Ib Psychology Essay; Bloa Ethics

Discuss ethical considerations related to research studies at the biological level of analysis. As with any aspect of Psychology that uses research studies, studies in the Biological Level of Analysis require the researcher to follow main ethical guidelines. While all the guidelines should be followed and respected, there are quite a few of which should be taken into extra careful consideration, although so is not always the case. To keep the research in ethical bounds, most psychologists agree to follow a certain code of ethics in order to abstain from inhumane experiments and studies.Deception, debriefing, and exploitation of animals in the use of invasive techniques, all come into play as significant considerations at this level. Sometimes, however, it is not possible for researchers to always follow that code as it may affect their studies' results. For example in a Schachter and Singer (1962) experimental study –intending to challenge several theories of emotion- voluntee rs were recruited to receive a vitamin injection and informed that they would be participating in vision experiments.In reality, three groups received an injection of adrenaline, and those of a fourth were given placebo injections. Even worse, one of the groups was not told about even a single possible side effect. Despite a safe amount of adrenalin, fully informed consent could not be obtained since it could influence and alter the overall results, attributing to in fact a characteristic placebo effect. This gives researchers justification of their use of deception in an attempt to keep their work valid and controversy-free.Researchers use placebos during studies to help them understand the effectiveness of a new drug or some other treatment on a certain condition. A placebo is a seemingly legitament medical treatment that is in fact fake and has no physical affect whatsoever on an individual; a response to which can be positive or negative. The relationship between the mind and bo dy has been the focus of research on the placebo effect.One of its most common theories is that the effect is due to the individual's expectations: anticipating a particular outcome from, for example, a pill can actually lead to the body's own chemical makeup carrying that out to some extent if not exactly. The third principle of the biological level of analysis states that animal research may inform our understanding of behavior; suggesting that we share a common ancestor, we can therefore make human inferences based on that. There is significant controversy concerning the use of animals in such acts nd the understanding of its advantages and namely disadvantages. And so, another group of studies to consider in terms of ethical issues is research involving animals. It is an obvious solution to quite a number of researchers' problems to simply harm animals rather than resort to humans. However, it is widely believed that all animal research is unethical primarily due to the lack of ability to obtain informed consent on behalf of the animals. In addition to this, it is not possible for researchers to predict the amount of harm or pain that the animal will undergo – if any.In specific, numerous experiments comprising of animals to study brain correlations have been conducted. Hetherington and Ranson were in charge of such an experimental study, in 1942, in testing the function of the hypothalamus. Upon the lessoning of the hypothalamus, the rats' appetites were distorted which resulted in a doubling of their weight. From this, researchers concluded the belief that the hypothalamus is indeed responsible for the regulation of appetite or hunger. The damage done however was not reversible in any sense.This again is a question of ethics. Thus, there is a range of ethical issues that researchers working at The Biological Level of Analysis must have in mind at all times, ready to look through rather than looking past. Never-ending debates present for almost eve ry topic, study, or discovery, may never really seize to exist. Nonetheless, this just emphasizes the need for extra effort to be put in†¦ People define ethics in the way that personally suits them, and this in its own way is a perfect example of lack of ethics, as well as decorum. Ib Psychology Essay; Bloa Ethics Discuss ethical considerations related to research studies at the biological level of analysis. As with any aspect of Psychology that uses research studies, studies in the Biological Level of Analysis require the researcher to follow main ethical guidelines. While all the guidelines should be followed and respected, there are quite a few of which should be taken into extra careful consideration, although so is not always the case. To keep the research in ethical bounds, most psychologists agree to follow a certain code of ethics in order to abstain from inhumane experiments and studies.Deception, debriefing, and exploitation of animals in the use of invasive techniques, all come into play as significant considerations at this level. Sometimes, however, it is not possible for researchers to always follow that code as it may affect their studies' results. For example in a Schachter and Singer (1962) experimental study –intending to challenge several theories of emotion- voluntee rs were recruited to receive a vitamin injection and informed that they would be participating in vision experiments.In reality, three groups received an injection of adrenaline, and those of a fourth were given placebo injections. Even worse, one of the groups was not told about even a single possible side effect. Despite a safe amount of adrenalin, fully informed consent could not be obtained since it could influence and alter the overall results, attributing to in fact a characteristic placebo effect. This gives researchers justification of their use of deception in an attempt to keep their work valid and controversy-free.Researchers use placebos during studies to help them understand the effectiveness of a new drug or some other treatment on a certain condition. A placebo is a seemingly legitament medical treatment that is in fact fake and has no physical affect whatsoever on an individual; a response to which can be positive or negative. The relationship between the mind and bo dy has been the focus of research on the placebo effect.One of its most common theories is that the effect is due to the individual's expectations: anticipating a particular outcome from, for example, a pill can actually lead to the body's own chemical makeup carrying that out to some extent if not exactly. The third principle of the biological level of analysis states that animal research may inform our understanding of behavior; suggesting that we share a common ancestor, we can therefore make human inferences based on that. There is significant controversy concerning the use of animals in such acts nd the understanding of its advantages and namely disadvantages. And so, another group of studies to consider in terms of ethical issues is research involving animals. It is an obvious solution to quite a number of researchers' problems to simply harm animals rather than resort to humans. However, it is widely believed that all animal research is unethical primarily due to the lack of ability to obtain informed consent on behalf of the animals. In addition to this, it is not possible for researchers to predict the amount of harm or pain that the animal will undergo – if any.In specific, numerous experiments comprising of animals to study brain correlations have been conducted. Hetherington and Ranson were in charge of such an experimental study, in 1942, in testing the function of the hypothalamus. Upon the lessoning of the hypothalamus, the rats' appetites were distorted which resulted in a doubling of their weight. From this, researchers concluded the belief that the hypothalamus is indeed responsible for the regulation of appetite or hunger. The damage done however was not reversible in any sense.This again is a question of ethics. Thus, there is a range of ethical issues that researchers working at The Biological Level of Analysis must have in mind at all times, ready to look through rather than looking past. Never-ending debates present for almost eve ry topic, study, or discovery, may never really seize to exist. Nonetheless, this just emphasizes the need for extra effort to be put in†¦ People define ethics in the way that personally suits them, and this in its own way is a perfect example of lack of ethics, as well as decorum.

Industrial Revolution Essay

Industrial revolution describes the period between 1750 and 1850, in which tremendous changes characterized by developments in textile, iron were realized. The revolution was spearheaded by Britain. Modern historians refer to these changes as the first industrial revolution (Clark, 2007). The second revolution was characterized by steel, electronics and automobiles and was spearheaded by Germany (Clark, 2007). The Industrial Revolution was a period filled with drastic social and economic changes. The transformation between hand-made tools and goods to machine-manufactured products changed not only the economy, but also the lives of the workers. The first changes began in Great Britain in the 1780’s and spread across Europe and North America by the 19th century leaving a profound effect on the entire world. The Industrial Revolution effected every aspect of human society including the nature of work, child labor, and health conditions of the workers. Agriculture was a dominant job for workers before the Industrial Revolution. Sebastian Le Prestre Vauban listed many typical jobs including â€Å"†¦mowing, harvesting, threshing, woodcutting, working the soil and the vineyards, clearing land, ditching, carrying soil to vineyards or elsewhere, laboring for builders and several other tasks†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Wiesner 152) in his tax-reform proposal. This document shows that life as farmer consisted of purely manual labor. Although these jobs were arduous and demanding, the typical agricultural worker was only employed for half the year according to Vauban. Agriculture was a task-based working system where the work was completed according to a completing a task by a certain deadline. As long as the tasks  were completed on time, the hours spent working were not tightly regimented. With the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, workers moved from the fields to the factories. The Industrial Revolution had a great impact on the human’s rights and conditions and it also resulted in significant technological advancements, but it can be categorically stated that the technological advancements during the Industrial Revolution were paramount when compared to the revolution’s impact upon human rights and conditions. Agriculture was the main-stay for livelihood before the era of Industrial Revolution. Most of the people owned farmlands and workers were employed to work in the farms. Although Industrial revolution brought about significant economic development throughout Europe, there were also considerable social and cultural changes seen as well (Snooks, 2002). Industrial revolution had a tremendous transformation on the middle class, which initially was comprised of industrialists and businessmen to another class of noble and gentry people. There were increased employment opportunities for the ordinary working people in the industries, but under s trict working conditions. There work was monitored and controlled by machines hence long hours of work (Clark, 2007). Industrial revolution led to the introduction of urbanization since many people relocated to the cities to look for employment in factories; such as the water power silk mill and the cotton spinning mill. This was characterized by dense, cramped housing and poor living conditions. There was the introduction of new laws guarding child labor, public health and working condition for the ordinary workers to avoid exploitation of the minority (Snooks, 2002). As much as there were positive effects of the industrial revolution such as urbanization, there was also a negative impact on industrial revolution that comprised of people who were anti technologists such as the luddites (Clark, 2007). There was a change in culture since new cities grew rapidly, affecting families and peer groups. For instance, there was an influence in drugs by peer groups and the following: Economic Changes During the first industrial revolution, there was an unprecedented economic transformation; there was a tremendous increase in population growth that  was sustained. This led to considerable expansions of commercial activities in Europe (Snooks, 2002). Steam power was invented that was used to provide power in the factories, used for mining, and transport. It replaced human labor and introduced machines that could do mining in depth, increase production in the industries, and fast means of transport to the markets. The textile industry was changed by new machines the spinning Jenny allowing for much higher production at lower costs and in less time (Jacob, 1997). Thanks to the industrial revolution that brought about, better transport system such as the canals and then the railway. These provided quick, better means of transporting raw materials from the mines and also finished products to the market. Trade expansion was enabled. There was also much development in metal and chemica l industries due to the industrial revolution that provided better working conditions for its workers (Clark, 2007). Development of all-metal machine tools enabled the manufacture of more production machines for industries. These spread all over Western Europe and North America then to the rest of the world. The industrial revolution facilitated the manufacture of more production machines. Causes of Industrial revolution Industrial revolution came about due to several inventions and the scientific revolution allowing for new discoveries such as technology. Resources required for the industrial revolutions were readily available hence boost industrialization to occur. There was a culture of hard work, developing ideas and risk taking that initiated for the industrial revolution in Europe. Availability of large amount of capital that Europe was ready to use for investment also led to the industrial revolution (Clark, 2007). There was the end of feudalism that changed the economic relationship among the Europe continent, this encouraged industrial revolution. A large population that allowed for industrial workforce was available. Conclusion As much as Western Europe tried to do away with capitalism, industrial revolution contributed to the creation of a true capitalist system. There was wide spread of investments, stock markets, and business corporations. Britain was the main advocator for the industrial revolution due to the agricultural revolution. The British kings lost power and the land holders  gained power (Clark, 2007). There is no doubt that the Industrial Revolution was one of the most influential time periods of human history. It was almost solely responsible for propelling society into the modern economies that we still have in place today. The technological advances of this time are what allowed for the mass production of goods and services for society, which allowed for trade to be conducted on a much larger scale. Additionally, the average family saw in increase in the amount of income that they received because an unskilled worker could find work in one of the many new factories that were opened to pro duce the goods needed for the business world. Unfortunately the workers of the time were usually taken advantage of because of their apparent lack of skill and the abundance of workers available for the same jobs. This created a work environment especially negative for women who would be treated unfairly in the workplace and would receive less pay for the work that they did. Prompted by the oppression that many in the working class felt, literary works were put out to inspire the workers to take back their freedoms. Karl Marx advocated for a revolution of the working class over the management that held them back. Bakunin advocated for the overthrow of the government to get society to a natural state of harmony, and the Pope pushed for a united workers front where the government protected its citizens from being oppressed in the workplace. Over the course of the Industrial Revolution the worker saw vast changes, which ultimately lead to the economic times we have now that are improved from the days of the past. Works Cited Clark, G. (2007). A Farewell to Alms: A Brief Economic History of the World. Princeton University Press. Princeton University Press: Princeton. Jacob, M. (1997). Scientific Culture and the Making of the Industrial West. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Snooks, G. D. (2002). Was the Industrial Revolution Necessary. London: Routledge. (2008, 04). Impact of the Industrial Revolution. StudyMode.com. Retrieved 04, 2008, from http://www.studymode.com/essays/Impact-Of-The-Industrial-Revolution-144806.html â€Å"Industrial Revolution Research Paper† StudyMode.com. 05 2011. 2011. 05 View as multi-pages

