Cults, Hate Groups and Gangs Essay Example for Free

Cults, Hate Groups and Gangs Essay Society is ripening with the essential antagonisms, where in the agreement with the substitute discipline got enclosed by a classification thought. Inconsistency cannot be recognized efficiently to each consideration or actuality. Nevertheless it is simply historical propositional claims. The content is the way in which simultaneously challenge is suggested with how things could be better, but leaves things practically unchanged. It is also reveals the goal of thought is not to continue the blind domination of nature and humans but to point toward understanding. Cults as an exponent of ethnic identity is thus generally either a remnant of a largely political community which once existed but was destroyed by disunion and colonization. For instance in Myers text in A General History for Colleges and High Schools the case of the â€Å"Delphian Apollo† a product of kulturgemeinschaft brought about by other than purely ethnic conditions, but which in turn gives rise to the belief in blood relationship. All history shows how easily political action can give rise to the belief in blood relationship, unless gross differences of anthropological type impede it. Studies claimed the popular as their domain of educating the trends and cultural formations about which it had very little forehand knowledge such as grunge, raves and dead culture in particular. What they did not have and were uncomfortable about was the high enriching center that would facilitate them to see the dialectic between the popular and the academic. † Society envelops with different levels of analysis that can be well-known as cultural province . The specialty of popular culture production array from micro to macro and they take in differences in the group, indoctrination, and distribution of popular culture. † (Jarvie, 2003) Recruiting members: Society of these groups recruits their members by thinking that conveys precise personality and cultural beliefs and standards. Friends recruits friends, family members each other and neighbors recruits neighbors. In Understanding Early Civilization written by Bruce Trigger says contrary to public in belief and the assertion of many proponents of the brainwashing theory of cult conversion, the figures available support neither the proposition that everyone is equally susceptible to recruitment, nor that most converts are recruited through individual contacts in public places. In The Revolution in Anthropology written by Jarvie this groups interview their aspirants, and conducted by clinicians among cult members, former members and relatives of members, a new member have described their experience of depression, inadequacy, sadness, loneliness and rejection just before joining. The cult as a whole is an extension of the leader’s personality and teachings. The leader’s magnificence as well as his or her association with divinity provides an essential feeling of special ness and importance to cult members. It is consider as one of the significant point in information to recruitment. These groups are suitable in sociological category; it cannot be identified and subjected to empirical study, for it does not exist in objective reality. The people, the popular forces are a shifting set of loyalty that cross all social categories, various individuals belong to different popular formations at different times, often moving between them quite fluidly. â€Å"Native meanings and pleasure can be made only within and against white domination without textual reproduction of the power that is being struggled against, there can be no relevance. † (Freidheim, 1976) Sociological understanding makes is a social process, all meanings of self of social relations all the discourses and texts that play such important cultural roles can circulate only in relationship to the social system in out case that of white patriarchal capitalism. It is the constant process of producing meanings necessarily produces a social identity for the people involved, as well as a constant succession of social practices. Society must then, contain both the forces of domination and the opportunities to speak against them, the opportunities to oppose or evade them from subordinated, but not totally disempowered, positions. This culture is made by the people at the interface between the products of the culture industries and everyday life. These groups are made by the people, not imposed upon them; it stems form within from below not form above. They love the art of making do with what the system provides. Well-liked culture also is eminent by its commonness. It constitute in actual fact all of the movement which people spend on enjoying themselves and providing comfort for themselves The fact that the system provides only commodities, whether cultural or material does not mean that the process of consuming those commodities can be adequately described as one those commodities the people into a homogenized mass at the mercy of the barons of the industry. This is made by various formations of subordinated or disempowered people out of the resources, both discursive and material that are provided by the social system that dis-empowers them. It is therefore contradictory to its core. These cultures rely on method and replication. People require to be reminded of what they consider and popular culture does this my do again definite attitude and principles and organizing them into genres. It is mass media, entertainment and diversions. It is heroes, icons, rituals, psychology and religion. It is a way of life, the voice of a people. How do they function: Every hate groups in society feeds on the energy of condemnation. In that regard, they are not much different from the rest of us. It’s just a matter of degree, it does not matter whether the condemnation is generated by the group or directed at the group. Either way, the organization is sustained by the energy of condemnation. The hate groups by actively trying to eradicate them or reform them, or passively assume there is no truth in them. Any sort of condemnation guarantees their continued existence. The function of the hate groups in society is complete when two thins happen. A culture that is made from within and below not imposed from without or above mass cultural theorists would have it. They are always a culture of conflict; it always involves the struggle to make social meanings that are in the interests of the subordinate and that are not those preferred by the dominant ideology, made in relationship to structures of dominance. This relationship can take two main forms that of resistance or evasion. They have six major fundamental values that summarize its sole place in humankind. The primary is likeness and exploitation. Hate groups reflect the legends, viewpoint, and principles of people, but at the equal moment control