Ideology of Fundamentalist Islam Explained Essay -- Muslim Religion, S

Introduction: This essay concerns itself with exploring the Islamic and political orientation of Sayyid Qutb (1906-1966), an Egyptian civil servant turned political and religious activist, inspired by fundamentalist Islam. To gain an understanding of what influenced and formulated Qutb’s ideas it has been necessary to provide some background information relating the history of modern day Egypt and the emergence of reformist and fundamentalist Islam, from the 19th century until Qutb’s time. The essay also seeks to give some biographical information in order to provide a fuller picture of Qutb the man. Qutb’s involvement with Egyptian religious politics caused him to come into conflict with the Nasser government of 1950s’ Egypt and Qutb spent a decade in prison. It was during this period he produced many of his seminal writings on the establishment of a truly Islamic society. By drawing on early Islamic thinkers and on direct interpretation of the Qur’an, Qutb advocated violence in establishing an Islamic state. The thinking behind and the implications of these interpretations are discussed at length in this essay to demonstrate how they have informed the belief of many Islamic fundamentalists, especially with regard to the use of violence to achieve their aims. The latter part of the essay focuses on the legacy of Qutb’s ideas and how these have been manifest in various fundamentalist groups. However, because academic literature is often a few paces behind the present it has not been possible to explore some recent developmenst of Islam inspired violenc e in any detail, namely the emergence of fundamentalist groups within the Muslim diaspora of the West. The rise of fundamentalist Islam, especia... ...racuse N.Y.: Syracuse University Press Hourani, A. (1983) Arabic Thought in the Liberal Age 1798-1939. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Juergensmeyer, M. (2003) Terror in the Mind of God (3rd Edition). Berkeley, Ca.: University of California Press Lawrence, B.B. (1998) Shattering the Myth: Islam Beyond Violence. Princeton N.J.: Princeton University Press Moussalli, A.S. (1998) Islamic Fundamentalism: Myths and Realities. Reading : Garnet/Ithaca Press Rabasa, A. et el (2006) The Muslim World After 9/11. Santa Monica, Calif. : Rand Corporation Roy, O. (2004) Globalised Islam. London: C. Hurst & Co Ruthven, M. (2004) Fundamentalism: The Search for Meaning. Oxford: Oxford University Press Turner, B.S. & Ahmed, A. (2003) Islam: critical concepts in sociology. London: Routledge Weber, M. (1963) The Sociology of Religion . Boston: Beacon Press

Essay --

Surviving the drop of an atomic bomb and trying to live a normal life after such a tragic event, is the most difficult goal anyone can achieve. Hiroshima, by John Hershey takes us into the memories of six survivors that made it through the attack and how they managed to get their life back together. Forty years after the bombing many survivors were still haunted by the horrifying event, but as time went on they were willing to share their experiences and let the world know that they made were alive and survived. On August 6, 1945 the first atomic bomb to be dropped on a city destroyed Hiroshima, Japan and its people. Mr. Tanimoto, the pastor of the Hiroshima Methodist Church, was uninjured and with the help of Father Kleinsorge, a Jesuit priest, they managed to get people to safety at Asano Park a private estate on the outskirts of town. They consoled the wounded and also brought water for those who needed it from the river. Among those that were ill from the radiation of the bomb in Asano Park was Mrs. Hatsuyo Nakamura, a tailor’s widow, and her children. Miss Toshinki Sasaki, a young clerk, is suffering from a leg fracture and won’t be treated until weeks after the explosion. Dr. Masakazu Fuji, a physician, is unable to aid anyone else after the bombing due to his minor injuries when he fell into the river and was squeezed between two large timbers. On the other hand, Dr. Terufumi Sasaki, a young surgeon, remains the only uninjured doctor in the Red Cross Hospital and tend s to the wounded, unable to leave his spot and or get rest for months after the explosion. Weeks after the bombing Japan begin to rebuild its city, but a new terror strikes: radiation sickness. The victims of the radiation sickness, such as Mrs. Nakamura us... ...ever receive help from my people as well if I was ever in a situation similar to what happened to Hiroshima. In my opinion, I think that the book was intended for teens and adults because of the author’s great use of imagery and detail. Also I believe that to have a better understanding of why Hiroshima was bombed, we would need to have background knowledge of WWII and what Japan did to the United States to make us use the atomic bomb on their city. I think that the major theme in this book is the people of Hiroshima’s will to survive. This book shows how people react in a crisis and what they chose to do to rebuild their lives. It also demonstrates the human spirit and our will to live on even after we face so much death and disaster. Survival is a key that will help us get return to our normal lives, so that we will be able to achieve greater goals in the future.