Anthropology of Tattoos

He repeated this several times as a ceremonial pot was filled with gathering soot from the burning fire. After the artist finished his tedious design, he rubbed soot from the pot bottom deep into the slits, planting the bacteria that would infect the skin, raising the scars into their meaningful design. She felt accomplished that she withstood the agonizing pain while other members of her clan could not. Her newly inherited body art signified the birth of her first son, and left her with a renewed sense of beauty. This is the way of life common to people indigenous to the motherland of Africa. Scarification, however, is not the only form of body art that is used. Body painting, tattooing, and branding are all similar forms of body art, which can be found in Africa and other cultures throughout the world. The word â€Å"tattoo† comes from the Tahitian word â€Å"tattau†, which means â€Å"to mark†. Tattoos have evolved from being symbols of punishment that were given to identify criminals and slaves in the early ninth-century Chinese culture, into a pop-culture trend of using he skin as â€Å"a way of describing the exotic uncivilized other† within ourselves (Schildkrout 2004:324). For centuries, the body has been used as a â€Å"visible way of defining individual identity and cultural difference† (Schildkrout 2004:319). This cultural difference becomes apparent when studying the evolution of body art over time, especially when focusing on the differences between the Western and Non-Western cultures. People have been adorning their body with tattoos and piercing for centuries, but until recently, the thought of tattoos in ancient Egypt had been pushed aside. It has now been discovered that, without a doubt, tattoos did exist in that time period. Although miniscule, a group of enormously important tattooed mummies serve to help prove this point (Bianchi 1988:21). The first mummy to be discovered was one f a woman named Amunet, whose mummy was found in an excellent state of preservation, â€Å"most likely due to the fact that she served as a priestess of the goddess Harthor at Thebes during Dynasty XI†(Bianchi 1988:22). The tattoos on her body were comprised of a pattern of dots and dashes in an elliptical shape on her lower abdomen. The thighs and arms adorned the identical parallel lines of the aforementioned pattern. Two more women mummies, who were discovered and believed to be from the same time period, also had similar tattoos on their lower abdomen (Bianchi 1988:22). This group of woman represents an exclusive group of Egyptians who received tattoos in that time period, because there is no other evidence that shows tattoos to be a part of the Egyptian culture until the time of the Middle Kingdom. These abstract patterns associated with ritualistic tattooing survived into the New Kingdom. The Egyptians, more then likely, borrowed a form of tattooing from the Nubian civilization. Unlike the Nubians, whose purpose for tattooing is unknown, â€Å"the Egyptians appear to have regarded the tattoo as one of several vehicles by which the procreative powers of the deceased could be revived† (Bianchi 1988:27). Substantiation proposes that only women were associated with the decorating of their bodies and the ritualistic activities that went along with it. The art of tattooing began with the grouping of bluish or black dots and/or dashes forming abstract geometric patterns; that system of body art lasted for over two thousand years in ancient Egypt. Just like other ideas and goods, the idea of tattooing began to travel to several different societies, and has evolved into extremely different forms of art all over the world. In northeastern Zambia, the Tabwa â€Å"once covered themselves from head to foot with scarification† (Roberts 1988:41). The women of the Tabwa began receiving elaborate marks on their face, chest, and backs when they were young girls; it sometimes was continued at other points in a woman’s life (Roberts 1988:43) such as courting rituals and for woman wishing to bear a child. Male sculptors would trace designs and make incisions on the lesser intimate parts of the body; they left the rest for the women to do. ‘Tabwa women used razors to slit skin [that had been] plucked up with a fishhook or arrowhead. These incisions were then rubbed with soot from a pot bottom, an irritant that produced the desired raised cicatrices† (Roberts 1988:44). There were several reasons that this tradition was done, different to every age and gender in the tribe. Young women went through this process in order to achieve a state of perfection, which was required for those wanting to marry and have children (Roberts 1988:45). Scarification is a form of body art that was used in several tribes because according to their customs â€Å"beauty is not physically innate, but rather a function of the girl’s inscriptions† (Roberts 1988:45). Not only the Tabwa, scarification was used in such tribes as the Ga’anda and the Tiv; all the tribes have distinctly different purposes for doing this, but the process and effect of the body are the same. Another form of body art is body painting, which the people of the Southeast Nuba begin at a young age; but the meanings, and time frame from when they begin decorating the body are very different between males and females. The males paint themselves from the ages of 12 to 27 (Faris 1988:31). Typically, they only paint during the down time after the harvest season and before the next years planting begins. This is the time that the males are less involved in mandatory and productive activities; they spend their supplementary time with festive activities such as dance and sport participation. The restrictions placed on the men by their age, most importantly deal with the color that they use on their body—for example â€Å" only the older age groups are eligible to use the greatest elaboration in color, including the deep black and yellow [colors, that are] prohibited to younger grades†(Faris 1988:32). The change in elaboration allowed on the body does not coincide with any physiological changes, rather, it corresponds with changes â€Å"in productive status or sport† (Faris 1988:32). As they move up in grades from young laborers that answer to the elders, to mature men that own their own property, farm and family, their elaborate painting ability increases. The elders though, do not decorate their bodies; rather, they delegate and lead rituals for the younger men and enforce the rules of allowed color use. Therefore, the male body painting shows their progression thru ones life stages. The women of Southeast Nuba, â€Å"from the age of six years, until consummation of marriage, oil and ochre [their bodies] daily, in colors [that are] appropriate to their patri-clan section† (Faris 1988:34). After childbirth, they may continue to wear some oil and ochre on their shoulders. The personal body art of women is strictly related to the physiological changes that occur as a women goes through life, and are fixed around body scarification as a way of showing her changes. A woman’s scarification is so important, that â€Å"if a husband refuses to pay for a scarring specialist, a woman may seek a lover who will do so, and her first marriage will end† (Faris 1988:35). Unlike the males elaborate body art, a woman’s body art is simple, but it accumulates over her life-span and is very standardized, while a male’s body art is constantly changing. Body painting, tattooing and scarification thus far had been tools used by individuals to beautify their body and elevate their status within their tribe; this is not the case with all societies. In several other cultures, tattoos have been used in a form of branding, which is quite the opposite. Though tattooing and branding are â€Å"similar in that both involve the insertion of pigments under the skin to create permanent marks†, branding is implemented in order to lower an individuals status, to punish for crimes committed, to identify slaves, but most importantly, to eliminate personal identity (Schildkrout 2004:323). â€Å"The immutable alteration of human skin by branding needs to be considered in relation to, but ought not be confused with, tattooing† (Bianchi 1988:27). Two recent studies originating in South Africa elaborate on this subject, reporting on the political influence of tattooing â€Å"as a means of social control† (Schildkrout 2004:330). They site examples from Zambia in which a medical practitioner travels around to villages â€Å"in which witch craft accusations have been common†¦to inoculate people against people against witch craft† (Schildkrout 2004:331). The villagers would â€Å"submit to bodily inspections†, they were then treated â€Å"by getting numbers tattooed on their arms† (Schildkrout 2004:331). This is disturbingly reminiscent of Nazi concentration camps when an unfathomable number of Jewish people lost their personal identities and became known as only a number in the system to be disposed of. This â€Å"symbolic denial of personhood† served as a system â€Å"of control and surveillance† (Schildkrout 2004:323). This system of control was also imposed by â€Å"authoritarian regimes† in Southeast Asia (Schildkrout 2004:323). The Zhou and Ming Dynasties branded criminals as a form of punishment with â€Å"extensive, often full-body tattoos, with elaborate pictorial imagery as well as written inscriptions† (Schildkrout 2004:324) portraying their crime. This form of tattooing is definitely contrary to traditional methods. Similarly in Brazil, branding was used to mark convicts by the penal authorities. Penal tattoos derived their power from subjugation of the marked convicts. The humiliation of being visibly branded was a significant component of the convict’s punishment. In an act of resistance, those that had been branded â€Å"were known to reclaim their bodies by writing over the inscriptions or by displaying them in new social situations† (Schildkrout 2004:324). The branded, therefore, became the empowered, restoring the function of the tattoo to being personally-motivated. This personal motivation is perhaps most notable in Western cultures, specifically North America. In America, the Native Americans used body painting in many ways, usually connected with ethnic identity, social roles or marital status (Rubin 1988:179). The Natives also used the body as a canvas in ritualistic ceremonies, on warriors going into battle and for the beautification of their women. When the Europeans discovered America, they brought with them slaves from Africa and they introduced branding of the slaves into the American culture. After the civil war, when the slaves had been freed, branding was still embedded in American culture through groups of people including gang members and convicts. Though â€Å"branding is often associated with involuntary marking and the denial of personhood†, it has also â€Å"been adopted in contemporary Western body culture as an assertion of group identity, for example in college fraternities† (Schildkrout 2004:323). Tattoos were also prevalent in other parts of America, including Alaska. Among the Eskimos â€Å"[t]he function of these art forms [was] – essentially manifesting one’s place or role within the hierarchy of hunting life† (Gritton 1988:190). With the introduction and adaptation of the western civilization in Alaskan culture, â€Å"the marks of a hunter or hunter’s wife served no purpose in their new lives and were