those same beliefs. In recent years, however, many people have argued that we are seeing the emergence of a universal worldwide culture. They may have various things in mind. â€Å"First, global culture can refer to a set of economic, social and political ideas, assumptions, and values now widely held among elites throughout the world. † (Bromley, 2002) Almost all these people hold university degrees in the physical sciences, social sciences, business, or law; work with words and/or numbers; speak reasonably fluent English; are employed by governments, corporations, and academic institutions with extensive international involvements; and travel frequently outside their own country. How do they succeed: They generally share beliefs in individualism, market economies, and political democracy, which are also common among people in these groups. Hence is tremendously important. Worldwide, however, only a small portion of the world’s population shares in this culture. It is far from a universal culture, and the leaders who share in it do not necessarily have a secure grip on power in their own societies. As such, these proponents view contemporary society as lax and degenerate, and they argue that high culture is not incompatible with many of the newer ideas which most likely to succeed in forming a cult around his vision if the society contains many other persons suffering from problems similar to those originally faced by the cult founder to whose solution therefore they are likely to respond. Often, conservatives who adhere to these beliefs advocate the reintroduction of cultural depth to modern educational systems. It is nonetheless one immensely significant consequence of the globalization of economic activity that has occurred in recent decades. The culture of the hate gangs is currently undergoing one of the greatest crises in its modern history. The old severe order, so extensive during much of the region, is administration out of condensation and out of time. The ruler and ruled has never been superior, while annoyance and anger among the broad population at accessible situation—economic, social, political, and worldwide—is at new heights. â€Å"Gangs’ societies and cultures, languages and peoples by scholars, these society is now occupied in a argument of the allegation of what income in supporting terms;† (Andersen, 2006) both sides are stressed with how to stay away from any sense of predictability about a clash of civilizations and how to allocate blame for the state of severe anxiety between the two sides that affect all levels of the population. Contemporary popular culture as just the aggregate product of industrial developments; instead, it contemporary culture results from a continuing interaction between those industries and those who consume their products Against the conditions of these dramatic events there lies a less dramatic, but perhaps more significant, experience that may have greater impact over the longer run than even intimidation and war. The emergence of a huge and increasing people of hate groups in the region whose presence will likely shake present administration from within more overwhelmingly than even the forces of global policy, this demographic factor, sometimes designated as a demographic â€Å"youth bulge,† refers to the unusually large percentage of hate groups among the overall population. Discrimination was not even yet being exploited for the political ends, but they were important since they corresponded to characteristics cultures. These sociological groups are constructed as a wasteland which executives of the culture industry internationally create programs that will control and manipulate the masses into doing things that will not be beneficial to their lives. Deep inside our characters are the inscriptions missing by the creative and the individuals whose intuitions or ideas leave others changed. The influenced in the commentaries that focus on alternative approach on popular culture that is more accepting, in which does not mean less critical. The ideologies of these groups are then full of gaps, contradiction and inadequacies. They must offer popular meanings and pleasures are constructed out of the relevance between the text and everyday life; popular pleasures derive from the production of these meanings by the people. They belong to the realm of international culture as not worthy to be trained. Society has its central to the high cultural readings as well but it works differently; the high cultural intertextual relations organized around the scholars are more limiting than ones organized around its policies. These features are in the order we want to cover them, the masses gravitate to forms of sample of popular sociological groups since even if they were exposed in reality they could not comprehend it. Trying to be accepted cultures as intellectuals and only pander to the poor taste of the masses, the masses do not have the intellectual capacities to discern between realities and the created worlds of uniqueness of everyone. Reference: Jarvie, I. C. (2003). The Revolution in Anthropology: International Library of Sociology E: The Sociology of Development. Routledge. London UK. p. 86 Freidheim, E. A. (1976). Sociological Theory in Research Practice. Transaction Publishers. Edison, NJ. p. 20 Bromley, D. G. and Melton, J. G. (2002). Cults, Religion and Violence. Cambridge University Press. Shaftesbury Road, Cambridge. p. 53 Andersen, M. L. and Taylor, H. F. (2006). Sociology: Understanding a Diverse Society. Thomson Wadsworth. Belmont, CA. p. 342 Myers, P. V. N. (2004). A General History for Colleges and High Schools. Kessinger Publishing. Whitefish, MT. p. 35 Trigger, B. G. (2003). Understanding Early Civilizations: A Comparative Study. Cambridge University Press. Shaftsbury Road, Cambridge. p. 472

President Bashar Al Assad Politics Essay

President Bashar Al Assad Politics Essay President Bashar al-Assad has also deep contacts and friendship with Hezbollah group and Iranian Mahdi Army. In the current situation of Syria between President Assads army and protesters Assad has been assisted by fighters of Hezbollah and Shiite recruited by Yemen and other countries. According to now.mmedia.me the army troops of Mahdi Army has entered in South Syria through Druze Mountain to assist President Assad in controlling protesters in the country. This intervention of Mahdi Army was a clear message to progressive socialist party leader of Syria Walid Jumblatt, who was raising his voice to get help for uprising of Syria internationally, that this uprising is going to be crushed by President Bashar with the help of Iranian guards. Iran has shown its full and deep commitments to Syrian regime by helping the regime in Damascus where a severe crackdown was implemented by President Bashar with the full assistance of Iranian Mahdi Army. This severe crackdown of Mahdi Army resulte d in