Developmental Psychology and Trust Versus Mistrust

| St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community CollegeAssociate Degree ProgrammeMID-SEMESTER EXAMINATIONS 2013| COURSE TITLE: Developmental PsychologyCOURSE CODE: PSY202SEMESTER: 2 (SAMPLE TEST)DATE: Wednesday 6st March 2013 TIME: 11:00 amDURATION: 2 hours INSTRUCTIONS: | | This paper consists of eight (8) pages and three (3) sections: Section A: Twenty (20) multiple choice questions worth a total of 20 marks. Section B: Ten (10) matching questions worth a total of 10 marks. Students should attempt ALL questions in this section. Write your answers on the writing paper provided.Section C: Nine (9) short answer questions worth a total of 30 marks. ALL QUESTIONS ARE COMPULSORY SECTION A: Multiple-choice questions Instructions for Section AAnswer ALL questions in this section. Record your choice on your answer sheet (eg 1. D ). | 1. The study of changes in behaviour from conception to death encompasses a. gerontology b. thanatology c. developmental psychology d. social psychology 2. A resear cher creates a situation on a school playground in which children are excluded one by one from a group game by the teacher so that their emotional reactions can be studied. What kind of research method is this? a. tructured observation b. case study c. experiment d. correlational study 3. Which research strategy simultaneously compares individuals of different ages? a. cross-sectional b. longitudinal c. experimental d. correlational 4. According to __________, all children pass through a series of distinct stages in their intellectual development. a. Piaget b. Bloom c. Watson d. Harlow 5. Which psychologist contended that â€Å"trust versus mistrust† is the first psychological stage? a. Jean Piaget b. Erik Erikson c. Sigmund Freud d. Lev Vygotsky 6. Preoperational means that a child cannot yet perform: a. reversible mental actions. b. symbolic thinking. . intuitive reasoning. d. mental representation of an unseen object. 7. According to Bronfenbrenner's theory, the macrosyste m is __________. a. the patterning of environmental events and transitions over the life course b. the culture in which individuals live c. involved when experiences in another social setting influence what the individual experiences in an immediate context d. the overarching system which includes all of these factors and more 8. Harlow's finding that baby monkeys prefer a terrycloth surrogate mother to a wire mother demonstrates the importance of a. imprinting or critical periods b. contact comfort c. cceptance d. good nutrition 9. When we say a child's thinking is less abstract than an adult's, we mean that a. children use more examples and generalizations. b. children use more principles, but require fewer generalizations. c. children use fewer generalizations, categories, and principles. d. adults base their understanding of the world more on particular examples and tangible sensations 10. Joey is watching a horse race. He knows that his dog at home has four legs, a tail, and fu r. When he sees the horses, he shouts out â€Å"Doggies. † Joey is demonstrating a. assimilation b. accommodation c. conservation d. irreversibility 11.Emily, who has brown eyes, has one dominant gene and one recessive gene. When we describe her actual genetic makeup, we are describing her __________. a. DNA b. genotype c. reaction range d. gametes 12. Humans have __________ pairs of chromosomes. a. 46 b. 23 c. 2 d. an undetermined number of 13. The sex chromosomes of females are ______ and the sex chromosomes of males are ______. a. YY, XX b. XX, XY c. XY, XX d. XX, Y 14. The component of a chromosome that controls heredity is ____. a. proteins b. histones c. DNA d. RNA 15. The stage of prenatal development in which the neural tube develops into the brain and spinal cord is the a.Germinal Stage b. Embryonic Stage c. Fetal Stage d. Fetus Stage 16. Which layer of embryonic cells eventually becomes the circulatory system, bones, and muscle? a. endoderm b. mesoderm c. ectoderm d . blastocyst 17. You leave your child with a babysitter. When you return, your child ignores you. Your child's behavior indicates a(n) __________ attachment. a. securely attached b. secure-avoidant c. insecure-avoidant d. insecure-ambivalent 18. Teratogens are those agents which: a. Adversely affect development b. Support development c. Improve development d. Have no effect on development 19. Which reflex normally persists longest after birth? . Babinski b. Grasping c. Moro d. Rooting 20. Which of the following is NOT considered a primitive reflex? a. Babinski b. rooting c. palmar grasping d. stepping SECTION B: Matching questions Instructions for Section BFor each question, match the appropriate item in Column II with its associated word/phrase in Column I. Record your choice