understandably abandoned† (Gritton 1988:190). The function of body art and tattooing has been Americanized, evolving from its native origins to incorporate self expression. This self expression has mushroomed from a manor of identifying oneself to a way of gaining attention through shock value. Though ever-changing, all forms of body art mentioned play enormous roles in the lives of people. Certain non-Western cultures are based around the ability to use skin as a visible way of defining status or bettering their self-image, in order to attract companions. So the artists who are allowed to perform the act of adorning bodies with different designs are regarded as having a very important place in the society. They are â€Å"scarring specialist† (Faris 1988:35), â€Å"body artists† (Drewal 1988:84), but most importantly, they are known as â€Å"[the] one-who-creates- art† (Drewal 1988:84). In the non-Native American culture, however, the general attitude towards tattoo artist in present-day American culture is less than appreciative. Extreme critics even characterize tattooist as opportunist, exclusively seeking monetary gain (Sanders 1988:229). â€Å"The tattooist interest in artistry and control is often in conflict with his profit orientation†, revealing the major flaw within the American society (Sanders 1988:229). This is the major difference in western and non-western cultures. Body tattoos in western society are an object to be purchased. Americans obtain tattoos in the same manner that they acquire a new Louis Vuitton handbag. They purchase them as accessories, which is in stark contrast to the non-western cultures, who acquire tattoos as an essential ritual in their society. With this is mind, the process in which American’s purchases body art seems slightly ridiculous. Tattoo artists often complain of the unwillingness of customers to spend the quoted amount of money for â€Å"a tattoo [they] are going to wear for the rest of [their] life† (Sanders 1988:229). It is more acceptable in American culture to invest in short term materialistic purchases, therefore the legitimate tattoo artists are constantly being monitored and regimented under strict laws imposed by the government. Despite the absurdity of the purchasing process, the reasoning that propels the American society to obtain tattoos is just as flawed. Some reasons people give to explain permanently marking their skin include, â€Å"they were drunk, it’s a macho thing, to fit in with a crowd or even worse, for no reason at all† (DeMello 1995:42). Western society seems to have a complete disregard for the spiritual origins of body art. Tattoo artist are even witness to clients’ apathy, avoiding â€Å"working on people who are obviously under the influence of alcohol† (Sanders 1988:225). Where once there was a ceremonious celebration deeply rooted in spiritualism, in American society the only ritualistic ceremony is the receiving of a piece of paper on how to care for the recently acquired body art. This apathetic attitude of Americans is perhaps derived from the renouncing majority of the population. This bias stems from â€Å"very early ‘regulations’ [including] Moses’ remarks in Leviticus 19:28 forbidding any cuttings in the flesh or the printing of any marks† (Armstrong 2005:39). Since tattoos â€Å"were not sanctioned by the church† the profile for the tattooed archetype became unconventional (Schildkrout 2004:325). Christian belief has been adapted to the masses, forcing those who are tattooed into rebellion. The majority of people adopting body art include â€Å"bikers, convicts, and other ‘low lives’† (DeMello 1995:40). In Western society â€Å"the idea that the unmarked body as a sign of God’s work was linked to the Protestant reformation† and â€Å"the idea that body markings were a sign of savagery goes back even earlier† ( Schildkrout 2004:324). This is ironic considering tattoos in earlier cultures signified positions of high status. Perhaps the only entity that ties these drastic cultures together is the desire to increase their inherited beauty. â€Å"If the body is – metaphorically – a site of inscription to various degrees for various theorist, then cosmetic surgery can be seen, at one level, as an example of the literal and explicit enactment of this process of inscription† ( Schildkrout 2004:320), which is also seen in the aforementioned tribes with the rituals of scarification. DeMello also agrees that along with tattooing and piericing, that cosmetic surgery is seen as a form of â€Å"body modification† (DeMello 1995:37). â€Å"Not only does the tattooed skin negotiate between the individual and society and between different social groups, but also mediates relations between persons and spirits, the human and the divine† (Schildkrout 2004:321). Body art is a tradition that extends throughout the barriers of the world and although the forms in which they are found may be different, the idea of using your body as a canvas is universal. Although recently, several anthropologists agreed and have begun to examine body art more closely, looking at it â€Å"as a microcosm of society† (Schildkrout 2004:328), Roberts still believes that â€Å"there can be no ultimate explanation of symbolism† (Roberts 1988:51). He claims that â€Å"the blazes on trees in the Ndembu forest will remain many years after their purpose and meaning are forgotten. So it is with other inscriptions† (Roberts 1988:51). This is exemplified in the woman who endured the agonizing pain of her scarification to instigate a new chapter in her life. Nevertheless, soon after her body is placed into the ground, her skin will no longer be a visible indication of who she once was. She will become a memory and her body will no longer be used as a canvas. Anthropology of Tattoos He repeated this several times as a ceremonial pot was filled with gathering soot from the burning fire. After the artist finished his tedious design, he rubbed soot from the pot bottom deep into the slits, planting the bacteria that would infect the skin, raising the scars into their meaningful design. She felt accomplished that she withstood the agonizing pain while other members of her clan could not. Her newly inherited body art signified the birth of her first son, and left her with a renewed sense of beauty. This is the way of life common to people indigenous to the motherland of Africa. Scarification, however, is not the only form of body art that is used. Body painting, tattooing, and branding are all similar forms of body art, which can be found in Africa and other cultures throughout the world. The word â€Å"tattoo† comes from the Tahitian word â€Å"tattau†, which means â€Å"to mark†. Tattoos have evolved from being symbols of punishment that were given to identify criminals and slaves in the early ninth-century Chinese culture, into a pop-culture trend of using he skin as â€Å"a way of describing the exotic uncivilized other† within ourselves (Schildkrout 2004:324). For centuries, the body has been used as a â€Å"visible way of defining individual identity and cultural difference† (Schildkrout 2004:319). This cultural difference becomes apparent when studying the evolution of body art over time, especially when focusing on the differences between the Western and Non-Western cultures. People have been adorning their body with tattoos and piercing for centuries, but until recently, the thought of tattoos in ancient Egypt had been pushed aside. It has now been discovered that, without a doubt, tattoos did exist in that time period. Although miniscule, a group of enormously important tattooed mummies serve to help prove this point (Bianchi 1988:21). The first mummy to be discovered was one f a woman named Amunet, whose mummy was found in an excellent state of preservation, â€Å"most likely due to the fact that she served as a priestess of the goddess Harthor at Thebes during Dynasty XI†(Bianchi 1988:22). The tattoos on her body were comprised of a pattern of dots and dashes in an elliptical shape on her lower abdomen. The thighs and arms adorned the identical parallel lines of the aforementioned pattern. Two more women mummies, who were discovered and believed to be from the same time period, also had similar tattoos on their lower abdomen (Bianchi 1988:22). This group of woman represents an exclusive group of Egyptians who received tattoos in that time period, because there is no other evidence that shows tattoos to be a part of the Egyptian culture until the time of the Middle Kingdom. These abstract patterns associated with ritualistic tattooing survived into the New Kingdom. The Egyptians, more then likely, borrowed a form of tattooing from the Nubian civilization. Unlike the Nubians, whose purpose for tattooing is unknown, â€Å"the Egyptians appear to have regarded the tattoo as one of several vehicles by which the procreative powers of the deceased could be revived† (Bianchi 1988:27). Substantiation proposes that only women were associated with the decorating of their bodies and the ritualistic activities that went along with it. The art of tattooing began with the grouping of bluish or black dots and/or dashes forming abstract geometric patterns; that system of body art lasted for over two thousand years in ancient Egypt. Just like other ideas and goods, the idea of tattooing began to travel to several different societies, and has evolved into extremely different forms of art all over the world. In northeastern Zambia, the Tabwa â€Å"once covered themselves from head to foot with scarification† (Roberts 1988:41). The women of the Tabwa began receiving elaborate marks on their face, chest, and backs when they were young girls; it sometimes was continued at other points in a woman’s life (Roberts 1988:43) such as courting rituals and for woman wishing to bear a child. Male sculptors would trace designs and make incisions on the lesser intimate parts of the body; they left the rest for the women to do. ‘Tabwa women used razors to slit skin [that had been] plucked up with a fishhook or arrowhead. These incisions were then rubbed with soot from a pot bottom, an irritant that produced the desired raised cicatrices† (Roberts 1988:44). There were several reasons that this tradition was done, different to every age and gender in the tribe. Young women went through this process in order to achieve a state of perfection, which was required for those wanting to marry and have children (Roberts 1988:45). Scarification is a form of body art that was used in several tribes because according to their customs â€Å"beauty is not physically innate, but rather a function of the girl’s inscriptions† (Roberts 1988:45). Not only the Tabwa, scarification was used in such tribes as the Ga’anda and the Tiv; all the tribes have distinctly different purposes for doing this, but the process and effect of the body are the same. Another form of body art is body painting, which the people of the Southeast Nuba begin at a young age; but the meanings, and time frame from when they begin decorating the body are very different between males and females. The males paint themselves from the ages of 12 to 27 (Faris 1988:31). Typically, they only paint during the down time after the harvest season and before the next years planting begins. This is the time that the males are less involved in mandatory and productive activities; they spend their supplementary time with festive activities such as dance and sport participation. The restrictions placed on the men