the brutal killings of 6,000 protesters in Damascus. A video is been leaked in YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIQOMlk9WcI) in which a sniper soldier of Mahdi Army has been captured by the Syrian rebels, in the video this prisoner is admitting that he was sent to Syria to kill Syrian protesters to help President Bashar Assad. This sniper is the member of Mahdi Army in Iraq that means President Bashar has strong relations and contacts with Mahdi Army. Hezbollah Group: President Bashar called the Hezbollah group to crush down the uprising voices in Syria. Hezbollah is the group that has advanced artillery and well trained soldiers to face any rebellion situation. On the request of President Bashar the Lebanese Hezbollah joined the government forces to fight against the rebel groups in the country. Hezbollah is the close ally of President Bashar al-Assad and this is giving full support to assist the President in crushing the hated protest against him in Syria. In this fight, Hezbollah group have killed more than 70,000 people in Syria. Hezbollah is securing President Bashar regime like a strong wall in the country on the request of Iran. The intervention of Hezbollah in Syria has complicated the situation of Syria more intensively. One of the most important protester leaders Ahmad al-Assir has called his supporter to face Hezbollah group with full power and let them taste the sand in the fight. On his call many volunteer rebels have made them prepar e to fight against Hezbollah to the last drop of their blood. The fight between Hezbollah and rebellion groups of Syria has increased the tense situation of the country. A worst war has been out broken just because of the natural hatred against Hezbollah in the mind and heart of the people of Syria. This fight of Hezbollah and the rebellion groups had been resulted in a great massacre in Syria. A large numbers of people have died from both sides in this conflict. The situation is getting worse as time passes. The full support of President Bashar to Hezbollah has made the protester angrier and the wave of fight, protest and hatred against President Bashar has grown worse and the enmity has reached to the peak. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/26/hezbollah-syria-war_n_3160447.html?utm_hp_ref=world) Jabaht Al-Nusra Group: Jabaht Al-Nusra has risen as a most opposing group against President Bashar regime. This group is the major fighting force in Syria. This group is fully equipped with fully trained and ready to die fighters and the numbers of fighters in this group are increasing. Jabaht Al-Nusra has one more important characteristic of having a vast and strong network bounding relationships with other Islamic groups like Al-Tawhid, Liwa Al-Ummah, Ahrar Al-Sham, Suqur Al-Sham and Jund-Alsham. The altogether numbers of fighters in these groups are around 40,000; most of them are actually the local Syrian people who joined this group just because of getting annoyed by the policies and harsh treatment of President Bashar against his own countrymen. Jabaht Al-Nusra is in the front line of opposition against President Bashar, which are opposing Bashers regime by using weapons. Recent news has confirmed that Jabaht Al-Nusra has links with the terrorist group Al-Qaida. According to BBC News, Al-Qaida for th e very first time has announced the Jabaht Al-Nusra group as a part of its network that are fighting in Syria. The leader of Al-Qaida Abu Bakr al Baghdadi has said that the Jabaht Al-Nusra group is fighting in Syria for the establishment of an Islamic state in Syria. This declaration is made in an audio message in which the suspicious links of these two groups has been confirmed by Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, head of Islamic State in Iraq. This group has claimed to be an influential power behind a numbers of suicide bombing attacks in Syria at the time of uprising which started in Syria in March 2011. The United Nation has declared this Islamic group Jabaht Al-Nusra as a blacklist terrorist organization because of its brutal and merciless suicide bombing attacks in Syria and increasing the conflict situation in the country. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22078022) 2.2 Impact of External Lobby: United States Of America: The United States of America has raised its voice against the brutal killings of civilians in Syria but has no plan to intervene in the country currently. In Syria the dictatorship is so strong that United State has no control over this Arab regime. In the start of this uprising the position of United States was vague regarding the situation of Syrian regime. It was not clear that if the United States wanted the regime to fall or sustain. The Syrian regime is providing a secure border to Israel. United States always wanted to secure Israel and in the current regime of Assad the borders of Israel are more secure. The current regime of Syria is very clear and straightforward regarding Palestinian organizations in Syria; according to current regime the Palestinian organizations and fighters groups are banned to plan or execute their martial operations against Israel from Syrian land. United States is well aware that the next regime in Syria will not give as strong border to Israel like the current regime is providing. The down fall of the current regime may bring weaker borders of Syria with Israel and the exile groups of militants from Iraq, Libya and Palestinian fighter may have an uninterrupted entrance in Israel. Thats why the intentions of U.S. for Syria are sceptical. In the past few months the news of chemical arms used by Bashar have been exposed by the media and now the U.S. are showing more concern in the situation of Syria. US President Barrack Obama has promised to conduct a vigorous investigation about the use of chemical weapons by Syrian forces and warned the Syrian regime that this act of theirs can be a turning point of the relationship of US with Syria. He furthermore said that not only US but all around the world have to recognize and need to stand against the use of chemical weapon on civilian populations. (https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/nowsyrialatestnews/obama-vows-vigorous-probe-into-syria-chemical-arms-claims) Iran Iran is the strongest ally of President Basher and his government since the time of uprising started in the country. Iran has the concept that all the riots and protest in the Syria are held on the signals of America. All the protests are pro-American and these riots have nothing to do with the benefits of Middle East. Iran is assisting President Bashar with its army and artillery to crush down the revolution. The President Bashar and Iranian government has good relationships. The main reason of this good relationship is the same religious views between them. The Iranian government is following the Shiaism religion and