European society Essay Example for Free

European society Essay The eighteenth century saw a revolution sweeping Western philosophy and a simultaneous upheaval and transformation in Western social life. In this period, the west, particularly the European society and state seemed cold and heartless. The dislocations of industrialization and urbanization exposed the weaknesses of the old system and stimulated a need for more innovative political institutions adaptable to the new socio-economic conditions. This desire for change was accompanied by strong nationalist sentiments. Initial Western nationalism was lauded as a liberal form of mass political engagement and allegiance to the secular power of emerging states, consistent with popular rule. Accordingly, its birth was announced with the representation, rights, and toleration of Englands constitutional monarchy and its banner the â€Å"liberty, equality and fraternity† of the French Revolution against absolutism. Many scholars estimate the birth of the American nation from 1750-1775 (see for example, Weeks, 1994). In the late nineteenth century to the early twentieth century, social, political, and economic turmoil and instability transformed many Western countries into the world’s most chaotic amphitheater of disruption. People who thought that their cultural and political borders were violated waged a series of insurrections and rebellions. This strong feeling and desire to fight violations of inalienable natural rights came to be known as nationalism. Nationalist feelings became a decisive power in the Romantic Era. In nationalism, the individual is â€Å"the very center, the arbiter, the sovereign of the universe† (Kedourie, 1993, p.17). The political implication of this was that self-determination constituted the supreme good. Later political philosophers building upon Kantian ideas proposed that: humanity is naturally divided into nations; each nation has its peculiar character; the source of all political power is the nation; for freedom and self-realization, people must identify with a nation; loyalty to the nation-states overrides other loyalties; and the primary condition of global freedom and harmony is the strengthening of the nation-state (Smith, 1983). In the early years of the twentieth century, the striking similarity displayed by the nationalist movements throughout Southeast Asia derived from their common inspiration in Western ideology and their largely identical economic bases – the former guiding the intellectuals who lead the movements in their respective countries; the latter supplying the driving power from the masses. However, it must be pointed out that nationalist movements in this region did not have the support of more than a very small fraction of the native peoples, who for the most part are not aware that the question of autonomy even exists, and whose major concern is simply survival (Emmerson, Mills, and Thompson, 1942). In Southeast Asia, native nationalism has been the forced growth of a transplanted Western seed. In spite of the centrifugal forces of a plural society artificially bound together solely by the profit motive, nationalism has taken root among the indigenous peoples. It has penetrated most deeply among the native peoples who are united by a common language, pride of race and glorious historical traditions (Emmerson, Mills, and Thompson, 1942). Thus, â€Å"Within each group, nationalism has proved to be a cohesive force, welding people who were until its advent hardly conscious of the existence of compatriots beyond their own village, absorbing disparate religious and regional loyalties, and nationalizing such international influences as they experienced. However, from the perspectives of Southeast Asian countries as individual units, nationalism has proved a disruptive force. It has made each racial group more self-conscious, more prone to assert itself at the expense of other groups, and either tends toward a disastrous break-up of the present mosaic by some vigilant outsider playing upon this grave weakness in the body politic and social, or leads toward the forced assimilation of the weaker minorities by the most powerfully placed group. † (Emmerson, Mills, and Thompson, 1942, p. 144) The establishment of national unity through was essential ingredient in the emergence of democracy. According to Marx (2003), nationalism is an essential prerequisite to democracy, since â€Å"it establishes the boundaries of the community to which citizenship and rights are then accorded, without which democracy is impossible† (p. 31). And the birth of nationalism was related to the political baptism of the lower classes whose empowerment helped bring democracy, with both nationalism and democracy thereby relatively and impressively inclusive (Marx, 2003). While many have witnessed nationalism and democracy going together, for the past few years, nationalism has been largely considered a disruptive force on the prospects for democratization. For one, national unity gives rise to the question of the state and its boundaries, which is believed to be more fundamental than that of regime type and that can disrupt debate about appropriate political forms. Nationalism in this sense is a disruptive force because it gives rise to issues regarding religious beliefs, language, and customs. Moreover, nationalism is largely seen as being potentially disruptive to achieving democratic outcomes since it stimulates mass mobilization which frightens authoritarian rulers, causing them to suppress activities that may stop the progress of the whole process of political change. The argument that nationalism is a disruptive force is validated by the experiences of southern Europe and Latin America. The disintegration of all of the federal Communist states along republican lines adds force to this argument; however, it is not as clear-cut as this in the post-Soviet experience. According to McFaul (2002), ten years after the collapse of communism, only Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are democracies, while the other republics are under regimes that are either facade democracies or nondemocratic. Nationalism was also seen as a disruptive force on the eve of the First World War. It played an important role in the rivalries between superpowers: Germany vs. France (revenge for 1871), Russia, vs. Austria-Hungary (expansion into Balkans), and Germany vs. Great Britain (control of seas, arms race). Nationalism was also a disruptive force regarding the emergence of unsatisfied nationalities: Poles, Irish, Serbs, Czechs, and many others In Poland, following the 1830 uprising, conservatives began to drift away from nationalism. By the 1850s, only few on the right were interested in talking about nationalism, which came to be seen as a dangerous term signifying disruption, disorder, and even revolution (Porter, 2000). Within Poland itself many nobles may have shared the hopes of the Czartoryski circle, but since they could do little to further such a cause, they retreated to apolitical lives (Porter, 2000). Not only were the conservatives uncomfortable with the politics of the patriotic activists, but they found it difficult to speak the language of national romanticism. â€Å"They might appreciate some of the poetry of Mickiewicz or Slowacki, but they soon discovered the disruptive force of the progressive historiosophies to which the concept of the nation had been so firmly linked. † (Porter, 2000, p. 31) References Emerson, R. , Mills, L. A. , and Thompson, V. (1942). Government and Nationalism in Southeast Asia. New York: Institute of Pacific Relations. Kedourie, E. (1993). Nationalism, 4th expanded ed. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers. Marx, A. W. (2003). Faith in Nation: Exclusionary Origins of Nationalism. New York: Oxford University Press. McFaul, M. (2002). The Fourth Wave of Democracy and Dictatorship: Noncooperative Transitions in the Postcommunist World. World Politics 54(1), 212-44. Porter, B. (2000). When Nationalism Began to Hate: Imagining Modern Politics in Nineteenth Century Poland. New York: Oxford University Press. Weeks, W. E. (1994). American Nationalism, American Imperialism: An Interpretation of United States Political Economy, 1789-1861. Journal of the Early Republic, 14, 485-495.