by their age, most importantly deal with the color that they use on their body—for example â€Å" only the older age groups are eligible to use the greatest elaboration in color, including the deep black and yellow [colors, that are] prohibited to younger grades†(Faris 1988:32). The change in elaboration allowed on the body does not coincide with any physiological changes, rather, it corresponds with changes â€Å"in productive status or sport† (Faris 1988:32). As they move up in grades from young laborers that answer to the elders, to mature men that own their own property, farm and family, their elaborate painting ability increases. The elders though, do not decorate their bodies; rather, they delegate and lead rituals for the younger men and enforce the rules of allowed color use. Therefore, the male body painting shows their progression thru ones life stages. The women of Southeast Nuba, â€Å"from the age of six years, until consummation of marriage, oil and ochre [their bodies] daily, in colors [that are] appropriate to their patri-clan section† (Faris 1988:34). After childbirth, they may continue to wear some oil and ochre on their shoulders. The personal body art of women is strictly related to the physiological changes that occur as a women goes through life, and are fixed around body scarification as a way of showing her changes. A woman’s scarification is so important, that â€Å"if a husband refuses to pay for a scarring specialist, a woman may seek a lover who will do so, and her first marriage will end† (Faris 1988:35). Unlike the males elaborate body art, a woman’s body art is simple, but it accumulates over her life-span and is very standardized, while a male’s body art is constantly changing. Body painting, tattooing and scarification thus far had been tools used by individuals to beautify their body and elevate their status within their tribe; this is not the case with all societies. In several other cultures, tattoos have been used in a form of branding, which is quite the opposite. Though tattooing and branding are â€Å"similar in that both involve the insertion of pigments under the skin to create permanent marks†, branding is implemented in order to lower an individuals status, to punish for crimes committed, to identify slaves, but most importantly, to eliminate personal identity (Schildkrout 2004:323). â€Å"The immutable alteration of human skin by branding needs to be considered in relation to, but ought not be confused with, tattooing† (Bianchi 1988:27). Two recent studies originating in South Africa elaborate on this subject, reporting on the political influence of tattooing â€Å"as a means of social control† (Schildkrout 2004:330). They site examples from Zambia in which a medical practitioner travels around to villages â€Å"in which witch craft accusations have been common†¦to inoculate people against people against witch craft† (Schildkrout 2004:331). The villagers would â€Å"submit to bodily inspections†, they were then treated â€Å"by getting numbers tattooed on their arms† (Schildkrout 2004:331). This is disturbingly reminiscent of Nazi concentration camps when an unfathomable number of Jewish people lost their personal identities and became known as only a number in the system to be disposed of. This â€Å"symbolic denial of personhood† served as a system â€Å"of control and surveillance† (Schildkrout 2004:323). This system of control was also imposed by â€Å"authoritarian regimes† in Southeast Asia (Schildkrout 2004:323). The Zhou and Ming Dynasties branded criminals as a form of punishment with â€Å"extensive, often full-body tattoos, with elaborate pictorial imagery as well as written inscriptions† (Schildkrout 2004:324) portraying their crime. This form of tattooing is definitely contrary to traditional methods. Similarly in Brazil, branding was used to mark convicts by the penal authorities. Penal tattoos derived their power from subjugation of the marked convicts. The humiliation of being visibly branded was a significant component of the convict’s punishment. In an act of resistance, those that had been branded â€Å"were known to reclaim their bodies by writing over the inscriptions or by displaying them in new social situations† (Schildkrout 2004:324). The branded, therefore, became the empowered, restoring the function of the tattoo to being personally-motivated. This personal motivation is perhaps most notable in Western cultures, specifically North America. In America, the Native Americans used body painting in many ways, usually connected with ethnic identity, social roles or marital status (Rubin 1988:179). The Natives also used the body as a canvas in ritualistic ceremonies, on warriors going into battle and for the beautification of their women. When the Europeans discovered America, they brought with them slaves from Africa and they introduced branding of the slaves into the American culture. After the civil war, when the slaves had been freed, branding was still embedded in American culture through groups of people including gang members and convicts. Though â€Å"branding is often associated with involuntary marking and the denial of personhood†, it has also â€Å"been adopted in contemporary Western body culture as an assertion of group identity, for example in college fraternities† (Schildkrout 2004:323). Tattoos were also prevalent in other parts of America, including Alaska. Among the Eskimos â€Å"[t]he function of these art forms [was] – essentially manifesting one’s place or role within the hierarchy of hunting life† (Gritton 1988:190). With the introduction and adaptation of the western civilization in Alaskan culture, â€Å"the marks of a hunter or hunter’s wife served no purpose in their new lives and were understandably abandoned† (Gritton 1988:190). The function of body art and tattooing has been Americanized, evolving from its native origins to incorporate self expression. This self expression has mushroomed from a manor of identifying oneself to a way of gaining attention through shock value. Though ever-changing, all forms of body art mentioned play enormous roles in the lives of people. Certain non-Western cultures are based around the ability to use skin as a visible way of defining status or bettering their self-image, in order to attract companions. So the artists who are allowed to perform the act of adorning bodies with different designs are regarded as having a very important place in the society. They are â€Å"scarring specialist† (Faris 1988:35), â€Å"body artists† (Drewal 1988:84), but most importantly, they are known as â€Å"[the] one-who-creates- art† (Drewal 1988:84). In the non-Native American culture, however, the general attitude towards tattoo artist in present-day American culture is less than appreciative. Extreme critics even characterize tattooist as opportunist, exclusively seeking monetary gain (Sanders 1988:229). â€Å"The tattooist interest in artistry and control is often in conflict with his profit orientation†, revealing the major flaw within the American society (Sanders 1988:229). This is the major difference in western and non-western cultures. Body tattoos in western society are an object to be purchased. Americans obtain tattoos in the same manner that they acquire a new Louis Vuitton handbag. They purchase them as accessories, which is in stark contrast to the non-western cultures, who acquire tattoos as an essential ritual in their society. With this is mind, the process in which American’s purchases body art seems slightly ridiculous. Tattoo artists often complain of the unwillingness of customers to spend the quoted amount of money for â€Å"a tattoo [they] are going to wear for the rest of [their] life† (Sanders 1988:229). It is more acceptable in American culture to invest in short term materialistic purchases, therefore the legitimate tattoo artists are constantly being monitored and regimented under strict laws imposed by the government. Despite the absurdity of the purchasing process, the reasoning that propels the American society to obtain tattoos is just as flawed. Some reasons people give to explain permanently marking their skin include, â€Å"they were drunk, it’s a macho thing, to fit in with a crowd or even worse, for no reason at all† (DeMello 1995:42). Western society seems to have a complete disregard for the spiritual origins of body art. Tattoo artist are even witness to clients’ apathy, avoiding â€Å"working on people who are obviously under the influence of alcohol† (Sanders 1988:225). Where once there was a ceremonious celebration deeply rooted in spiritualism, in American society the only ritualistic ceremony is the receiving of a piece of paper on how to care for the recently acquired body art. This apathetic attitude of Americans is perhaps derived from the renouncing majority of the population. This bias stems from â€Å"very early ‘regulations’ [including] Moses’ remarks in Leviticus 19:28 forbidding any cuttings in the flesh or the printing of any marks† (Armstrong 2005:39). Since tattoos â€Å"were not sanctioned by the church† the profile for the tattooed archetype became unconventional (Schildkrout 2004:325). Christian belief has been adapted to the masses, forcing those who are tattooed into rebellion. The majority of people adopting body art include â€Å"bikers, convicts, and other ‘low lives’† (DeMello 1995:40). In Western society â€Å"the idea that the unmarked body as a sign of God’s work was linked to the Protestant reformation† and â€Å"the idea that body markings were a sign of savagery goes back even earlier† ( Schildkrout 2004:324). This is ironic considering tattoos in earlier cultures signified positions of high status. Perhaps the only entity that ties these drastic cultures together is the desire to increase their inherited beauty. â€Å"If the body is – metaphorically – a site of inscription to various degrees for various theorist, then cosmetic surgery can be seen, at one level, as an example of the literal and explicit enactment of this process of inscription† ( Schildkrout 2004:320), which is also seen in the aforementioned tribes with the rituals of scarification. DeMello also agrees that along with tattooing and piericing, that cosmetic surgery is seen as a form of â€Å"body modification† (DeMello 1995:37). â€Å"Not only does the tattooed skin negotiate between the individual and society and between different social groups, but also mediates relations between persons and spirits, the human and the divine† (Schildkrout 2004:321). Body art is a tradition that extends throughout the barriers of the world and although the forms in which they are found may be different, the idea of using your body as a canvas is universal. Although recently, several anthropologists agreed and have begun to examine body art more closely, looking at it â€Å"as a microcosm of society† (Schildkrout 2004:328), Roberts still believes that â€Å"there can be no ultimate explanation of symbolism† (Roberts 1988:51). He claims that â€Å"the blazes on trees in the Ndembu forest will remain many years after their purpose and meaning are forgotten. So it is with other inscriptions† (Roberts 1988:51). This is exemplified in the woman who endured the agonizing pain of her scarification to instigate a new chapter in her life. Nevertheless, soon after her body is placed into the ground, her skin will no longer be a visible indication of who she once was. She will become a memory and her body will no longer be used as a canvas.

