The Legalization of Same-sex Marriages Research Paper

The Legalization of Same-sex Marriages - Research Paper Example This can be seen as an extension of the discrimination that homosexual individuals have to face in the society. The lack of legalization also results in a lesser number of families amongst the homosexual communities across the world. In a society that still does not recognize any other social unit as much as the family, the lack of recognition for homosexual families can result in psychological problems that may lead to many problems for the individuals involved. This paper shall look at the psychological aspect of the problem and argue that the problems faced by such couples has a lot to do with the lack of legal recognition that they receive at the hands of the state and religious groups that they may be a part of. This paper shall examine the different aspects of the problem at hand and attempt to look at the perspectives that different groups endorse as far as same-sex marriage is concerned. There are several arguments that are used against the institutionalization of gay marriag es. One of the most important of such arguments is advanced by religious conservatives who argue that there is a need to improve the health of the institution of marriage. They cite the high divorce rates and the general lack of belief that the youth of today demonstrates in marriage as reasons for it to be preserved as a bastion of heterosexual normativity (Overview of Same-Sex Marriage in the United States). In many of these arguments is visible a strain of religious orthodoxy that bestows n heterosexual marriages the mantle of legitimacy. What is important here is that in such arguments, a marriage is defined as one where there is a certain level of productivity. It is true that same-sex marriages do not result in a traditional production of children. It therefore, is against conventional ideas of a marriage where one of the most important aspects is that of procreation. Heterosexual marriages, according to those who oppose same-sex marriages, weaken the foundations of marriage a s a social institution. While looking at children as only part of the reason for marriage, one removes the focus from marriage as an institution meant for procreation. This results in a greater emphasis on individuality and this weakens the concept of the couple as a sacrosanct unit. This can then be considered to be a reason for the frequent breakups of marriages and the condition that children of such marriages find themselves in. Another argument against the implementation of the clause of same-sex marriages is that it is considered to be too divisive to take up. This can be seen in the reluctance that certain institutions of the state have in pursuing it to a logical conclusion (Hope and fear in gay marriage cases at high court). There is a chance that there may be chaos in the violence that may result from the implementation of such a decision. Here, violence is not meant in merely a physical sense. The mental and psychological stress that may result in the people who are homos exual and live amongst a largely heterosexual community is something that is avoidable. Thus, there is the fear of a backlash from communities who feel that their sentiments are not taken into account by the state. This may lead to the breaking of neighborhoods and relationships that are forged without taking into account the sexual orientation of a person. The importance of such relationships cannot be disregarded as they result in many transactions that an individual is a part of.  Ã‚  

Quiz 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Quiz 1 - Essay Example These cultural differences accounts for the different modes of fighting where the Chinese use massed infantry technique, while the Western European applied the armed chariot technique (Paret, Craig& Gilbert, 1986). Therefore, it is possible that China would not have fought the way Europe fought between the 16th and 18th century, but would have rather organized the warfare into a major conflict that would have resolved the series of problems the Western Europe was addressing all this time. The most important principles among the nine principles of war were the objective principle, which requires the military to focus the warfare on a direct, well defined and attainable objective as well as the mass principle, requiring the combat power to be concentrated at one decisive place and time of war (Sawyer, 1993). On the other hand, the European most important principle was the offensive principle; providing for the military to seize and exploit any loophole or chance created by the enemy and the manoeuvre principle, requiring the military to place the enemy at a disadvantaged position through manipulative combat power (Paret, Craig& Gilbert, 1986). Nevertheless, after the Military Revolution, these emphases changed in Europe, and the principle of war as a continuation of politics was adopted, thus making the European wars henceforth political, for example the first and the second world wars were purely political wars (Paret, Craig& Gilbert, 1986). Warfare is both an art and a science. It is an art that entails the actual method of fighting, for example the Maoist mass infantry armed fighting art (Sawyer, 1993). It is also a science since it entails the science of war strategy formulation, for example, the Clausewitz war strategy (Paret, Craig& Gilbert, 1986). The argument that the West has demonstrated consistent military superiority since the Golden Age of Greece is partly

Globalisation: Homogenisation or Diversification?