History of Non Profit Horse Rescue Essay Example for Free

History of Non Profit Horse Rescue Essay At present, there are plentiful of non profit organizations for horse rescue and all of them share the same goals and objectives. These organizations’ main goal and mission is to provide rescue, rehabilitation, foster care, and have a positive environment for those horses and equines that have either been abandoned, abused, unwanted, mistreated, neglected, tortured, retired, or are at risk of going to slaughter. Each non profit organization for horse rescue has its own history. Before long, horses and equines were used for transportation. In 1950’s when motorized vehicles were becoming more practical and affordable, horses were replaced as means of transportation by these lower maintenance and faster vehicles. Because of this, many horses were abandoned and neglected and were being sent to slaughter. Thus in 1952, a non profit horse rescue organization called HorseWorld was established to take care of the many working horses whose jobs were taken away and replaced by the motorized vehicles (HorseWorld, 2008). May wild horses or mustangs or more accurately termed as feral horses freely roam on public lands in several states of America like Arizona, California, Idaho, and Wyoming. But the numbers of mustangs were declining as time passes. Mustangs are horses whose ancestors were domestic horses that first arrived in America with Christopher Columbus on his voyage in 1493 (Lifesavers Inc. , 1997). Many of these domestic horses were freed or escaped from early explorers, native tribes, etc. to become free-roaming horses all across America. In order to protect and rescue these horses, the Wild Free-roaming Horse and Burro Act was passed by Congress in 1971 and many non profit horse rescue organizations have come out to protect, manage, and control wild free-roaming horses on public lands. One of these organizations is the Lifesavers Wild Horse Rescue. There are many other non profit organizations that protect and rescue not only horses but also dogs and cats from dangerous situations. The important thing is that these organizations give a chance for these animals to have a better life. This reflects how these animal rescue organizations give value to the rights of animals to safety and just treatment.