International business Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

International business - Research Paper Example The analysis has been done in terms of the nations’ political and economic climate, their methods of marketing and distribution and also the labor climate in the two countries. Economic and political climate for foreign business Singapore has an extremely successful and developed free market economy. It also offers a corruption free and open environment where prices remain stable and the per capita GDP growth also remain high in comparison to other developed nations. The economy’s high dependence on exports of products like electronic and information technology products, pharmaceutical and growth in financial services make it a popular place for conducting business. The nation has demonstrated a GDP growth of 7.1% between the years 2004 and 2007 (CIA, â€Å"Economy - overview:†). On the other hand Hong Kong also demonstrates a free market economy which depends highly on international finance and trade. The nation’s open economy was however greatly affected by the global economic recession which makes it a less popular place, in comparison to Singapore for doing business. The residents of Hong Kong can establish RMB denominated savings accounts, the RMB denominated corporate, and the Chinese government bonds have also been issued in the nation. Moreover, the RMB trade settlement has also been allowed in Hong Kong. The nation has a GDP growth rate of 3.8% between 1989 and 2010, however the growth gradually slowed down in the year 2009 (CIA-a, â€Å"Economy - overview:†). It is apparent that the higher GDP growth of Singapore in comparison to Hong Kong coupled with a free market economy makes it more popular for conducting business operations. Also the nation’s growth in the financial sector and high dependence on trade and finance compliments the same. Methods for marketing and distribution With improvement of the Singapore economy there has been an increasing amount of affluent consumers who are able and willing to spend and consume more. In addition to this a number of new shopping malls like the VivoCity, Ang Mo Kio Hub and Central have emerged which have further added stimulus to the retail sector since 2007. The existing shopping malls like Centrepoint, White Sands and Tampines Mall have also been revamped, with the new extensions established to accommodate more number of retailers for remaining competitive. The inflows of new retailers in the selling spaces have further attracted more consumers who have been increasingly visiting them. This had boosted their growth further in 2007 (Laposte, â€Å"Singapore†). There are two different categories of consumers in the country Hong Kong. There are the local consumers, who account for 6.5 million numbers, while on the other hand the tourists, who are avid lovers of the luxury items. The tourism sector generates greater than ten billion USD of income every year. It must be noted that tourists who come for shopping in Hong Kong are primarily Chi nese from Mainland. The distribution network comprises of many medium and small family-type enterprises which try to remain in groups. The larger stores like the Lane Crawford, Sogo or display a very upscale image while the supermarkets and the neighboring stores like Wing on, Jusco and Sincere remain more profitable for making bulk products. The second market is more dominated by duopoly by Wellcome and Park'n shop. Hong Kong also has a number of discount stores

Role of Healthcare Information System in Quality Service Provision Essay

Role of Healthcare Information System in Quality Service Provision - Essay Example Quality assurance makes reference to the act of putting in place in all necessary measures to ensure the end product of service successfully achieves its intended purpose. Basically, both the IT and healthcare sectors have set of measures in place to ensure quality standards are observed. Unlike the IT industry though, the presentation and behavior of staff directly represents the quality of service within a healthcare setting. On the contrary, quality assurance in IT is primarily pegged on products usability as well as service provision. Additionally, in healthcare settings, quality is a measure of service while in IT industry it is a measure of product efficiency (Joshi 460). Both however offer products/quality which directly impacts on health and any in appropriate measures could cost human life, or amount to medical malpractice. All players strive to ensure that they not only meet the minimum quality service thresholds or even surpass the same. Both healthcare and IT sectors have an ethical obligation to ensure that quality services/products are availed to patients and clients respectively. However, approach to quality assurance as well as assessable quality dimensions largely differ. While in the health sector quality is defined with regard of care standards and procedures including the technical standard of providers and patients expectation, IT industry defines quality with respect to ability of the product to make healthcare provision much easier and readily available. In essence it focuses on minimizing constraints to healthcare access. It is important to note that these definitions give a shallow but broad illustration of the variations in quality perception between the two sectors. What is however evident is the fact that both sectors view quality assurance as a standard ethical procedure which must be attained at all costs. In general, quality assurance may therefore be said as involving all arrangements and activities which safeguard, maintain and facilitate quality healthcare provisions. It involves measurement of quality, identifying deficiencies, undertaking improvements and evaluating whether such improvements are successful.

Oedipus the King Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Oedipus the King - Essay Example Creon returns with a message from the oracle and insists on delivering the message in private to the king. Oedipus however, insists that he will hear the message in front of his citizens. The message is that the god Apollo through the oracle, demands that, for the curse to be lifted, the murderer of Laius must be found and brought to justice. Laius was the former king of Thebes before Oedipus. He was attacked and killed on a crossroad by thieves when on his way to consult an oracle. All, but one of his travelling companions survived the attack (3). Oedipus’s Innocence In determining whether Oedipus was guilty or not, one has to put into account information that was available to him at the time his alleged crimes were committed. A great portion of Oedipus’s innocence lies in his ignorance of his past and that of Thebes. Oedipus had attacked and killed a group of travellers at a crossroad sometime in the past. At the time, they did not seem significant and never did he th ink that this incidence would ever come up in the future. When he was a child, it was revealed to him, by an old man that he was adopted; furthermore he was told that he would kill his biological father and have carnal relations with his biological mother. What he did not know at the time that these individuals would be king Laius and his wife, Jocasta, respectively. There was some aspect of relief when news reached Thebes that his adoptive father had passed on. The relief was however, short lived since future investigations revealed that the man he killed at the crossroads was king Laius. In this aspect, Oedipus is innocent of both regicide – Killing a king- and patricide – Killing his father- because he had no idea who the man was at the time (30 - 35). Assassinating a leader was and still is a serious offence. Oedipus’s case however has two possible outcomes. First, if Oedipus attacked Laius’s travelling party first without being provoked, then, he is guilty of murder. Secondly, if Oedipus was attacked first By Laius, then this can only be viewed as a classic case of self-defence. Both these theories can be true depending on who among the two survived to tell the story. When Oedipus took over as king following Laius’s death, he also took up his widow, Jocasta, as his wife. Oedipus had a number of children by Jocasta as his wife. Knowing what has been mentioned above; this is an obvious case of incest. Oedipus is however, innocent of incest since neither he nor Jocasta had any idea that they were related in the remotest possible manner. When Oedipus realized that he had been having an incestuous relationship with his own biological mother, he punished himself very harshly by plucking out both his own eyes. His mother or wife consequently killed herself on learning that the son that she thought had been killed long ago, was the man whom she shared a bed with. Oedipus’s Guilt Oedipus’s guilt in one aspect seems to stem from hubris. He had previously gotten his peoples acclaim by saving them from the curse of the sphinx. Seeing a chance to emerge a hero yet again, he completely ignores all advice given to him. First, on lifting the curse of the sphinx, he was specifically warned not to investigate the murder of Laius. Instead he promises his citizens that he will investigate the murder and decrees a steep penalty for whoever is found guilty. Secondly, his pride comes in when he orders Creon to tell him the news from Apollo