on your answer sheet (e. g. , 1. A). An answer may only be used once. | Column I| Column II| 1. Trust versus mistrust| a. the process by which a schema is changed, modified, or created anew in order to underst and something new in the environment| 2.Assimilation| b. â€Å"Stealing is wrong because it is against the law. †| 3. Oedipus complex| c. infants are totally dependent on others in their environment to meet their needs| 4. Bioecological model| d. in the female, an unconscious sexual urge for the father | 5. Preconventional level of reasoning| e. biology and environment interact to produce development| 6. Accommodation| f. in the male, an unconscious sexual urge for the mother| 7. Chronosystem| g. children motivated to take the first step, to start something on their own and to be ambitious| 8.Conventional level of reasoning| h. It is wrong to take the moneybecause you may get caught and then punished| 9. Initiative versus guilt| i. the process by which an existing schema is used to understand something new in the environment| 10. Electra complex| j. the idea that changes in peopleand their environments occur in a time frame and unfold in particular patterns or sequences over a person’s lifetime| SECTION C: Short answer questions Instructions for Section CAnswer all questions in this section. Record your answer on your answer sheet with the number and sub-section clearly labelled. 1) Distinguish between cognitive and physical development. [3] 2) Describe the types of research designs used in developmental psychology. [3] 3) Outline TWO nurture factors that can influence the developmental process. [4] 4) Sometimes inherited defects can produce chromosomal abnormalities. a) What are chromosomal abnormalities? [2] b) State TWO characteristic features of a person with Down syndrome. [2] c) Give an example of another chromosomal abnormality and what it entails. [3] 5) Briefly outline what happens in fetal period of prenatal development. [3] ) List THREE important motor milestone displayed by infants in their first year. [3] 7) According to Piaget, newborns lack an understanding of object permanence a) At what stage of cognitive development do infants d evelop object permanence? [1] b) What must infants master or acquire in order to understand object permanence? [2] 8) Differentiate between separation anxiety and stranger anxiety. [3] 9) In the strange situation procedure, a baby who clings to the mother while she is present and who shows extreme distress when the mother leaves would be exhibiting which style of attachment? END OF TEST

Narrowing Down of Gender Biased Disparities in US Federal and Civil services Essay

Narrowing Down of Gender Biased Disparities in US Federal and Civil Services The early 1970s witnessed a male dominant workforce in all departments of civil and federal services in the United States. Authoritative positions were held mainly by men. ‘Sex Based Glass Ceilings in the US State Level Bureaucracies 1987-1997’ written by Margaret Reed et al. (2004) has relevant data from the US Government offices. The authors analyzed the data and concluded that this gap has narrowed down significantly with women breaking the impediments in the glass ceilings prevalent in administrative positions. According to him, the glass ceiling is not that pervasive in distributive and regulatory agencies but very less pervasive in the services of redistributive agency which will be discussed later in this paper. Mani (2004) in his ‘Women in the Federal Civil Service’, analyses more about the influence of veterans preference to see if it stands as an impediment to women’s career in the federal civil services. Lewis and Oh (2008) exclusively discuss about the male-female pay differences in their paper ‘A Major Difference? ’ They deal effectively with pay disparities. For this, they makes an in depth study of different major subjects in colleges that brings a change in salary and administrative positions. He uses samples of different races, whites and blacks, and Hispanics in his analysis and proves that there is no disparity among races in terms of salary or status. All the three papers propose a common positive trend in women’s education level, salary, status, higher positions in civil and federal workforce. Each paper is exclusive in describing a unique sub-topic with significance and data analysis. Women are close to men in almost all departments thereby bridging the gender gap between 1990 and 2000. All the three papers with data show the disparities and gender differences between 1970 and 1990 that gradually reduced and the percentage variation is insignificant in the year 2000. Reed et al. ’s (2004) paper can be considered as a main discussion of the topic where he touches upon women’s employment, pay disparities and impediments to glass ceilings. Reed (2004) brings about the discussion on glass ceiling and glass wall that existed in three different agencies. The other two papers: ‘A Major Difference? ’ and ‘Women in the Federal Civil Service’ can be considered as a supportive or additional research without much contradictory opinions though each paper touches upon distinctive subtopics distinctively. The data analysis in all the three papers almost arrive at the same percentage of variation between men and women in salary, education in civil and federal workforce. All the three essays borrowed data from government offices like U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission EEOC national (data set for Sex Based Glass Ceilings in the US State Level Bureaucracies 1987-1997’), US Office of Personnel Management (data set for ‘ Major Difference’) and US Office of Personnel Management (data set for ‘Women in the Federal Services’) This data is useful in performing analysis of employees by job category, functional policy areas, salary levels, sex, number of male-female veterans, and male-female non-veterans. This data is not available in the open. It has been provided to the authors on request by the respective universities. This data helps to conduct Significance Test, Logistic Regression tests, Chi-square test and t test to come up with statistical evidence supporting their statements. Reed et al. (2004) use this data to arrive at ceiling ratios while discussing about pay disparities between male and female. When we discuss about gender disparities, or women’s impediments to acquire managerial positions, a common opinion is cited as a drawback in women: they are lack of commitment to affirmative action, lack of developmental assignments, gender biased organization cultures and stereotypes, outright discrimination, assuming leadership roles and welfare composition (Reed et al. 2004). Mani (2004) is also of the same view when he discusses about the reason for gender wage gap. According to him, sex discrimination in hiring and promotions, shortcomings in public policies and social changes played a major role between 1970 and 1990. While discussing pay disparities and acquiring higher positions that remain in disfavor of women, we need to consider that women were in the habit of selecting arts and social subjects in colleges that relatively fetched lower salary and lower administrative positions compared to men who were in the habit of selecting computer science, business and other professional studies. The second factor is that women are mostly connected with familial tie-ups and involved in childbearing, preferring to travel less, etc. automatically kept them away from competing with men for parity in pay or the highest positions in administrative levels. In 1990s, the above-said factors did not stand in the way of women to keep them away from competition. Many women started choosing professional colleges and decided to work in areas where men alone where dominant. Education played a major role in bridging the gap between men and women in pay disparities and higher positions in administrative levels. However, reaching top most authoritative levels was decided on various other factors that led to the disappointment of women. The percentage of gap un-bridged can be considered as due to the shortcomings in public policies and social changes as suggested by Mani (2004). Lewis and Oh (2008) in his exclusive study on pay differences, also attributes the unexplainable gaps in pay disparities to sexual discrimination and difference in government treatment of apparently compatible men and women. All three studies agree that this kind of partial treatment to women has reduced significantly and women are well placed in terms of education, pay, and administrative positions in the late 1990s. The percentage of development in every decade from 1970 is shown through analysis of data. Mani (2004) analyzes the influence of veterans in the civil life to see if it stands as an impediment to women’s opportunity of becoming a top level managers. Earlier in 1970s and 1980s there was considerable reason to believe that veterans had the advantage in federal civil service over non-veterans. The case started reversing in the 1990s with non- veterans getting more salaries and more job advantages. This is because, the women came stronger in studies in all departments. The growing number of women in public and their demands were heeded and respected by the government. The impediments came to a halt with the implementation of Equal Pay Act. Besides, George Bush signed Civil Rights acts of 1991 which allowed women to challenge unfavorable decisions in the bureaucracy and in the courts. Mani (2004) has ultimately concluded his views on veterans and their changing state is in the civil society with time. He proves with