Video Games Children

Video Games Children For kids, playing video games is one of the most important activities of their daily lives. Aside from doing their home works, most of these children spent time playing video games, and most probably spent more time playing as compared to the time spent in doing their homework. It is not only a trend for kids but for young adults and adults as well. From the time it was invented it has evolved into a more exciting and challenging media games of all time. Technological advancement has made it even more exciting for the players to play it and challenge themselves with tricks and clincher that comes with every game. The graphics and sound effects are fascinating making the experience real for the player especially those three dimensional computer machines. The ability of the player to control and maneuver the situation made it more even exciting. Violent video game is one type of game that has been the most out popular among players. But with the increasing number of people engaging into these computer games, a number of issues have been raised: negative and positive effects of these violent video games to children and young adults. This essay will take the position that violent video games do have negative effects on children. One of the negative effects of these violent video games is the physiologic changes that happen while they are playing. The excitement brought about by these violent video games stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, thereby creating significant changes in the individual’s heart rate, respiration and other involuntary responses in the body. It is exciting and stressful at the same time, the stressful events could affect gastric stimulation and frequent adrenaline rush, and this adrenaline rush is what makes these players to feel â€Å"good† and makes them want to do it repeatedly. Sympathetic nervous stimulation promotes vasoconstriction, and this vasoconstricting effect is not good as it alters cardiac mechanism. This in turn affects blood supply going to the central nervous system, causing dizziness, headache and nausea. According to Grossman DeGaetano, â€Å"the effects of violent video games on young adults’ arousal levels, hostile feelings, and aggressive thoughts have been measured. Results indicated that college students who had played violent virtual reality game had a higher heart rate, reported more dizziness and nausea, and exhibited more aggressive thoughts in a posttest than those who had played a nonviolent game† (70-71). Similarly, these violent computer games could have a direct effect on children’s behavior, since they are vulnerable especially on their formative stage. Not everybody who plays these violent video games have good foundation of moral values and an intact well being. There are those who are easily persuaded and affected by what they see in their environment, especially those children that lack parental guidance, as well as those individuals who have a low self-esteem. These vulnerable individuals are more prone to be affected by what they play and see on video games. There is a great possibility that these supposed to be virtual thing could be played in reality. As cited by Tompkins in an article in AllPsych Journal, The Academy of Pediatrics states, â€Å"More than one thousand scientific studies and reviews conclude that significant exposure to media violence increases the risk of aggressive behavior in certain children, desensitizes them to violence and makes them believe that the world is a ‘meaner and scarier’ place than it is.†Ã‚  According to Tompkins, if children become accustomed and believed that this violent behavior is acceptable and normal, it will be hard to change that belief as they grow older.  She also relates this to the study of domestic violence where in a person exposed to this violence tends to become either abused or be the abuser.  She further explains this by citing the Columbine incident as an example, where in the two students, who committed a violent act are video fanatics. Their exposure to vi olence was linked to their violent act since both of them came from a family with good parental guidance. Moreover, another negative effect of these violent video games to children is that it teaches the kids wrong values for reinforcement of behaviors. In psychology, there is a thing called â€Å"positive reinforcement†. It is a way of reinforcing a â€Å"good deed† or behavior by rewarding a child if the child has done a good job in school or if they behaved well. On the other hand, computer games bestow rewards on the player after killing or defeating their opponent. This process is totally the opposite of what id thought in â€Å"positive reinforcement†, the act of killing is rewarded and the purpose of â€Å"positive reinforcement† is defeated, which in turn could affects the child’s perception of what act or behavior must be rewarded. And this reward system in violent video games could affect the child’s behavior by imitating those seen and done in violent computer video games. As mentioned in the Gentile’s book, â€Å"reward increa ses imitation† (136). Furthermore, the experiences felt by the individual, especially in violent video games or even in media violence could have a significant effect on a child’s interpersonal interaction. Unconsciously, a child could internalize what is happening on what they see. This type of violence is emotionally stressful and could alter interpersonal interactions. â€Å"Participation in violent video games cast a negative cloud over the children’s views of interpersonal interactions. One research revealed that preschoolers most likely experienced fear and anxiety when they saw bloodied victims and watched expressions of emotional distress in connection with the media’s constant showing of the events of September 11th and their aftermath† (Cantor, 2002). These experiences that are internalized by children, unconsciously affects their behavior, and when they are placed in situations similar to what they have seen, they could become anxious and restless. On the contrary, there are also sectors that would oppose as to the negative effect of violent video games. According to Doug Lowenstein, who is the president of the Interactive Software Association, people who do not understand the industry are prone in distorting the effects of video games on children. In fact, Lowenstein claims, violent video games cannot be shown as result in increased aggression of the part of the children (as cited in Anderson Bushman, 2001). But how can we expect them to see the negative effect of these violent video games, well in fact what they mean is purely business. Likewise, Steven Johnson said: â€Å"The most debased forms of mass diversion-video games and violent television dramas and juvenile sitcoms-turn out to be nutritional after all† (9). It is nutritional in the sense that learning comes along while playing these violent video games, such as mastery and control and hand-eye coordination. This paper totally disagrees with this notion. There are more appropriate ways of learning these things, without jeopardizing the minds of these children of what is good and what is wrong. Example are art camps, indoor and outdoor activities that utilizes the body, where in physical, psychological and emotional aspects are given importance, which builds friendship and the values of sportsmanship, as well as maintaining a healthy active body, which computer games don’t give. Furthermore, computer video games promote isolation, aggressive behavior and a sedentary life style by sitting long hours in front of these computers. In conclusion, violent video game has a strong correlation in children’s aggressive behavior. Violent video game has a great impact in children’s behavioral, emotional, physiological, and psychological well being.  Parents are the first line of defense against the invasion into children’s lives. The decision to buy or not to buy violent video games is a true freedom and should be taken seriously. They should know the consequences of possible effects of such materials to their children.  Moreover, parents, caregivers and government sector should be more careful and protective to these vulnerable children.  Manufacturer should consider designing games that will teach children the good values, true manhood and moral courage; games that will provide fun, excitement, and will give visceral pleasure that is engaging and absorbing without the unnecessary violence.