Coping with Stress Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Coping with Stress - Essay Example The major cause of stress in my life is the psychological factor. My aims are always very high and I put in all my efforts to achieve my goal and target. I have always managed to keep up to the expectations of the people and this is the major reason of my stress. The fear of not keeping up to the expectations of other people always keeps me under stress. This stress keeps me under pressure, constant headache, cold, stomach ache, afraid to express myself in front of people; the efficiency of my work is also reduced due to this stress (Lazarus, & Folkman, 1984). A proper strategy must be designed in order to cope up with this stressful condition in order to make myself capable of achieving my goals and aims. First I must make myself realize that nobody can be perfect and that mistakes can be made by everyone. I must try to relax myself through meditation and certain medications so that I can get relieved of the stress. These techniques will certainly get me out of the stressful condition because the best solution of getting relieved from stress is meditation (Lazarus,

Research Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Assignment - Research Paper Example A concluding portion would summarize points that were discussed and future thrusts for research on the subject. One of the most frequently researched topic focuses on leadership. The evolution of theories and concepts proposed and promulgated by various scholars and practitioners have undergone constant and continuous development until contemporary times. Aside from the traditional thrusts delving into leadership styles, characteristics or best practices in famous organizations, one of the controversial issues confounding leadership is the effect or influence of gender, among other demographic factors. Leadership concepts and contemporary theories evaluate the effect of gender in leadership in terms of according the benefits, prerogatives, and even challenges on equal terms. In this regard, the essay aims to proffer a review of related literature on the topic of gender in leadership. Relevant research studies on the subject would be analyzed where significant points would hereby be cited and highlighted to reveal diverse viewpoints on gender in leadership. According to the research study conducted by Gedney which is aimed to determine a relationship or link between gender and leadership effectiveness from her personal experience in the military, she initially provided crucial qualities identified from effective leaders. Her findings divulged that â€Å"leadership effectiveness is not gender-specific, but there seem to be many attributes that are found in both males and females that lend themselves to becoming an effective leader† (Gedney, 1999, p. 2). This fact was validated by Kelly, a Lieutenant Colonel of the U.S. Air Force, who averred that â€Å"men and women operate in the work environment in somewhat different ways based upon genetic/biological differences, cultivation, communication styles and to some extent, the characteristics of the particular career field chosen† (Kelly, 1997, p. 26). Since the

ERP and Electronic Commerce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

ERP and Electronic Commerce - Essay Example In the past, business entities concentrated more on fetching benefits through supply of standardized products to a stable and wide consumer markets. The role technology involved here was to optimize the well defined, discretely functioning areas within the enterprise. This was limited to the development and maintenance of individual software aimed at automating certain business activities. However the expansion of the realms of business made entities to indulge in varied range of activities. The scope of ecommerce in fact widened the variety in the business activities Curran A, T. Ladd A (2006, p.17-18). With reference to these developments, for the companies to respond better to the market demands, they have to adopt a business process orientation and a global supply chain perspective. The essential prerequisite for the optimization of varied activities involved in modern business scenarios like e-commerce is the integration of information system. This would allow the clear cut exploration of the possible value additions within the company and would aid the design of business process that would minimize cost and maximize the profits. However this process of integration of the multitude of business activities involved a number of challenges. These challenges made the business engineers think of the possibility of a single database clustering the data from different departments within itself and providing a tailor made query system. This resulted in the development of Enterprise Resource Planning systems and it gradually evolved and expanded to serve as a single window solution for business data and process management. It served as a single interface for data entry for people involved in the company, despite the variation in department or geographic position. The da ta entry was to be made only once making the whole

Botanical gardens Essay Example for Free

Botanical gardens Essay Last summer, my two friends rekindled an idea we had for a long time of going for a short excursion to a nearby lake where we would camp for three days. First we informed our parents of our intentions which they supported without any objection. We intended to use this opportunity to help in bonding our relationship even more. After this approval, we did a good budget of all the things that we required for the three days of our camping. After drawing the budget, we sourced for the required money most of which came from our pocket savings with a little help from our parents. We chose to set our camping dates within a weekend as these are the days when most of us had free time. After an informative consultation, we also found out that the camp is only open during the weekends so as to give the camping ground vegetation enough time to regenerate. When the day came, we all set off during the morning so that we could get to our destination in time. This also gave us an opportunity to select the best site to set our camps before other people could take up the available sites. After setting our tents, we embarked on a trip along the shores of the lake and the adjacent flower and botanical gardens. We spent the second day canoeing and swimming as well as participating in some of conservational activities that are a mandatory practice for every camper. By the dawn of the third day, we could not believe that the day had come for us to pack our belongings and head back home. The camping experience proved to be a worthy exercise by providing a refreshing moment in our life.

Causes of the Haitian Revolution (1791 †1804)

Causes of the Haitian Revolution (1791 – 1804) The Circumstances in Haitian Society That Made the Revolution Inevitable by 1791. The Haitian revolution began in 1791, and was the largest slave rebellion in the western hemisphere. Since the start of forced slavery in the Caribbean, there have been many revolts, revolutions and resistance against slavery, but the revolution in Haiti was the most successful and by the year 1804 slavery was abolished in the Caribbean (Beckles H., Shepherd V. A., 2). The results of the revolution have produced a historical monument that has influenced civil right movements all over the world to this day. Such a revolution and its impact must have been deemed a surprise and an ordinary rebellion that could have been overrun at the time it began (Fick, Carolyn E., 1). However, circumstances in the Haitian society such as the ill treatment of slaves, social hierarchy and the French revolution, made the revolution inevitable by 1791 (Rand, 1). The French colony Saint Domingue was the name given to Haiti before the revolution. It began as a French pirate outpost who stole from the Spanish ships. Soon this island was the most productive colony in the West Indies and possibly the world with the growth of sugar, coffee, indigo, and cotton plantations. It provided about 40% of Europe’s sugar and 60% of its coffee. More than thirty thousand new African slaves arrived each year, both to replace the many that died of overwork or disease and also to fuel the rapid economic growth that the colony experienced in the 1780s. Also as a result, the natural population growth was prevented and mortality rates were high. Between a third and a half of all slaves on the island were born in Africa and the slave population grew to occupy 90% of the island. The slaves had been Christianized in the early days of the colony but this was soon put to an end. After that, the slaves were left to their own resources, and had developed their own culture, complete with a language which was creole and religion known as voodoo, both strongly influenced by African roots. France as a West Indies colony owner was aware of the ill treatments of slaves and the government aimed to put a stop to it. Even before 1789 critics have been speaking out against slave trade and the brutality involved. The slavery system in the colonies including Saint Domingo was governed by royal edicts which made up the Code Noir or slave code. This code described penalties for rebellious slaves (Sylviane A. Diouf.) Slave owners were fearful of the potential of the slaves to hurt them on their own plantations. Thus there was an increase on strict and harsh punishment. As a result revolts and plans of rebellion were organized among slaves who were tired of such ill treatment. Over and over attempts were made to distinguish the white’s domination over plantations through voodoo, protests, destruction of owner’s properties and poisoning of the owners. The slaves fought back and slowly the French government became uneasy and nervous concerning these revolts (Sylviane A . Diouf). Of course before 1791 these rebellion threats were put a stop to but it was these slaves who fought back that provided hope for the revolution. From the moment these resistances persisted the revolution was unavoidable. The Haitian society consisted of four main classes, the whites or blancs, the free lacks and Mulattoes or gens de couleur libres, the poor whites and the slaves (Rand D). The whites were the Europeans who were in charge. They consisted on the colony government and the plantation and slave owners. They usually stayed in France and hired people to go to the colonies and govern the plantations and slaves. Below them, were the wealthy free colored people. Frenchmen would frequently father children with the slaves and would free their offspring which were known as the Mulattoes. Other free persons of color were black slaves who had purchased their own freedom or had been given freedom by their masters for various reasons. Next were the poor whites who worked as artisans and laborers. At the bottom of the hierarchy were black slaves and the maroons. There two types of black slaves the domestic slaves and the maroons. The maroons were a large group of run-away slaves who retreated deep into the mountains of Saint Domingue. There were tens of thousands of them prior to the Revolution of 179. The root of the Haitian revolution was the fundamental imbalance in Haitian societal hierarchy. After the rumors of the harsh treatment of slaves in the colonies the members of the French government was aiming to construct laws to increase the working conditions under which the slaves in Saint Domingue were forced to work. Thus, many white planters wanted independence from revolutionary France in order to escape trade laws along with continuing what they thought was the most effective way to get the most efficient labor out of the slaves. The free people of color who although they were often members of a free and educated propertied class, the system blocked them from occupying many public offices because of their color, also they were forced to join the French military which most was hesitant to do. Thus while struggling for full rights of citizenship they were attracted to the concept of equality embedded in the doctrine of The Rights of Man. Some made the voyage to France to speak on behalf of slaves for its abolition. The poor whites did not appreciate the fact that they lacked money and that colored people were treated better than them. As for the slaves, there was resentment growing because of their abuse. In such a society no one could have lived in harmony so tension grew and a political crisis and unrest grew. Each member of the classes worked against each other and alliances were made with unexpected partners. For example, Historians believe that it was the French government who orchestrated the start of the slave revolt in 1971in attempt to stop plant owner’s plot on making Saint Domingue independent. In the midst of this crisis slaves saw this as an opportunity to fight back and other countries such as the U.S, the Spanish, Dutch and British aiming to destroy the Frenches’ empire built in Saint Domingue gladly gave their support. With all these people who jumped at such an opportunity it seemed as if the revolution was assured. The French revolution had a huge impact on the Haitian revolution and it began in 1789 and ended in 1799. The French revolution was the result of years of feudalism which refers to the holding of land and in return a service or labor was received and unfair taxation. Along with this there was mismanagement of the country’s economy. As a result, France became in debt and King Louis XVI in an attempt to pay off this debt, spent money to fix the issues resulting in more debt. Eventually Frances’ economy collapsed and its people revolted due to a raise in taxation not enough food and medicine for the sick and supposed inequalities in social hierarchy where the royal took care of them while leaving the rest of France to fend for them. Thus there was a revolt against all nobility and war broke out in order to fight for liberty, equality and fraternity (Rosenzweig Roy, Center for History and New Media). In light of the French revolution and the fight therein for equality and a man’s civil rights, free colored people were inspired to fight for their civil right of citizenship and they were granted this (The Saylor Foundation). With the new circumstances surrounding the French revolution arising, slaves heard about this and the hope for freedom was sparked in them. This was just the stimuli the slaves needed to proceed with a revolt. Since the revolt occurred before the start of the revolt, it was not necessary to monitor the French revolution since it had already formulated ideas that have been inevitably brewing the minds of the revolutionists (Fick, Carolyn E., 4). The Haitian society was crowded with circumstances that influenced the unavoidable insurrection of the slaves which began in 1971. These circumstances were missed by the white colonists and as a result there was failure to predict the revolt that they had actually been forcing upon themselves since the societal desecration had begun. The mistreatment of slaves, the self-destructing societal hierarchy and the influential French revolution, all forced the most violent and ultimately, the most successful slave revolt in history. Works Cited Beckles H., Shepherd V. A., Freedoms won: Caribbean Emancipations, Ethnicities and Nationhood. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006. Bob Corbett. The Haitian Revolution, Part II. Web. 8th March 2015. Fick, Carolyn E. The Making of Haiti: The Saint Domingue Revolution From Below, Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1990. George Mason University, City University of New York. Liberty, Equality, Fraternity: Exploring the French Revolution. Web. 8th March 2015. Rand D. Social Triggers of the Haitian Revolution. Web. 7th March 2015 Rosenzweig Roy, Center for History and New Media. Slavery and The Haitian Revolution. Web . 7th March 2015. Sylviane A. Diouf. 2007. The Abolition of The Slave Trade: African Resistance. Web. 7th March 2015. The Saylor Foundation. 2015.The Haitian Revolution. Web. 7th March 2015 United States Department of State, Office of the Historian, Bureau of Public Affairs. The United States and the Haitian Revolution, 1791–1804. Web. 7th March 2015.