the empirical data that veterans no longer remain as an impediment for women in obtaining success in the civil and federal positions. Reed (2004) raises the question of women and their under representation as institutionalized democratic practices when it comes to high level positions. He used two models (i) socio-psychological model that emphasizes the importance of organizational culture that exclude women, and (ii) the systemic model that focuses on the distribution of power and opportunities available to women. Unlike Lewis and Oh (2008), and Mani et al. (2004), Reed (2004) gets into details of three different agencies and the opportunities and positions held by women in them. Regulatory agencies such as police are considered to be a male dominant workforces. Obviously, the presence of glass ceilings is more visible here. The redistributive agency includes management of public welfare programs, rehabilitation, public health services etc that involve more service related jobs where women are appointed traditionally at various levels. The glass ceilings are less pervasive in top administrative positions in redistributive agency. These disparities stated by Reed (2004) are narrowed down in 1990s. Distributive agencies involve construction, repair and administration of bridges, community development, etc in which men use to be dominant. The authors clearly observe the presence of glass wall and an impervious glass ceiling to get into top level management positions. Lewis and Oh (2008) do not segregate in detail, the three agencies via regulatory, distributive and redistributive agencies and so failed to categorize women where their representation, for example departments like police protection, fire, dept, etc was minimum. Without these information, one does not get to know that women are doing fairly well to reach management positions in redistributive agencies. From all the three papers, we understand that there is an increase in percentage of women in all positions of workforce. The empirical data suggests that the percentage increase is gradual from 1970 through the years and in 1995, women were earning about 89% of salary compared to men. Women too started obtaining higher degrees from colleges. Their presence was seen in many upper management positions. However women have not advanced into the highest and most prestigious positions in organizations. According to Reed (2004), the government is becoming creative in implementing strategies to reduce the gender gap but these efforts are not uniformly distributed in all the states. Many women, about 3 million, as teachers, are not included in the data considered for analysis. This is a significant population that chose teaching profession for convenience and so the percentage of variation in disparities between men and women could have been improved if this work force is distributed in other civilian jobs. The proportion of women in various jobs determines various other factors. Mani (2004) has disclosed the veterans and their status in the civil services after the post Vietnam war. His paper helps to understand how the early veterans without much education levels happened to claim up the ladder in civilian positions. We also come know of the rigorous training the veterans possessed to meet the requirements once they come out to the civil life. However, at a later stage, the non-veterans had the advantage over veterans by virtue of their higher education, experience in civil environment and the change of law that preferred veterans in selection procedures. The transition is shown with the help of data available from the U. S. Office of Personal Management Central Personal Data File (OPM CPDF). Comparison among male veterans, male non-veterans, female veterans, female non-veterans with and without considering sex aspect give a clear picture of preferences and impediments over the decades. The scenario in 1995 shows that the disparities among all the four groups have been settled in such a way that one group does not hinder the prospect of the other group while competing for civilian jobs and in promotions. There was a significant difference in salary between men and women after all the analysis conducted by Mani (2004). Like in other papers, Mani (2004) too agrees with sex discrimination, the shortcomings in the public policies and social changes that impact women’s career. But his opinion is slightly different compared to the other two: after 1998, there was still occupational segregation and salary disparities between men and women. The other two papers showed that much of the gender gap is narrowed down around 1999, whereas Mani (2004) still shows differences that requires rectification from the government side. All the three papers with data and analysis reveal the changes in social and cultural