Globalisation: Homogenisation or Diversification? Yannick Buitenhuis Introduction Globalisation has brought changes and has increased global interaction. This growing interconnectedness has led to the movement of ideas, values, ways of living and attitudes across the world. Despite that the interaction between culture and globalisation is not a new one, this process of cultural globalisation has brought forth a relatively recent debate about its outcomes for the world (Hassi Storti, 2012, p. 3 7). The debate revolves around two diverse trends that cultural globalisation can bring, namely if the globalisation is homogenising, or differentiating the world. In line with Nederveen Pietserse (1996, p. 137), these are not the only trends that can be distinguished, but are probably two of the main ones. This paper will therefore focus itself on this debate by discussing both sides and will keep the following question in mind: Is globalisation cultural homogenising or differentiating the world we live in? The discussion brings the arguments of both sides to the light and will be elaborated on the basis of some worldwide and local holidays. Subsequently, my own opinion about the matter of cultural globalisation is given in the conclusion to answer the above question. Discussion As earlier mentioned, the discussion will focus on two different views in the debate of cultural globalisation. The two views can be seen as each other opposites. The first that will be discussed will be the idea of homogenisation. Subsequently, the idea of differentiation will be discussed. Both views will be elaborated at the hand of holidays that are celebrated across the world. Homogenisation The first interpretation of the process of cultural globalization is the idea that as a cause of technological innovation, commercial and cultural synchronisation arising from the ‘West’, the world is becoming more the ‘same’, more standardised and more uniform (Nederveen Pieterse, 1993, p. 265). Homogenisation brings about a world that is becoming overwhelmed by forces making for sameness that is the global standardisation of culture and institutional structures (Robertson White, 2003, p. 15). This concepts argues that the connections between geographical places and cultural experience are being weakened by the dynamics of globalisation and that the feeling of spatial distance is wearing down (Hassi Storti, 2012, p. 9). A key assumption is that of cultural imperialism, the idea that a few Western societies or the society of the United States carry out their culture upon the world (Ritzer as cited by: Kuhn, 2009, p. 56). The transnational expansion of common codes and practices is the cultural element of this process and can be related to the concept of consumer culture. By adopting the Western/American example, cultures and consumption practices are becoming globally more the same (Kuhn, 2009, p. 56). This can also be related to the spread of some holidays. For example, people worldwide buy a rose for their love on Valentine’s Day in February. This (commercial) aspect of this holiday blown over from the Anglo-American world is now part of many cultures in the world. Another example is Halloween. People worldwide dress themselves in costumes and are decorating their houses with pumpkins and cobwebs. Special events are also organised revolving around Halloween, for instance the Halloween Fright Nights in amusement park Walibi in Biddinghuizen. So in this case, one could indeed argue that some aspects of (western) culture are being spread across the world and are carried out upon other cultures. The same holidays are being celebrated and their practice is the same worldwide. Differentiation The second interpretation is the opposite of homogenization. Differentiation assumes that the world is becoming diverse and focuses on the diversification between places. Individuals and groups have influence on globalisation and globalisation copes with and is characterised by a diversity of reactions. The idea rejects that this process establishes a homogenisation of cultures resulting from one way interaction from Western cultures (Hassi Storti, 2012, p. 7; Kuhn, 2009, p. 58). Also, Ritzer (as cited by: Hassi Storti, 2012, p. 7) argued that differentiation relates to barriers which prevent flows that contribute in making cultures look the same. Cultures will therefore stay different form each other and cultural differentiation will stay in a globalising world. Practices of other cultures are present in different cultures, but will stay within the margins of local and national cultures. Thus, different global and local cultures will coexist next to each other. Only the criteria t hat cultural groups use to define their identity and to differentiate from others can change (Hassi Storti, 2012, p. 8). The intensification of flows across cultures causes a more inwardly appearing world. Local cultures can indeed be affected by globalisation and its flows, and this can influence the transformation of cultures, but the core of the culture will remain intact (Ritzer, 2010. Cited by: Hassi Storti, 2012, p. 7). Even so, these multi-directional global flows and world processes do not wipe out local cultures, but they modify some of their characteristics and strengthen others (Hassi Storti, 2012, p. 