Effective Delegation Essay -- Business Delegate Definition Essays

Effective Delegation Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This paper will attempt to show what skills are necessary for effective delegation, and how the managers of the author's organization uses delegation in his or her management responsibilities. The paper will also attempt to show how delegation could be used more effectively within the four functions of management in that same organization. Through delegation managers combine task responsibilities and the authority needed to carry out tasks in the organization. The author will also discuss some advantages of delegation as well as the issue of poor delegation. Delegation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What is delegation? According to Bateman, delegation â€Å"is the assignment of authority and responsibility to a subordinate at a lower level.† (Bateman et al, 2004). By delegating to others this frees up the manager to devote more energy to higher-level activities. These activities can be controlling and leading. â€Å"Delegation is perhaps the most fundamental feature of management, because it entails getting work done through others.† (Bateman et al, 2004). Delegation In A County Jail   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In a county jail setting there are several types of managers. These are the jail administrator, the assistant administrator, the county commissioners, the sheriff and his deputies as well as the officers from the local police departments. The management in a county jail setting uses delegation in several ways. One such way occurs when an officer or deputy brings in an inmate for a crime he or she have committed. The officer then delegates the responsibility of getting that inmate to court to the jailer, depending on the seriousness of the crime. Another way is for management to give the jailers authority to discipline an inmate for wrong doing. The author also delegated by having her sub-ordinates pass out canteen, commissary, and razors. Canteen and commissary are personal hygiene and snack items that the inmates purchased. The author was delegated to by her manager in the sense she was put in charge of planning monthly meetings and training sessions. Delegation And The Functions of Management   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the author's organization there is not much planning or organizing that takes place. The only planning that is done is for the monthly meetings and for all training sessions. Training has to be scheduled at different times in order for all employees to... ...n get the job done properly. The third sign of poor delegation is the team is confused, conflicting, or tense. This occurs when the task is not clearly defined. The fourth and final sign is the manager gets questions about delegated tasks too often. This is another clear indication that the task at hand was not explained clearly. (Blair, 1996) Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion, â€Å"delegation underpins a style of management which allows your staff to use and develop their skills and knowledge to the full potential.† (Blair, 1996). The main objective of delegation is to get the job done by someone else. However, if the job does not get done properly then the manager is held accountable. In a county jail setting, delegation needs to be strictly monitored to ensure the proper running of the facility as well as the safety of the jailers and inmates. If a person wants to be a good leader, that person needs to be able to delegate effectively. References Bateman, T., & Snell, S. (2004). Management: the new competitive landscape. 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Blair, G. (1996). Retrieved Apr. 12, 2005, from www.see.ed.ac.uk/~gerard/MENG/ME96/Documents/Aspects/ delegate.htm

Antigone as a Tragic Hero Essay -- essays research papers

Antigone as a tragic hero The debate over who is the tragic hero in Antigone is unanswered. The belief that Antigone is the hero is a tough one. Antigone is widely thought of as the tragic hero of the play bearing her name. She would seem to fit the part in light of the fact that she dies for doing what she believes is right. She buries her brother without worrying what might happen to her. Unlike Antigone, Ismene says â€Å"And break the law, our death will be more shameful even then theirs† (pg.5 line 60). In Sophocle's Antigone, the characters show a variety of traits. However, Antigone's life of aspiration, family of noble rank, and display of good mentality portray her as the tragic hero of the story. A tragic hero has haughty, opulence, and perfunctory. A tragic hero must include thre...

Essay --

1. Guided bone regeneration (GBR) The concept of GBR was described first in 1959 when cell-occlusive membranes were employed for spinal fusions 105.The terms ‘‘guided bone regeneration’’ and ‘‘guided tissue regeneration’’ (GTR) often are used synonymously and rather inappropriately. GTR deals with the regeneration of the supporting periodontal apparatus, including cementum, periodontal ligament, and alveolar bone, whereas GBR refers to the promotion of bone formation alone. GBR and GTR are based on the same principles that use barrier membranes for space maintenance over a defect, promoting the ingrowth of osteogenic cells and preventing migration of undesired cells from the overlying soft tissues into the wound. Protection of a blood clot in the defect and exclusion of gingival connective tissue and provision of a secluded space into which osteogenic cell from the bone can migrate are essential for a successful outcome. The sequence of bone healing is not only affe cted by invasion of non-osteogenic tissue, but more so by the defect size and morphology. A predictable intraoral GBR approach was developed in the late 1980s and early 1990s; 108-110 (bone augmentation techniques 2007) The survival rates of implants placed in augmented sites with GBR are reported in many publications, survival rates range from 91.7 to 100%. However, there are few data about the success rate of dental implants placed in those areas, according to universally established criteria. This may represent a limit in evaluating the reliability of the GBR technique, because a high implant survival rate may not correspond to a high GBR success rate bearing in mind that an implant can remain stable and osseointegrated even if the total amount of regenerated tissue ... ...nd limitations must also be being considered. Some authors have reported partial relapse of the gained bone. More studies are needed to assess the implant survival in the bone gained by DO versus other augmentation methods, including new bone substitutes and augmentation factors. (Alveolar ridge augmentation for implant fixation: status review zakhary 2012). Determination of what technique should be used, is largely surgeon preference and on the extent of the defect and specific procedures to be performed for the implant reconstruction. It is most appropriate to use an evidenced-based approach when a treatment plan is being developed for bone augmentation cases. (Bone augmentation techniques. 2007)(Clinical outcomes of vertical bone augmentation to enable dental implant placement: a systematic review.2008) (Bone Grafting the Mandible Patrick J. Louis, DDS, MD 2011)