the regime of Syria is also the followers of same religion. This similarity of religion has brought both the allies more close to each other. Iran is assisting President Bashar with all kinds of assistance. The army of Iran is currently present in Syria to fight with protesters and rebellion groups. A large number of people are killed by the Iranian soldiers in Syria. Syrian regime is relying on the loyalties of Iran and getting a massive support from the Iran. Iran considers the President Bashar a strong ally and if Bashar regime fails in Syria then it is considered that one wing of Iran will broke. For this purpose Iran is using all its resources to secure the regime of President Bashar. All the contacts of Iran are being used by the Iranian government to save President Bashar. The main contacts of Iran are from Iraq to Lebanon. Irans defence minister Ahmed Vahidi has announced publically that if Syrian regime could not succeeded in putting down the uprising then Iran would dispatched its military help to Syria after signing a mutual defence agreement between Iran and Syria. In the uprising of Syria the Iran is assisting President Bashar to keep his power to him through all possible means like, cash, military, weapons and fighters. (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444230504577615393756632230.html) Turkey In the beginning of uprising in the Syria the Turkey was concerned to keep its relation with the regime of the Syria. Initially Turkey did not say anything openly in favor of opponents of President Bashar. Turkey started to rethink over its stance on Syria by the summer of 2011 when a large number of civilians were killed brutally in Hama and Latakia by Syrian army. In August, the foreign minister of Turkey Ahmet Davutoglu arranged a meeting with President Assad that continues for six hours. In this highly official meeting between two countries the Turkish foreign minister warned President Assad that if the killing of civilian did not stop immediately then Turkey will stop dialogue with Syria. In June the next month of this meeting, the patronage NGOs of Turkey started gathering Syrian opposition groups in Istanbul after the approval and consent of Turkish government. The participants of this gathering were not interested to discuss on titles like Change for Syria or National Freedom Conference, rather they demanded that President Assad and his supporter first step down from the government and then discussion about new Syria will started with them. The Syrian National Council (SNC) came into existence in Istanbul and it represented itself as a main political address party for opposition. Turkey unlocked its borders for the Syrian rebel groups. In July 2011, a large numbers of retired Syrian army soldiers reached in Syria under the leadership of retired air force colonel Riyad al-Assad. These groups of retired soldiers made an organization in Turkey named Free Syrian Army. The main objective of this organization was to work hand in hand to get freedom from President Assads cruel government. This organization proved itself as an umbrella organization and strongly opposed the concept of table talk with President Bashar regime. In September 2011, Turkey has decided to finish all the contacts and relationships with Syrian regime and imposed army restriction on its s outh border. The good relationship between two countries has come to an end and Turkey has announced the Syrian National Council (SNC) as an official representative of the Syrian Opposition. http://www.merip.org/mero/mero012813

Analysis Of Amerindian Perspectivism Philosophy Essay

Analysis Of Amerindian Perspectivism Philosophy Essay Brazilian anthropologist Viveiros de Castro has been an essential force in new strands of anthropology within the last decade, and his foremost contribution has been the development of Amerindian perspectivism. Viveiros de Castros objectives were to produce a more generalised framework of Amazonian cosmologies and shamanistic practices, with an aim to dispose of the nature versus culture dichotomy that had always prevailed within the discipline of anthropology. By rediscovering the notion of animism, Viveiros de Castro was able to formulate new modes of relation between humans and non-humans, and perspectivism may be seen as simply a potent rendering of animism. This essay will explore the comparisons that have been made in recent ethnography between Viveiros de Castros Amerindian perspectivism and the application of perspectivism to other parts of the world. This will ultimately result in the questioning of whether perspectivism can, in reality, be labelled a theory. Initially an ex amination of Viveiros de Castros analysis of Amerindian perspectivism is crucial in an attempt to draw comparisons with the deployment of perspectivism in ethnography within northern Asia, in particular Mongolia and Siberia. Viveiros de Castro purports that his development of the notion of perspectivism forms a vital component of most Amerindian cosmologies, and is founded upon spiritual unity and corporeal identity. In opposition with the distinction between nature and culture, Viveiros de Castro illuminates a contrastive feature between Western and Amerindian cosmologies. Anthropology itself centres on the multiculturalist notion to the nature vs. culture dichotomy; the idea that there is one universal nature and many cultures, as building blocks structured upon that which is pure and unifying; nature. This approach implies the universality of the body, and the subjective distinctiveness of spirit and meaning. The concept of multiculturalism has consistently been applied to the demographic constitutions of a particular place with multiple ethnicities and religious groups, and to notions of identity (Visweswaran, 1998). Viveiros de Castro proposes that for Amerindian cosmologies however, an inversion of the multiculturalist notion, that is multinaturalism. Multinaturalism is the conception of spiritual unity and corporeal diversity, the unifying and objective being culture and the subjective distinctiveness of nature; bodies (Viveiros de Castro, 1998). Amerindian cosmologies share mythology and the notion of a creation myth that there was once an original state of undifferentiation between humans and animals, and this serves to unfold Amerindian perspectivism. This is the shared mythological belief that animals are ex humans, and that the original common condition that both humans and animals shared was humanity rather than animality (Viveiros de Castro, 1998). This origin myth can be employed to explain the general meaning of perspectivism. Viveiros de Castro states that animals and spirits see themselves as humans: they perceive themselves as anthropomorphic beings. their social system as organized in the same way as human institutions are (1998:470). This is the principal idea of perspectivism; that nonhumans see the