8). The strengthening of some characteristics can come hand in hand with an attempt to differentiate from the global or a form of resistance against the forces of globalisation (Kuhn, 2009, p. 59). Link to this, the fact that Valentine’s Day is banned in the Middle-East since 2008, because it does not fit in the Islamic world (BBC News, 2008). Also, cultural groups will react differently to these forces and will develop differently, different environments ask for different efforts to a dapt. Just like that there are holidays that are global, there are also national and local holidays. For instance, only in the Netherlands and Belgium people celebrate ‘Sinterklaas’. Even with the debate revolving around ‘Zwarte Piet’ and reactions from other countries, a lot of people in the Netherlands embrace the holiday as part of their culture. Reactions were mixed, when it came to the public attention that the UN, a global institution, came to investigate this cultural heritage for racism in 2013, which even strengthened the will for some to celebrate Sinterklaas even more. Another holiday that connected to a culture is the celebration of New Year in the Asian world. Instead of the first of January, many Asians celebrate New Year according to the lunar calendar. Or another example, Thanksgivings Day in Northern America. These examples show that despite the flows of globalisation, some holidays do not cross over and are related to specific cultures, because o f the deep historical roots and context. So, globalisation cannot fully eradicate a culture and its core features which characterises it and does not always spread certain cultural aspects out across the world. Conclusion Two different views are present in the debate revolving around cultural globalization. At the one hand, the view that globalisation is homogenising, and at the other hand the view that it is differentiating. Therefore, in the introduction was asked if: globalisation is cultural homogenising or differentiating the world we live in? In my own opinion, cultures can be seen as dynamic and therefore undergo certain changes over time and are exposed to external forces. Globalisation, time-space compression and technological innovation have made global interaction easier and, thus, interaction between different cultures is taking place. Indeed different characteristic of cultures, mostly Western, are being copied al around the world and some facets in cultures are becoming the same, look at Valentine’s Day or Halloween. So, there are indeed some homogenising effects of globalisation. But my opinion is also in line with what Hassi Storti told, namely that the core of cultures will not let itself as easy influenced. A culture can be seen as concentric circles. The outer rings of a culture can be influenced easier, like some consumption patterns, but this is different for the core. Some aspects are not so easy changed or blown over to others, because they are historical rooted and/or do not fit in other cultures, like Sinterklaas, New Year in Asia or Thanksgiving. There are still cultural differentiations in the world. Thereby, I reason that just like cultures differ, their reactions on aspects of other cultures also differ. Aspects that are recognisable and stand close to their own culture will be embraced, but other aspects can be cast away. People can influence globalisation and there is, like Kuhn said, a diversity in reactions. In this way globalisation can be seen as ‘the wind’ in a Chinese proverb, and when it blows, some build walls, while othe rs build windmills (European Commision, 2013). References BBC News (2008), Saduis Clamp Down on Valentines. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7239005.stm. Last used on: 5 October 2014. European Commision (2013), The Commissioners (2010-2014): Connie Hedegaard’s articles. http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/hedegaard/headlines/articles/2013-07-05_01_en.htm. Last used on: 5 October 2014. Hassi, A. Storti, G. (2012), Globalization and Culture: The Three H Scenarios. In: H. Cuadra-Montiel (ed.), Globalization: Approaches to Diversity, pp. 3-20. Rijeka (HR): InTech. Kuhn, K. (2009), Consumerist Lifestyles in the Context of Globalization: Investigating Scenarios of Homogenization, Diversification and Hybridization. In: H. Lange L. Meier (eds.), The New Middle Classes, pp. 49-64. Dordrecht: Springer Science+Business Media businesses Nederveen Pieterse, J. (1993), Globalization as Hybridization. Working Paper 152. The Hague: Institute of Social Studies. Nederveen Pieterse, J. (1996), Globalisation and Culture: Three Paradigms. In: Mansbach, R.W. E. Rhodes (eds.), Introducing Globalization: Analysis and Readings, pp. 135-144. London: Sage. Ritzer, G. (2004), The Globalization of Nothing. Thousand Oaks: Pine Forge Press. Robertson, R., White, K. E. (2003), Globalization: An overview. In: R. Robertson, K. E. White (eds.), Globalization: Critical concepts in sociology, pp. 1–45. London: Routledge. Tomlinson, J. (2003), Globalization and Cultural Identity. In: Held, McGrew, Goldblatt Perraton (eds.), The Global Transformation Reader, pp. 269-277. : Cambridge (UK): Polity Press. Xincus (2014), A National Study: Becoming the Chamber of the Future. http://www.xincus.com/Survey. Last used: 5 October 2014.