ESL Admissions Essay - My New Life in America :: ESL Admissions

ESL Admissions Essay - My New Life in America Unlike other people, I came to the US without any special reasons, except for the fact that my husband began working here. Before this, I had never been in the US. In my mind, the US purely was an abstract noun. I knew it from nothing but TV, newspapers, and movies. However, since I came here, the US for me has become absolutely concrete. A brand new life spreads out in front of me, which has affected me mainly in three aspects--language, behavior, and vision. The first effect on me was that I could not communicate in English. The language became the first and the biggest problem I encountered in the US, which happened to me the first day I stepped onto the land of the US. I found I became deaf and dumb--I couldn't speak and couldn't understand what other people were talking about. When one of the customs officials asked if I carried any agricultural products, I looked at her at a loss for what to do. In the following days, I found that many things that were extremely easy in China became the biggest problems to me. I couldn't understand the TV programmes and couldn't read newspapers and magazines, I didn't know how to check out after shopping, and I didn't even dare go out alone. All of these came from the language obstacle. In China, I had never had a problem like this. I had my family, a lot of close friends, and a stable job. Life was very easy and interesting for me. But living here, what should I do? Eventually, I chose to return to school to study English in order to adapt myself to the American life as soon as possible. Every day I would go to the college and spend a long day there listening, reading, and writing in English. I often read books until my eyes became blurry. At my age, studying a new language was indeed not easy. But months later, I surprisingly found that I was able to simply communicate with others, and I also could read and write some relatively complex articles, which gave me a lot of confidence. Now I believe that my new life will be beautiful as long as I do my best. The second effect on me was the change in my behavior.

The Euthanasia Debate Essay -- Medical Ethics

A long, ongoing battle in the institutional review boards, ethics committee and in the United states federal court is Physician assisted suicide (PAS) and euthanasia. PAS refers to â€Å"a third part action informed by the intended objective (at the very least) to furnish a potential suicide with the lethal means necessary to end his or her bodily life† (Parteson 11). There are victims suffering in silence because of this issue and it calls for immediate action with a federal regulated law. The victims are cancer patients who want to end suffering from their illness and impending death, patients that are brain dead or on life support, and patients that have diseases that cause excruciating pain that ultimately deteriorate the quality of life until it is gone. The other victims are the families that watch their loved ones suffer, or care for the ones on life support for years without being able to aid them in their wish to die. There are also those potential victims that have a chance to fight and live, though in certain cases this fight has been taken away. There is a concern for innocent deaths such as the Jack Kevorkian case, â€Å"out of Kevorkian’s first 93 victims, only 27 were determined by autopsy to be terminal, that is, to have less than six months to live† (Olevich 21), that is why strict regulations is critical. The United States Supreme Court has left the decision to legalize and regulate assisted suicide to the states. Washington and Oregon are among the first to take the lead. Although they have taken the initiative, they are lacking fine detail and have left a few holes in the law that could create potential unnecessary deaths. Science is rapidly advancing pushing the boundaries past the national ethics committee, it is time ... ...something people often do not have â€Å"Functionally independent persons were unlikely to have a living will (5.5%)† (Hanson, Rodgman) Works Cited Fraser, Sharon I. and Walters, James W. â€Å"Death: Whose Decision? Euthanasia and the Terminally Ill.† Journal of Medical Ethics 26.2 Apr. (2000):121-125 Web. 1 May 2012 Hanson, LC and Rodgman E. â€Å"The use of living wills at the end of life. A national study.† Archive of Internal Medicine 156.9 May (1996): 1018-22. Web. 6 May 2012 Hudson, Janice. Trauma Junkie: Memoirs of an Emergency Flight Nurse. Firefly Books. New York. 2001, 2010. Print Olevitch, Barbara A. Protecting Psychiatric Patients from the Assisted-Suicide Movement : Insights and Strategies. Greenwood Press. August 2002. Print. Paterson, Craig. Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia : A Natural Law Ethics Approach. Ashgate Publishing Group. May 2008. Print.