world as humans do, but what they see differs from what humans see because of the distinct medium through which they see things differs from the medium through which humans see things (Pedersen, 2001). Every being t hat has a soul is capable of having a point of view, and it is the point of view that creates the subject. The point of view is located within the body, and differences between viewpoints concern the differentiation between bodies (Viveiros de Castro, 1998). What Viveiros de Castro refers to as the body is an assemblage of affects or ways of being that constitutes a habitus (1998:478). The concept of habitus has most recently been elaborated by Bourdieu (1972) as a system of dispositions in response to determinate structures and other fields that are neither wholly voluntary nor involuntary. Acquired dispositions or ways of being include taste, communication and habitation. To tie this in with multinaturalism, every subject creates their own conception of nature. Viveiros de Castro refers to the form of a being as like a piece of clothing which masks an internal human form that is only visible to those within the same species or trans-specific beings such as shamans. It is not so much that the body is a clothing but rather that clothing is a body (1998:482). An animals clothing (their body) is not simply manipulated as a disguise, but rather their equipment that differentiates them from one another, and provides them with their habitus. The internal human form is the beings soul or spirit (1998). By undergoing metamorphosis, the being sheds its clothing and, through a process of transformation, adopts the point of view of another being. The shaman is the only being that is capable of assuming the point of view of the Other; the extra-human animal, and returning back to its original state of being unharmed (Viveiros de Castro, 1998). Amerindian perspectivist cosmologies bear striking similarities with the notion of animism, initially proposed by Tylor in the nineteenth century. Tylor attributed animism to the almost universally held beliefs of primitive people that certain objects and persons were animated by something incorporeal called spirit' (Kraus, 1971:487). Descola (1992) developed this idea of animism that all spiritual entities are similar in that they share spiritual features, with the difference being the body that they are endowed with (Latour, 2009). Thus, animism would appear in accordance with Castros proposition of multinaturalism within Amerindian cosmologies. In contrast with the multiculturalist notion of the nature vs. culture dichotomy, animism holds society as the unmarked pole, as the unifying dimension, rather than nature. Totemism, on the other hand, is the conception that individuals and clans share kinship with other forms of non-human being. Levi-Strauss (1962) discusses totemic classifications as a form of organisation which emphasises discontinuities between species to confer a conceptual order on society. The totem is a non-human being which is normally accompanied by a totemic myth, and they are manipulated to make the social world a more coherent classificatory system. Therefore, there is a very striking difference between animism and perspectivism, and totemism; in totemic societies the non-human being is regarded as a sign, and in animic and perspectivist societies, the non-human being is regarded in terms of the relationship it makes available (Pedersen, 2001). It will be brought up later on with an analysis of northern Asian cosmologies, that some ontologies in northern Asia are predominantly animistic, and some predominantly totemistic. Nevertheless, it is undeniable that Viveiros de Castros notion of perspectivism is wholly an animistic concept. His analysis of Amerindian perspectivism has been supported by Pelusos research undertaken in Peru. Peluso critically discusses her ethnography on dream narratives amongst the Ese Eja, an Amazonian community, and acknowledges that multinatural perspectivism is present within the ontology of dream narratives (2004). Naming dreams are common for the Ese Eja, and reflect multiple overlapping realities of time and space, acting as a reminder for its subjects that transformations are possible between multiple worlds. Eshawa, for the Ese Eja is the concept of personhood that connects the self with all species and the spirit world (Peluso, 2004:2). The dreams always involve an interaction between the animal and the dreamer, and involve the animal transforming itself into a child and addressing the dreamer by the appropriate kin term. This action eludes the mother/father/grandparen t dreamer to the childs dream name, and they must use this name for everyday life (Peluso, 2004). Viveiros de Castros notion of perspectivism in Amazonia is quite clearly at work here. People validate the links between dream names and their namesake animals through perceived shared physical and character traits, relating to Viveiros de Castros corporeal affects that form the distinctive viewpoints of subjects. Similarly, multinatural perspectivism such as the dream world, implies that all subjects (human or not) share personhood and interact socially as enacted in dream narratives. (Peluso, 2004:9). The dream world allows the capacity for carrying over the same viewpoint into different cross-realities, and dreams are sources of knowledge and channels of communication between multiple worlds, unhindered by physical or ontological distance (Peluso, 2004). Pelusos ethnography based on the Ese Eja community in Peru is a fine example of Viveiros de Castros Amerindian perspectivist cosmology in practice, but the question still remains as to whether perspectivism can be applied to another part of the world other than Amazonia. The vast majority of the rest of this essay will attempt to apply perspectivism and its deployments through ethnography, to two very different regions of northern Asia; Mongolia and Siberia. Pedersen (2007) has written extensive ethnography concerning the Darhads of Mongolia, and their relationship with perspectivism. It is clear that Viveiros de Castros Amerindian perspectivism is prevalent within Darhad animist cosmology, but at the same time there are several distinctions that must not be overlooked. A stark contrast between Darhad and Amerindian cosmology is that the Darhads do not share the conception of a creation myth; an original state of undifferentiation (Pedersen, 2007). Viveiros de Castro suggests that mythology is a precondition for perspectivism, in that the period from whence everything was undifferentiated and humanity, is crucial for spiritual unity and the universality of beings (1998). Nevertheless, Darhad cosmology is amythological yet animist and comprises multiple points of view; different perspectives unchanging over time. The majority of the Darhad animist cosmos is perceived as an unmarked territory, and that it