The Salem Witch Trials :: American America History

The Salem Witch Trials Why do you hurt these children? I do not hurt them. I scorn it. Have you made no contract with the devil? No! Mr. John Hathorn, a Judge involved in the witchcraft case of Sarah Good, then asked all of the afflicted children to look upon her and see if this was the person that had hurt them so. They all gazed at Goody Good and said that this was the person that tormented them-presently they were all tormented. Puritanical beliefs had all of Salem truly believing that witches rode on broomsticks across the sky every night alongside the devil himself. They believed that these mere humans could send their "specter" out and haunt the children of their town. Proof of their belief follows, in an excerpt from Cotton Mather's Memorable Providences: Go tell Mankind, that there are Devils and Witches; and that tho those night-birds least appear where the Day-light of the Gospel comes, yet New-Engl. has had Exemples of their Existence and Operation; and that no only the Wigwams of Indians, where the pagan Powaws often raise their masters, in the shapes of Bears and Snakes and Fires, but the House of Christians, where our God has had his constant Worship, have undergone the Annoyance of Evil spirits. Go tell the world, What Prays can do beyond all Devils and Witches, and What it is that these Monsters love to do; and through the Demons in the Audience of several standers-by threatned much disgrace to thy Author, if he let thee come abroad, yet venture That, and in this way seek a just Revenge on Them for the Disturbance they have given to such as have called on the Name of God. Rebecca Nurse Goody Nurse was a highly regarded, pious pillar of the community who unfortunately could not withstand the power of hysteria. There were many reasons that Rebecca was accused, but it was mostly the hatred exhibited towards her by the Putnam family. She was against Samuel Parris as Reverend of the Salem Town Church, while the Putnam family was his friend, and her husband was at war with the Putnam family estate over some land. Rebecca exuded a saint-like presence over the dark days of the witch-hunt. After her accusation, thirty-nine of the most prominent leaders of the community signed a petition attesting to Rebecca's goodness of heart. Even one of her original accusers, Jonathan Putnam, put his name to the appeal.

Quality Culture

There are many differences between a quality culture and a traditional culture. While we are preparing policies and applying quality culture, we need to appreciate these differences and plan accordingly. There will be an evaluation between the differences of quality culture and a traditional culture. Quality culture is basically incorporation of quality in the overall system of an organization which leads to a positive internal environment and creation of delighted customers. Traditional culture consists of the beliefs and practices held or observed by specific human groups that have been passed down from their ancestors through their grand-parents, parents and the society around them. Within religion, it is holding or observing certain festivals. Within a community it is behaving or acting in a way that has been regularly done in the past specifically in that particular part of the world. In business, we have the practices that we presently use and the practices that we have had from past vision statements. The business of focus in this paper is Walmart. There are certain factors that will allow the company to be evaluated under the quality and traditional cultures. Sam Walton started Walmart in 1962 in Rogers, Arkansas. He started his operating philosophy slogan to be â€Å"People First. † Sam Walton believed in the catering to the customer. The slogans that come along afterwards are â€Å"Save Money. Live Better,† replacing â€Å"Always low prices. † The world's largest retailer said its first new ad tagline in 19 years comes as the company is incorporating more of an emotional tone into its advertising (usatoday 2007). Reference http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/2375.html