changes through the history of United States. All the three papers used more or less the similar data borrowed from the government departments. This can be considered as a major drawback in the results obtained. If each paper used a different data from different sources to conduct statistical analysis, it would have been more appealing. All the three papers do not consider or omit a few factors evenly while doing the analysis. For example, the 3 million teachers (Reed, 2004) avoided in one paper is a wise decision which is not found in the case of other two papers. All the three papers are trying to arrive at showing the percentage of gap narrowing down in disparities between male and female without considering similar factors in the analysis. This cannot be taken strongly for absolute results. However, the data from the government sources and its utilization in analyzing the subject to provide with statistics at various levels certainly convince the readers that there is improvement in lessening of glass walls and ceilings, equality in pay and acquiring top level management positions in the civil and federal workforce. References Lewis, B. & Oh, S. S. , (2008). A Major Difference? Fields of Study and Male–Female Pay Differences in Federal Employment. Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University, Atlanta. Mani, B. G. (2004). Women in the Federal Civil Service: Career Advancement, Veterans’ Preference, and Education. Reid, M. (2004). Sex-based Glass Ceilings in US State-Level Bureacracies, 1987-1991. Administration and Society.

Nervous Conditions Response

White Man’s Burden and Nervous Conditions The â€Å"white man’s burden† was a narrative created by Europeans as a part of a civilizing mission (lecture, 3/4). Above all it meant education and Christianity. These two things were brought to the African continent under the assumption that they would bring wellbeing for Africans. Yet that was not always the case. In many instances, these assumptions were contested by the real life experiences of many Africans and manifested in nervous conditions. We see examples of this in Tsitsi Dangarembga’s work.The various relationships Babamukuru has with different characters throughout Nervous Conditions are emblematic of the multi-faceted and complex relationships colonizers had with Africans especially when analyzed in the context of the ‘white man’s burden’ as related to education, Christianity, and control. Many Africans were convinced of the â€Å"white man’s† promise that a Western education was key to breaking the cycle of poverty and a means to a better life. Babamukuru is a shining example of this, especially the ways in which he uses his education in relation to others.The first case this is present is in his decision to bring Nyasha and Chido to England for his own education because he did not want them to experience the â€Å"hardship that he had experienced as a young child† on the homestead (14). This choice suggests that he viewed his education as a way for his children to indirectly benefit and promote their wellbeing. A more direct example is Babamukuru’s vested interest in the wellbeing of his extended family. He declares, â€Å"we need to ensure that at least one member form each family is educated† (44).Babamukuru feels that it is his duty, as an African educated in the West, to provide opportunities of education for his family. This feeling of obligation—or burden—to provide is rooted in his own education as i t relates to his colonial experience. This is not to pass judgment on his offer, rather, further analyze the relationship between wellbeing and education as it relates to the colonizer and the African more generally. Although Babamukuru’s gift is well received by the family, it is necessary to consider the notion that western education, as a means to wellbeing truly is a colonial conviction.Moreover, western education is not necessarily valued in traditional Africa the way that is often taken at face value. Consider the fact that on page 15 Jeremiah said to Tambu, â€Å"Can you cook books and feed them to your husband? Stay at home with your mother. Learn to cook and clean. † As is evident, the type of education Babamukuru is offering his family is strictly colonial and influenced as such. It is not the panacea that is often considered at face value. Moreover, it the experience with education cultivated nervous conditions that challenged the traditional African identit ies of some characters.This is evident in characters like Tambu and Nyasha which will be discussed in more detail shortly. In sum, western education as a means to wellbeing under the mindset of the white man’s burden is often contradictory. This is evident from the standpoint of Babamukuru through the examples provided. On one hand it was a means to a better