is along specific paths where the social lives of beings occurs. Therefore Darhad cosmology itself is not one unified whole, but rather many parallel worlds, with each parallel world containing the totality of relations enacted through a given point of view (Pedersen, 2007). Similarities can be drawn here with Amerindian perspectivism in that exchanges of perspectives between different kinds of beings are being experienced by the Darhad people, however there appear profound differences. The Darhads nomadic landscape is organised according to the constellation of centres within it, with the nomadic households as physically moving entities, and sacred stone cairns such as those on the top of mountains as fixed components. All nomadic movements centre around these gravitation points, for the rest of the nomadic landscape is void (Pedersen, 2007). The Darhad conception of the landscape appears mo re of a totemic reality than an animist one in this sense. Rather, as a discontinuous grid that places beings in relationships of homologous differentiation (Holbraad Willerslev, 2007:331). Viveiros de Castros Amerindian perspectivist cosmology amounts to a boundless whole, a continuous universe where all beings relate to one another, whereas Darhad perspectivist cosmology lacks this perception. The narrative of the Badagshin that Pedersen (2007) recollects however, can be seen as the representation of a distinct form of Mongolian perspectivism that draws parallels with Viveiros de Castros Amerindian perspectivism. The Badagshin are half-people non-human beings that appear most frequently to Darhad hunters. Similarly with Amerindian perspectivism, the shaman is the only being capable of undergoing complete metamorphosis and returning back to their original state of being unharmed. Therefore for Darhad hunters, adopting the point of view of a nonhuman being is something that should be avoided at all costs. Pedersen recalls an account of a Darhad hunter and his friend encountering a Badagshin whilst traversing the nomadic landscape. For the hunter, the Badagshin appears before him as half a deer, yet for his friend it appears before him as half an old woman. Within a few weeks the friend is dead. This phenomenon may be explained in terms of the Darhad perspectivist cosmology i tself, for the friend has undergone transformation from human being to non-human being through the complete adoption of the Badagshins point of view and crossed through to the other side, resulting in death. It is not the hunter himself comprising two perspectives, but rather the cosmology itself, and by being seen only in the form of halves, they reveal in the form of their virtual, invisible halves an occult vicinity between the human and the non-human (Pedersen, 2007:323). Exchanges of perspectives for the Darhad appear essentially abrupt, as one leaps from one form of being to another, with the nomadic void playing the role of a trampoline, as one jumps between finite worlds (Pedersen, 2007). A key difference between Darhad perspectivism and Viveiros de Castros Amerindian perspectivism is that the Darhads encounters with spiritual beings are always incomplete, as the Badagshin example illustrates. Humphrey (1996) also reveals that encounters with spiritual beings amongst the Daur of Mongolia tend to always be incomplete and intermitted. Amerindian perspectivism appears more symmetrical and horizontal, whereas Darhad perspectivism appears asymmetrical and transcendent (Holbraad Willerslev, 2007). The Mongolian shamans ability to undergo various metamorphoses and gain the perspectives of another being can be directly linked to the evasion of the hierarchy within a society that is highly rigid (Pedersen, 2001). As a consequence of this spiritual hierarchy, exchanges of perspectives are vertical rather than horizontal, a direct contrast to Viveiros de Castros Amerindian perspectivism. Holbraad and Pedersen (2007) suggest that in Inner Asia, beings can become other not because they are themselves already other (as in Viveiros de Castros Amerindian perspectivism), but rather because the perspectives that they can occupy remain other to them (p.331). These are transcendental perspectives and reflect more of a totemic reality than an animistic reality apparent in Amerindian perspectivism. It would appear that Mongolian perspectivist cosmology is very different to that of Amerindian perspectivism. Much ethnography in Siberia has revealed a more animistic cosmological perspectivism, and yields more similarities to Viveiros de Castros Amerindian perspectivism. Stepanoff (2009) studied cannibal shamans in Siberia and adopts a perspectivist approach to elucidate that the shamans become cannibals because they see humans as prey animals. Similarly, Bogorazs (1904-1910) ancient ethnography on the Chuckchee can be seen to draw parallels with Viveiros de Castros Amerindian perspectivism in that others, in this case the kely spirits, see themselves as humans and humans see themselves as others. Kely spirits live like humans in villages and hunt humans which they call little seals. Social relations in Siberia appear horizontal rather than vertical, which, as a condition for animism appears to align them with Amerindian perspectivism rather more than their Mongolian neighbours. Likewise, the space constituted by human beings and non-human beings amounts to a boundless whole rather than a discontinuous grid (Pedersen, 2001). Pedersen (2001) puts forward the notion of animist analogous identification in Siberian cosmology, which holds the viewpoint that one has the ability to imagine oneself in someone elses position, and the ability to imagine someone else in ones own position. This correlates with Viveiros de Castros Amerindian perspectivism. Thus, I would argue that Siberian perspectivist cosmologies are much more similar to Amerindian perspectivist cosmologies than their Mongolian neighbours. However, it is challenging in itself to stretch Viveiros de Castros concepts that fit Amerindian cosmology to other parts of the world due to the fact that there is so much differentiation. The question ultimately comes down to whether Viveiros de Castros perspectivism can be seen as a theory or not, and whether it should be applied to other parts of the world. Holbraad and Willserlev (2007) suggest that Viveiros de Castros Amerindian perspectivism may be regarded as a theory due to the fact that it is an essentially intellectual artefact: theory is born of the anthropologists mental effort (p.330). However, this particular theory appears somewhat constrained by its ethnographic material of which the theory was conceived of, and the context from which it derived from cannot necessarily be applied to other ethnographic contexts. This does not detract from the fact that Viveiros de Castro has put forward an Amerindian perspectivist theory, which does exactly what it says on the tin.

