems because it gave them a false sense of security when they spent money fighting too many wars, money that they would no longer have. Both of the silver and raw material shipped to Western Europe from the America was mined and produced by slaves sold by Africa to the Europeans which lead to growth in Africa’s economy but a drop in its population and the way of life of Africans. Along with the arrival of the Europeans on the Americas, the trade of these slaves itself, caused changes in Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Of course Europe benefited economically but more prevalently was its effect on the demography of both the Americas and Africa. The America’s culture and population were two main effects of the trade of slaves. With the decreasing population and life expectancy of the natives of the Americas thanks to the diseases brought by the Europeans because they had no immunity, the trade of slaves slowed the rate a small amount because coming from Africa they already have some immunity to disease. The African slaves crossbred with the Europeans as well as the natives which led to the diversification of the population. This introduced creoles and mestizos social classes caused differences in the social ladder with europeos at the top, under them were the creoles, below the were the mestizos, next the Native Americans, then the free blacks, and the slaves at the bottom. In Africa the way of life and population was drastically changed due to slave trappers and traders. Families were ripped apart and the population was decreasing as Africans were being sold as slaves to the Europeans Slavery traces as far back as Ancient Greece and as continued all the way up to, and through the years of 1492 and 1750. They were still used for chores and for hard labor because they were cheap and replaceable. Rights and conditions of the slaves also did not change; they had no freedom, no rights, and no say, because they were still considered property by the Spanish and Portuguese. The Spanish and Portuguese bought and used slaves in fields and mines of the Americas with the majority of the slaves going to Brazil, a Portuguese colony. They used slaves rather than hiring workers or doing the work themselves because for the same reason the Ancient Greek did it; it was cheap, easy, and they were replaceable. Slave labor continued throughout these years and even continued on past the year 1750. Another continuity of the years of 1492 and 1750 was the Spanish’s desire to convert the â€Å"barbaric†natives of the Americas to â€Å"proper†men of the Christian Faith. Some welcomed Christianity while some rejected it due to their comfort and contentment with their own religion and beliefs. The natives had previously practiced a polytheistic with human sacrifices, cannibalism, and rituals which was savage and barbaric to the Spanish. This caused the Spanish to forcibly convert the natives to Christianity with disregard of what the natives wanted. This was done by taking people including children from the Americas away and teaching them the ways of Christianity and sending them back to spread those ideas to others. The years of 1492 to 1750 held some big changes economically and socially to Western Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Economically, all three benefited excluding Western Europe when the inflation of silver hit. Socially, the demography of Africa was altered and the Americas drastically. Yet, not everything changed during this time period. Much of history remained constant during the period too. This included the use of slave labor in regards to economics and the Spanish desire to spread Christianity throughout the world.
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