life. However, in this offer to and aspiration toward higher education came struggles with identity and what it meant to be African. Yet this is not the only example of Babamukuru’s relationship with characters in the book as emblematic of the â€Å"white man’s burden†.Just as Europeans were convinced Africans needed to be educated, they were also convinced that Africans needed Christianity in order to be saved by the grace of God. In the same way â€Å"white men† felt burdened to facilitate this relationship, Babamukuru internalized this attitude. His conviction that Jeremiah and Ma’Shi ngayi need a proper Christian wedding shows this. He says, â€Å"Jeremiah†¦you are still living in sin. You have not been married in a church before God. This is a serious matter† (149). Babamukuru’s imposition of a Christian wedding on Jeremiah and Ma’Shingayi symbolizes how colonial values of religion manifested in African life.It was imposed from the outside inward as if to suggest African religion before colonialism was inherently flawed. In demanding a Christian wedding Babamukuru challenged traditional African ways of ceremony and union which, consequently, presented struggles in the life of various characters. One particular case is with Tambu in her refusal to attend the ceremony. In response to this Babamukuru exclaims, â€Å"I am the head of this house. Anyone who defies my authority is doing an evil thing in this house, bent on destroying my authority† (169).Two important modes of analysis come out of this. The first is how the colonial tr adition of a Christian wedding seemed to disturb Tambu. The second is the element of control that Babamukuru exhibits. For him, just as for the colonizers, it was more than a wedding. It was a way to impose European values and traditions in order to change what it meant to be African. In short, Christianity as part of the white man’s burden was an imposition that challenged African traditions. As symbolized in the case of Tambu’s refusal to attend the ceremony, this created tension for many Africans.Moreover, the way in which Babamukuru handles the situation with Tambu exemplifies the element of control that was pervasive in living out the white man’s burden. Finally, this analysis of the white man’s burden through the scope of Babamukuru’s relationship with other characters in the book culminates with the theme of control, specifically his relationship with Nyasha. This is a good example because their relationship highlights the multifaceted aspec ts of the relationship between the colonizer and African. First, there is thecare and concern of wellbeing Babamukuru has for this daughter.He takes her to England then enrolls her in school so as to provide her with a better life. At the same time he places high pressure on her to perform well and become more â€Å"English†. He has high expectations for her and, in many ways, expects her to become more â€Å"white† by adopting European customs and disciplines. All of this pressure creates nervous conditions for Nyasha and consequently puts strain on her relationship with her father as exemplified through the tensions and fights between the two. This issue of pressure and control manifests prominently in the scene where Babamukuru forces Nyasha to eat.He demands, â€Å"Sit down and eat that food. I am telling you. Eat it! † (192). After consuming the food like a maniac she forces herself to vomit. Further, this marks the beginning of an eating disorder. Using th is as a metaphor, the European control many Africans felt from the white man’s burden led many to feel starved of an identity that was essentially African. Some populations became subservient and assimilated, like many French colonies (lecture, 3/11). Still others rebelled and/or broke under the pressure in a way similar to Nyasha.One example of this would be rebellions in the Congo in the 1960s as well as the Mau Mau Rebellion (lectures, 3/4; 3/6). What persists, though, is the pressure Africans felt in the manifestation of the white man’s burden created nervous conditions that led to neuroses of entire populations. In conclusion, the various relationships Babamukuru has with different characters throughout Nervous Conditions are emblematic of the multi-faceted and complex relationships colonizers had with Africans especially when analyzed in the context of the ‘white man’s burden’ as related to education, Christianity, and control.Babamukuru as an African educated in the west internalizes many European values that are subsequently projected on other characters in the book. As is clear, these manifest in different ways. However, is also clear is the assumption of African wellbeing through colonization under the â€Å"white man’s burden† is contested. In fact, the â€Å"white man’s burden† created nervous conditions for many Africans.