Drug Identification With Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry :: essays research papers

Drugs are used everyday by people in many different ways for many different reasons. Drug testing has become a standard in pre-employment testing, because of the wide variety of drug use in today's society. Drugs tested for by a possible employer include Cocaine (crack), Amphetamines (crystal), Opiates (codeine, morphine, heroin), PCP (phencyclidine), and Marijuana. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry is used to test hair and urine samples of possible drug abusers or job applicants, and it is the best method for the testing of drug use. Gas chromatography and mass spectrometry are two different methods for identifying chemical substances, and the two instruments have be coupled together to perform a highly complementary analytical function. The gas chromatograph and the mass spectrometer have theories behind how their techniques work, and specific forensic applications for their instrumentation. The history and theory of the gas chromatography started over forty years ago with the invention of the capillary column. The gas chromatograph offers rapid and very high-resolution separations of a very wide range of compounds, with the only restriction that the analyzed substance needs to have sufficient volatility. The theory behind the mass spectrometer is to use the difference in mass-to-charge ratio (m/e) of ionized atoms or molecules to separate them from each other. Mass spectrometry is therefore useful for quantitation of atoms or molecules and also for determining chemical and structural information about molecules. Molecules have distinctive fragmentation patterns that provide structural information to identify structural components. The combination of the gas chromatograph and mass spectrometer is very easy, because both instrument needs to be modified in excess and both are analyzed in the gas phase and have comparable sample levels and temperature ranges. The ! most important feature of the tw o instruments being coupled is that they perform complementary analytical functions.The instrumentation of the gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer is very complex. The instrument's parts include an injector, a carrier gas, a column, a separator, an ionization source, mass separator, and an ion detector. The injector is located on the gas chromatograph and is where the sample gas is injected into the instrument to start the process. The sample gas is then mixed with a carrier gas, which is the mobile phase in gas chromatography. The mixture proceeds into the capillary column where the separation of the sample begins. The capillary column is 15 to 60 meters in length and .25 to

Remaking Beowulf as a Christian Hero Essay -- Epic of Beowulf Essay

Remaking Beowulf as a Christian Hero The story of Beowulf is full of religious references and symbolism, but is it truly a Christian story? According to the narrative, Beowulf is an instrument of God, an instrument of righteousness called by God to perform His will for the Danes. In stark contrast to his good, is the enemy, Grendel, the incarnation of pure evil. These two characters appear to represent the forces of good versus the forces of evil. It would be easy enough to leave the story that way, but it appears that Beowulf is written intentionally to make the main characters appear more important by adding Biblical references to the narrative. By creating characters of a Biblical stature, the story as a whole has an added importance. The story was to be important enough that those who told it and those that heard it would never forget the tale. This gruesome creature was called Grendel, notorious prowler of the borderland, ranger of the moors, the fen and the fastness; this cursed creature lived in a monster's lair for a time after the Creator had condemned him as one of the seed of Cain - the Everlasting Lord avenged Abel's murder. Cain had no satisfaction from that feud, but the Creator sent him into exile, far from mankind because of his crime. He could no longer approach the throne of grace, that precious place in God's presence, nor did he feel God's love. (102-113) Grendel is likened to Cain in this passage, but he seems to show characteristics of the devil as well. He is called a prowl... ...ciety. The pagan religions were passing away and being replaced by new traditions and a new religion. Maybe this version of Beowulf is like a remake of an old movie done forty years ago. It had been revamped to fit in with the times. If it had, it was a good idea, because this "modernized" version of Beowulf has certainly stood the test of time. Works Cited Blackburn, F.A.. "The Christian Coloring in the Beowulf." In An Anthology of Beowulf Criticism, edited by Lewis E. Nicholson. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 1963. Bloom, Harold. "Introduction." In Modern Critical Interpretations: Beowulf, edited by Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987. Frank, Roberta. "The Beowulf Poet's Sense of History." In Beowulf - Modern Critical Interpretations, edited by Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987.

Food Lion-Case Analysis Essay

Food Lion LLC is an American grocery store company headquartered in Salisbury, NC, that operates approximately 1,300 supermarkets in 11 Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic states as well as Tennessee, Kentucky and West Virginia under the Food Lion, Harvey’s Supermarket, Bloom, Bottom Dollar Food, and Reid’s banners. With approximately 73,000 employees, Food Lion LLC is the largest subsidiary of Delhaize Group. Delhaize Group is a food retailer headquartered in Belgium, which operates in seven countries. Delhaize Group was founded in Belgium in 1867. The principal activity of Delhaize Group is the operation of food supermarkets in North America, Europe and Southeast Asia. Supermarket News ranked Delhaize America No. 10 in the 2007 â€Å"Top 75 North American Food Retailers† based on 2006 fiscal year estimated sales of $17.3 billion. By cutting its overhead dramatically, Food Lion has been able to offer â€Å"everyday low prices† to consumers and still manage to reap some of the highest profits in the supermarket industry. Faced with a struggling economy and increased competition in the form of supercenter outlets, Food Lion has responded with some store closures and work force reductions, but has also sought to revitalize the grocery shopping experience through the introduction of a store concept called Bloom, intended to provide a uniquely convenient layout and competitive prices. Key Dates in the companies History 1957-Food Town is established in Salisbury, North Carolina. 