Visual Artists Transmit the Values and Beliefs of Society :: Visual Arts Paintings Art

Visual Artists Transmit the Values and Beliefs of Society European artists have transmitted the values and beliefs of the society in which they worked, through the art they produced. The values of the society at that time include the establishment and development of the colonies, the exploration of the country, as well as day-to-day living and hard work. The establishment and development of the colonies was important to the people at the time, as it was crucial for their survival and the advancement of the British Empire. Paintings made by artists were often sent back no England to attract and persuade people thinking of migrating to the new land. W.S Blake's painting, entitled 'A Direct North General View of Sydney Cove à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ in 1792' shows the advancement of the colony and its apparent success. The exploration of the country was greatly documented by artists of the time. Augustus Earle's painting, 'A Bivouac of Travellers in Australia in a Cabbage Tree Forest, Day Break', depicts the scene of the explorers. A group of travellers, accompanied by their native guides, presents the life of the colonial frontiersman. The painting 'Overlanders" by ST Gill, also depicts the image of the frontiersman The explorers are on their donkeys and Australia's landscape of dead timber and stunted grass trees is shown, representing the harsh and cruel land. The paintings 'Australian Landscape with Cattle' and 'My Harvest My Home', by John Glover depict the Australian rural and working scene. 'Australian Landscape with Cattle' shows the rural landscape of Australia. 'My Harvest My Home' shows the bountiful harvest that has been reaped. This painting represents a 'pioneer's paradise' and the growing prosperity of the land. The hard work that was undertaken around the gold fields is also expressed through the painting 'Gold Diggings, Ararat' by E. Roper. Roper shows the life of the people at these diggings, communities of

Abuse Assessment screen Essay

Given Ms. Li’s ethnicity, she might appear reserved, avoid eye contact, stoic, and will not ask many questions. Her willingness to answer and ask questions may differ if she is second or third generation in America. I would be mindful of her personal space, reassure her privacy, and use motivational interviewing to obtain vital information. I would avoid complicated terminology and use language according to her education level. I would also be very careful of any signs and symptoms of possible suicide ideation and remind her that whatever happened is not her fault. There might also be a tendency to give yes or no replies. It is best to ask open ended questions. The Abuse Assessment Screen (AAS) â€Å"is a multiple-item questionnaire that asks about past and current emotional, sexual, and physical abuse, both prior to and during pregnancy. The questions assess the severity and frequency of injury and abuse. The form is included in all medical charts prepared for new prenatal care patients at their first visit to a clinic or emergency room† (National Institute of Justice, 2014). If abuse is discovered, the nurse must ensure patient safety (remove any items that may cause harm, complete diagnostic tests PRN, and provide a safe milieu), document well, report to authorities, refer patient to a counselor for further psychiatric evaluation, and work with interdisciplinary staff to ensure patient has a safe place to be discharged to (i.e. women’s domestic abuse shelter), has access to support groups, and other needs she might have if she cannot return home. If the patient refuses to leave the abuser, the only thing left to do is to provide education regarding how to identify the abusers red flags, identify safe areas of the house, and create a code word that can be  used as a signal to others that she is in danger (Help Guide, 2014). We can also provide resources (crisis hotline, women shelter locations, support groups, legal aid, etc.), and create an emergency plan. The emergency plan would consist of having an escape route, emergency phone and contacts, gas in a vehicle that is not in a blocked location, emergency cash, packed clothing and essentials, hidden spare keys, and practice escaping safely (Help Guide, 2014). References: National Institute of Justice (2014). The Abuse Assessment. Program Profile. Retrieved from crimessolutions.gov Help Guide (2014). Help for Abused and Battered Women. Retrieved from http://www.helpguide.org/articles/abuse/help-for-abused-and-battered-women.htm