Descartes and Certainty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Descartes and Certainty - Essay Example Descartes opens himself to the possibility of rejecting the beliefs he has adopted early in life without proof down to the ones that lay foundation on his belief system. Descartes starts off by questioning his physical and spiritual existence. He checks for the veracity of his possessing a body and soul. His doubts escalate to the properties of objects such as dimension, color, quantity, and the place and time during which they exist. Afterwards and quite quickly, Descartes jumps into the subject of the existence of God, which also appears in a separate meditation - Meditation III. One may ask, "Why does Descartes' questioning on the existence of God appear so early in Meditation I" After attempting to prove his existence, Descartes tries to prove the existence of God or what he refers to as Deity. To him the ability to prove God's existence is the most significant goal the failure of which implied inability to prove everything else. This is how important the goal is to him. To a believer like Descartes, conceiving of ideas and existence of other things is only possible with God. It seems impossible to comprehend a world without a God. The existence of God simplifies the laws of nature, and answers the questions as to why the universe behaves the way it does. From his writings, it is clear that Descartes believes in God. Meditation II gives us a clearer view of Descartes' "I think therefore I am." Note that in Meditation I, Descartes' doubts concerning life, the universe and everything are strengthened by the contemplation of an "omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent" God being a deceiver. In many of his musings, Descartes bumps into skepticism but rejected it right away. At length, Descartes goes about his uncertainties and contradicts them to be able to get to his desired answer. He talks about intuition of the mind arguing that objects and bodies should be perceived not by the senses or imagination but by the intellect alone. Meditation III reveals Descartes advancing in his method of finding truth by forming a basis of certainty - the clear and distinct. To quote: "In this first knowledge, doubtless, there is nothing that gives me assurance of its truth except the clear and distinct perception of what I affirm". By "clear and distinct" he refers to objects that were not only perceived by his senses and ideas that formed in his mind but also objects whose existence was external to him. Despite this, Descartes cannot help doubting. As he progresses towards certainty, a new question forms in his mind and the process becomes circular. Descartes answers his metaphysical doubt by proving that God exists and is not a deceiver. Once he has proven the existence of God then everything else will follow. He treats the existence of God in the context of the existence of the material world. He uses wax as an example - extending it, melting it and so on and applies the same process of thought with God or Deity, for that matter. How ever little that metaphysical doubt, it has to be eliminated in order to witness the certainty of the existence of things. Descartes has to convince us that God or the evil genius has not merely enticed him into thinking that something can't emerge from nothing. Descartes attempts to make his point by dealing with contradictions. He uses

Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Analysis - Assignment Example Indeed, he claims that bureaucracy is the most rational and efficient form of organization established by man.2 Most assuredly, Weber establishes the merits and demerits of bureaucracy. Notably, Weber conceived sociology as a science with a view of interpreting and understanding social conduct.3 In addressing the substance of sociology, he focused on rationalization as the most general element in the philosophy of history and the constitutive element of modern western society.4 He contends that strict systematic forms of thoughts, which characterize law, are fundamental to rational jurisprudence. Notably, Weber measured rationalization by assessing the extent at which ideas gain in systematic coherence and consistency as well as by assessing the displacement of magical elements of thoughts.5 Moreover, he classifies rationalization into value rationality and purpose rationality. While value rationality focuses on intrinsic value only, purpose rationality focuses on consequences of an action.6 Furthermore, Weber analyzed the concept of domination and established that the emergence of rational societies is critically dependent on the exercise of domination.7 The Weber’s central theme of rationalization process moves from magicians to priests who seek to protect their positions using systematic religious beliefs.8 He also believed that capitalism is the highest level of rationality in economic behavior and established that the concepts of economic ratio nality are in conflict.9 Ultimately, he asserts that the religious roots of modern capitalism led to utilitarianism, which further led to materialism.10 This chapter reckons that there has been immense growth in public administration where the emergence of a wide range of generic and specialized journals, the increasing number of public administration programs, and the