1974:Belgian grocer Delhaize acquires Food Town. 1982:Company changes its name to Food Lion. 1986:Tom Smith, who started at the company in the 1950s as a grocery bagger, becomes CEO of Food Lion. 1999:A new management team seeks to revitalize Food Lion. 2001:Food Lion becomes part of Delhaize’s umbrella company for its American holdings. Case Analysis The faced many challenges such as information technology (IT) in the managing financial records recently, with system audits and continuous failures. They broken many rules within the Sarabanes oxley act. The sarabanes Act which is also known as the ‘Public Company Accounting Reform and Investor Protection Act’ (in the Senate) and ‘Corporate and Auditing Accountability and Responsibility Act’ (in the House) and more commonly called Sarbanes–Oxley, Sarbox or SOX, is a Unites States federal Law that set new or enhanced standards for all U.S. Public company boards i.e. food lion, management and public accounting firms. The problems latter proved to be linked to inadequate timing in planning activates, and inconsistent level changes with corporate management. Outside of the above Food Lion faces many staying afloat in the technological advanced completion such as Wal-Mart. Struggling against many influcuations in the prices and bundling package deals. Food lions attempts to offers things that others don’t to set their standards apart with a recipe area and automated shopping list that can be sent to local providing retailers. Additionally, food lion offers retailers many different purchase options with the MVP card, which also, allows them; maintain records of the customers shopping habits and budget. Creating coupons suit the needs of certain individual shoppers has revolutionized the food retail industry. These marketing strategies are not original but nonetheless quintessential for their success. One of the most innovative situations that food-lion is the vendor diversity clause which is n ot only an anti-discrimination minorities but offers specials contracts with minorities. Additionally, joining forces with exterior company guiding star, which a rating corporation for the products, services, and treatment proved by and for Food Lion. Along with Animal welfare survey and verification with produce and poultry products. They are known for deals and bonuses in the food industry. Food lion is known for sales and promotions, which as allegedly breaking the competition down to the lower deals to even remain marketable. Providing weekly sales on curtains products for a limited time only. Furthermore, offering Shoppers’ Companion online, which is where shoppers can offers suggestions and comments and concerns, i.e. management tips and unsanitary employees. The new and improved MVP card issuing not only saving, but also saving star credits which generates real money on rebate and giveaway options. The MVP card also, has Tally register where the online system keeps account on how much you have saved with the card printable coupons from home. The company will re-open over 269 stores which all are going to include free grocery giveaways. Also, large charity donations and contributions to groups such as: boy and girl scouts of America, YMCA, Feed the children, Harvest Hope, and large donations of free food to may shelters and orphanages much of the public views the company as not just a supermarket but a savior. Currently the company has plans of expanding thought the central, and western regions of the United States, but first wish to stabilize their current stations and locations. Some recent news and talks of merging with some of the completion on the level Conclusion I conclude that even though the margin for change increasing along with customer demand shifting, Food Lion has done a great job to cope with inconsistent data recorded and observed. By offering more customer demand based products instead of consumer retail they has improved on revenue. They has stood by their actions scandalous and praiseworthy, from branch closing and violating of SOX act codes to donated billions and saving many small third world countries to hunger. Moreover, their strategy is a good one lower the prices give them fresher produce and improve the overall shopping experience, and they certainly have lived up to their promises and expectations. Many of these issues have been fixed by great change in management process for hardware, software database, and application groups. The company received a dully-awaited makeover in the past few years, which will surly; sustain them for decades to come. Food Lion has many pitfalls such as competitors, and technology, however o verall with studious work ethics they will prevail and maintain.

Change and Continuity in Constantinople

Constantinople was a city with a long a diverse history especially through the years of 1450 to 1750. Between these to dates Constantinople changed drastically in its political structure. Constantinople also had a tremendous chance in its trade activity. Innovation both militarily and nonmilitary within this city however remained virtually unchanged between 1450 to 1750. In short Constantinople transformed itself between 1450 to 1750 in the fields of government and business, but remained constant in its technological advancements. In the area of politics the chance of Constantinople couldn’t have been more drastic in the years between 1450 and 1750. In1453 the Byzantine Empire fell to the Ottoman Empire in the siege of Constantinople. This in turn allowed the Ottoman Turks to take Constantinople and completely defeat the rest of the remaining Byzantine Empire. The Ottoman Empire renamed the city to Istanbul and made it one of there capitals of there empire that ruled most all of the Middle East. The city was extremely vulnerable to attack because of the forth crusades that sacked the city and heavily depleted its population and allowed ottomans to take it. This new government allowed for the growth of religions, even make Constantinople a once Christian stronghold to a predominantly Muslim city. This new government also allowed for a large rise in population going from a few thousand in the 15th century to the over half a million in the 18th century. This was caused by an increase of culture and artwork due to the leadership of Suleiman the Magnificent. The other massive change in Constantinople between 1450 to 1750 was the amount of trade that was preformed. The lack of trade was because of Ottoman conquering of the city in 1453. This capture of the city created total dominance of the Middle East created a regional block of all trade routes effectively creating an Ottoman trade monopoly which allowed the Ottomans to charge whatever they wanted, this made it unprofitable to trade for the Asian goods that Europeans wanted so bad. This was the largest reason for the Europe’s age of exploration. The simple fact that the prices were too high making trade impractical causing a lack of trade and Europeans looking to the sea for trade with Asia. This in contrast with the previous large amounts of trade that use to go through Constantinople because of its great location between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. Those most elements of the city of Constantinople were changed by the new empire that ruled it the one thing that stayed the same was the technology that was used in Constantinople. The Ottoman Turks were very regressive and didn’t embrace new technologies. This lack of progression caused by the Ottoman conservative clergy plus the lack of trade cause a lack of diffusion and a lack of advancements in there society. This all the while the rest of the world was making leaps and bounds forward. This was what caused the long term demise of the Ottoman.