Positive Reinforcement for Children Essay

From a very early age, children begin to learn about the association between behaviors and consequences. They realize that there is always going to be a consequence whether it’d be positive or negative, that would follow the behavior. Sometimes children behave very well and most of the time, children tend to give parents and others around them a hard time. When it comes to behavior modification, some basic steps include identifying the behavior, setting expectations, monitoring progress, and reinforcing correct behaviors. Positive reinforcement has a lot of effect on children when it comes to modifying a targeted behavior. A reinforcer, which can be either positive or negative, is defined as an event, stimulus, or condition that, when presented immediately following a behavior causes an increase in frequency of the behavior (Martin, G., & Pear, J., 2011 p 32). Positive Reinforcement for Children There are various opinions concerning the value of positive reinforcement when discussing modifying behaviors of young children (Sigler, E., & Aamidor, S., 1990). Children will always need guidance in good behavior, and it is a parent’s duty to provide this guidance. Parents can model good behavior and discuss with their children what constitutes good behavior, but it is helping children act on their own that will allow them to understand what is appropriate and what is not in a variety of situations. Everyone likes to be praised and children are no different. When children display good behavior, parents should acknowledge their actions by congratulating their children on their decisions. Such positive reinforcements allow children to connect that what they did has made their parents happy, and therefore was the correct choice. For example, when a child puts his toys away without being asked, having a parent say â€Å"Well done!† and giving him a cuddle will help him connect that putting toys away is a good decision. However, parents should not confuse positive reinforcement with bribery. There is definitely a difference between a reward and a bribe. If you have specific expectations for a child, such as getting their homework done before playtime or cleaning their room up each evening, you should never offer bribes to get them to do these things. They need to learn that it is their responsibility to do these things. However, if your child does something exceptionally well, such as getting a good grade on a particularly hard test, then you should celebrate and reward their achievements. This will help the child learn that there are certain things that are simply expected of them, but that going â€Å"above and beyond† has its own rewards. Children should be not be offered rewards in the hopes that they will act in a certain manner, and positive consequences should never be offered before a behavior is carried out. If it is, then parents cannot know for sure whether a child acted a certain way because it was the right thing to do or because he was told to act a certain way and promised a prize for doing so. It is essential, prior to any discussion concerning modification of behaviors, to differentiate between ‘praise’ and ‘positive reinforcement’. In the most classic definition, positive reinforcement is a method of identifying to children which behaviors are acceptable and appropriate and which are not. More specifically, the use of positive reinforcement is the act of identifying and encouraging a behavior, with the hopes that the desired behavior will increase (Burden, 2003). The theory is that any behavior followed by a pleasant stimulus is likely to be repeated (Westen, 1999). This ‘pleasant stimulus’ can be anything ‘nice’ and can also include a multitude of other positive responses (Alberto & Troutman, 1990). There are several different ways to use positive reinforcement. At the basic level, you can consider the use of natural reinforcement, social reinforcement, token reinforcement, and tangible reinforcement. All of these entail delivering a specific consequence following a desired behavior that increases the likelihood that the behavior will continue or increase in the future. Although praise is one of many forms of positive reinforcement, it is by no means the only or even the best choice when working with young children. Educators often use praise interchangeably with positive reinforcement when indeed an important distinction must be made between the two (Strain & Joseph, 2004). Consistency is very important when interacting with a child. One must stick to the rules once they’ve been made, and don’t allow the child to do something one day and then not let them do it the next. Don’t confuse a child with unimportant decisions, and remember that it’s often necessary to tell a child something more than one time. Speak clearly, and make sure that what you’ve said is understood. Above all, always maintain a positive attitude, because it’s a sure bet that they will be imitating you. Children look to adults, parents, and teachers for approval in order to confirm that the behaviors they are exhibiting are ones that are desired (Lawhon & Lawhon, 2000). By acknowledging the child’s behavior as appropriate we teach the child which behaviors are preferred over others (Bukatko & Daehler, 2001). As primitive as it may seem, most small children behave in a rather random manner repeating behaviors that get a desired or positive reaction. Some children, by chance or intuition, behave in an appropriate manner and some do not. If their ‘reinforcement’ is attention at all costs, then whatever attention given, even if directed toward a negative behavior, will increase the likelihood that behavior will be repeated (Sternberg, 1998). Young children are egocentric. Young children, especially under the age of four, have a very difficult time understanding how someone else feels (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2002). This doesn’t mean that kids are plain selfish but simply that their cognitive development is not sophisticated enough to understand their own emotions, much less someone else’s. They are unable to take the perspective of someone else and understand another’s feelings (Leong & Bodrova, 2003). As children get older they begin to learn what pleases others, but it is a gradual process that takes time (Swick, 2001). Positive reinforcement doesn’t suddenly work over night you need to grasp the child’s mind into thinking if â€Å"I do what I am told I will get a treat†. The first week or so may be a little unstable, you’ll find the child demanding treats or most of all once they have their treat they become disobedient. All you need to do is give a little understanding on the issue â€Å"if you’re nasty you won’t get any more treats†. Never give into your disciplined parenting, your child will kick, cry and scream waiting for you to give in so don’t show them any signs of cracking, the second you give in they are in control and the ladder is then twice as harder to climb to the top. People tend to wonder from time to time, if positive reinforcement is truly effective. There are four key elements to positive reinforcement that must be emphasized. 1. Reinforcement serves to increase a desired behavior, while the goal of punishment is to decrease an undesired behavior (Jackson & Panyan, 2002). It is important to acknowledge that adults have a keen understanding that an undesirable behavior has an opposing desirable one. 2. There is a phenomenon known as ‘‘extinction burst’’ (Ormrod, 1999). This is the rapid production of a behavior once the reinforcement is taken away. 3. It is important to identify positive reinforcers that are easily and quickly attainable. Giving stickers or candy is not always feasible or desirable. That is why positive attention itself is sometimes the best choice. 4. Ignoring unwanted behaviors is a key, but it is essential to stop dangerous or injurious behaviors immediately. To sum it all up, It is true that when a child is engaged in a creative activity, like drawing or painting, if you indicate, ‘‘I like the color blue you are using,’’ you will indeed get an entire page of the color blue. The important point is to understand why that would happen (Sigler, E., & Aamidor, S., 1990). This does not happen because the child sees value in his/ her own activities or because the child is dependent on an adult’s approval. In fact, this happens because what was said to the child pleased him/her and the child wants to be a part of the life and the activities that interest you. But when it comes to everyday behaviors in aversive situations that need to be modified it is better to positively reinforce. The simple rule is: whatever you attend to is what you get. If you reinforce good behavior (whatever is desirable in your eyes) by giving praise and other kinds of positive attention, children will deliver more good behavior.