Kohler Company Essay

Kohler is one of the largest and oldest privately held companies in America. It started by manufacturing plumbing fixtures, famously inventing the first modern bathtub, and soon after began manufacturing small engines and generators. Today the company is also in the furniture and luxury resort business. Most of the company’s shares are held by members of the Kohler family, however 4% of the outstanding stock is owned by outsiders. Herbert Kohler Jr. , the CEO and Chairman of Kohler, would like to do what he can to keep Kohler stock within the Kohler family and its interests. This led to the 1998 recapitalization. In this restructuring of equity, family members and permitted transferees (Kohler Trusts, Kohler Foundations, ect. ) were given the option to exchange their stock for several different classes of stock, such as common stock, non voting stock, Series A and Series B. The shareholders not classified as a permitted transferee would either have to sell their shares for what an independent firm determines fair market value, or dissent and allow fair market value to be determined by a legal proceeding. The fair market price offered by Kohler in 1998 was $55,400. Kohler’s stock recently fetched between $100,000 to $135,000 and the two largest outside shareholders recently bought a combined 93 shares right around $100,000. So Gen, a mutual fund and largest outside shareholder, believed market value per share could be $400,000. Because of this discrepancy in price; outside shareholders decided to file suit against Kohler claiming the price of $55,400 undervalued the stock and was not fair market value. It is now April 2000 and Herbert Kohler Jr. must decide whether to settle with the plaintiffs or go to trail in 2 days. It was very possible that the court would determine fair market value to be much higher than price offered. Herbert also must consider that the IRS will use a court determined share price to determine the tax liability of Herbert’s deceased brother’s estate. The share price will also affect the way the Kohler Foundation could operate, since by law it must annually pledge %5 of its assets, which is mostly Kohler stock. Analysis: Much of the share price was driven by the speculation that Kohler might soon go public. Herbert thought this was the primary reason the shares were extremely overvalued. However, the assumption of a future IPO was inaccurate. One of the core values and strengths of Kohler is the private classification of equity. Kohler considers it a competitive advantage to not have to disclose its financial position to the public. Not only does it give away proprietary information to competitors, but public reporting also affects the way a company can make decisions. Kohler feels that many of the business decisions that made Kohler a success, such as investing in cast iron production at a time when the industry was moving away from it, would not have been possible if they were accountable to pubic shareholders. Without the possibility of an IPO a lower share price than what share prices recently traded for was could be justified. However, Herbert must also consider the effects of having the valuation be determined in court. The first drawback to this is how costly legal proceedings are. On top of lawyer fees and court costs, it could be very expensive to reconcile and audit all financial documents as well as pay for expert opinions concerning the valuation. Since there is no standard or correct metric to value a company, there is increased risk as to how the court will value the company. If Kohler decides to continue with the trial they are leaving themselves, the Kohler Foundation, and the Kohler estate open to a lot of uncontrollable risk. Recommendation: I recommend Kohler offer to settle with the plaintiffs at $140,000. Kohler should settle outside of court to mitigate the risk and cost associated with the trial. While the price is not ideal, settling outside of court allows Kohler to control the price at a manageable level. This will be the best way to hedge against risk and lookout for the interests of Kohler, the Family, and its charities. In order to settle Kohler must offer a price of $140,000 to give the mutual funds the return on investment they desire. Since the purpose of mutual fund is to create value for their investors, they are probably more than willing to take the matter to court if they feel they are not receiving a fair return. The per share price of $140,000 will give the mutual funds roughly a 20% return on investment which should be enough for them to consider the offer favorable.

Nude in art Essay

The nude has changed dramatically throughout time in terms of its role in the art world. It has been used to portray a person’s power and their weakness, the way they see themselves and the way others see them. The majority of nude artworks are of the female nude, as highlighted by John Berger, ‘men look at women, women look back at themselves being looked at. ’ Vanessa Beecroft, a contemporary artist deems to challenge the way society views the nude in both high art and everyday contemporary society. She challenges the way women are judged on their appearance a base concept that is seen throughout many pervious images of the nude in art. In 1599 Pieter Pauwel Rubens depicts just that, the judgment of a women based on looks – in his painting, The Judgment of Paris, which depicts Venus the goddess of beauty and love being judged as the most beautiful female by the judge – Paris. In contrast to these female nudes, during the renaissance, Michelangelo’s nudes consisted of mainly males. He used the nude to show both desire and strength as well as his devotion to religion and art. The nude in art can been seen changing as society does throughout time. In the contemporary society we live in today, we, the audience, are more likely to accept the nude as part of everyday life because of the way mass media has influenced us as a society. However, before times when the nude was common sight and open sexual desire was seen as something preposterous, artists used the nude as a way of portraying their personal aesthetic ideals though religious figures, showing their love for both the art itself and their nude subjects. Michelangelo was first and foremost a sculptor. One of his most famous nude sculptures was that of David – depicted in the moments before he defeated Goliath. Created in 1504, Michelangelo sculpted for four years to create, in his own eyes, the finest sculpture of David possible. Michelangelo’s own dedication to the piece highlights his love for the subject as well as the art form. David was depicted as athletic but natural with some fetchers such as his hand and head enlarged for emphasis. David’s naked form symbolised his high religious status to Michelangelo. He felt that perfection such as David’s should not be hidden, this can be seen throughout a range of Michelangelo’s works, both sculpted and painted where he depicts religious figures of high value as nudes and covers lower class subjects with the cloth of a slave as if to cover their shame. Therefore, it can be seen that Michelangelo mirrors his own ideals in the form of religious figures to depict the perfection he desires as well as display this to the audience for them to subconsciously judge the subjects of his work under their own ideals. During the Baroque era, Rubens depicts the scene of the judgment of Paris, this painting allows the male subject to openly judge the female on their beauty alone. While depicting this mythological tale Rubens also himself paints the Venus to meet his ideal expectations of a woman’s desirable qualities, both physically and temperamental and offers her to the audience’s judgment also. Rubens has posed the women to show off their bodies in the most desirable way as well as highlight their key fetchers’ such as their nipples and lips in deep red and gold against their pure skin, he paints the woman with small breasts and wide hips – the ideal representation of female beauty at the time. Implied innocence hides the male voyeurism in this scene – all figures are equally naked however, only the female body is on show, all male’s in the image are either turning away from the audience or are modestly hidden by lavish draping’s, furthermore, the woman are surrounded by small winged children named, Putti; these figures are associated with love and sexual encounters. The ultimate goal for all the women in this painting is to win the love of Paris through their beauty and Venus’ ideal attraction symbolises the high value placed on this virtue and highlights their love and physical beauty as the most important quality they have to offer. Contemporary artist, Vanessa Beecroft challenges the way the nude has been viewed throughout past art as well as how it is perceived in modern society. Beecroft is most known for her confronting live performances in which a selection of like women are stood on high heels and not much else, facing the audience’s gaze. Beecroft aims to provoke reaction from the audience, both male and female, the gaze these models hold as well as their physical closeness to the audience highlight the fact that these women know they are being looked at and judged and consequently look back and judge the audience creating an uncomfortable but eye opening experience for both the models and the viewer. Beecroft challenges the way the nude body is perceived by both high art and by the public and questions a woman’s need to conform to societies expectations as well as focusing on how the concept of beauty can change over a period of time, Beecroft states, ‘maybe if they (the audience) see it twenty times they’ll start not to think of it in the same way, I’m not sure, it’s an experiment. In conclusion it can been seen that the nude has changed dramatically throughout time however, it has always been associated by different forms of beauty and judgment, due to the human nature of the artists that create such works. It can also be highlighted that the way the audience as well as the artist sees the nudes they depict can change during the artwork or during their lifetime depending on how they are influenced by the changing world around them.

Dream Vacation

I have wanted to go for a vacation for very long. The country for my dream vacation is Australia. Australia is a part of continent, oceanic. It is a big country with many attractions. I am going to share with you, in this essay, what attracts me such that I want to go Australia. There are many physical factors in Australia. One of them is desserts. I would like to go to a desert in Australia as there are many plants and animals at the deserts. I can so experience a bit of desert life and know more about deserts after going to one myself. Another physical factor is the rock formation in Australia that are formed natural. These rock formations make a good place to watch sunrise and sunsets. I am sure we do not want to miss such spectacle as it would be such a pity. Examples of such rock formations are Uluru, otherwise called Ayers Rock, which is a world heritage Site, Kata tjuta, also known as mount olga, and devils marbles. The third physical factor is the ranges,which consists of mountains and hills. The ranges let us see a series of mountains together. Climbing one of the mountain is a good experience for me as I had not tired mountain climbing before. Since they are ranges,there must be nice scenery there too. I would like to go there to see the beautiful scenery. Examples are Brindabella ranges, visible to the west of Canberra, and Flinders Ranges, the largest mountain range in South Australia. The fourth physical factor is the reefs in Australia. The most well known reef in Australia is the Great Barrier Reef, Australia’s greatest gift from nature. It consists of a lot of marine life and consists of over 3000 individual reef system. I would not miss this chance to see the world’s largest reef if I were to go on a vacation to Australia. The fifth physical factor,which is the last, is the rivers.

Indigenous Religions

Indigenous religion refers to those religions which are native to indigenous peoples around the world. They are â€Å"descendents of the original inhabitants of lands now controlled by larger political systems in which they may have little influence. † In the second chapter of her book, Living Religions, Mary Pat Fisher takes the position that indigenous spiritual practices should be called lifeways and not religions. Lifeways are â€Å"a particular approach to all of life. Some of the reasons Mary Fisher believes that indigenous spiritual practices should be called lifeways are that they are not a â€Å"separate experience like meditating in the morning or going to church on Sunday. † She also believes that to be considered a religion there should be a written testament and that a religion should be built around that scripture. In addition, Fisher thinks that the way indigenous practices are passed down, through oral stories that contain â€Å"symbols, metaphors, and humor,† is changing the story of these practices causing them to no longer be â€Å"fossilized. However, religion is defined in Fisher’s book as â€Å"a particular response to dimensions of life considered sacred, as shaped by traditions. † In my opinion indigenous spiritual practices should be considered religions because they are traditions and spiritual beliefs, even though they are different than Christianity, Buddhism, and other religions. For example, A Catholic nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to a spiritual life following God just as West African groups have devoted themselves spiritually to the orisa. Additionally, Christians have a routine of going to church on Sundays, many Native Americans have a certain time of the year, usually at the Summer Solstice, to perform the Sun Dance which lasts four to eight days. Also, Just as indigenous spiritual practices have symbols, religions have symbols, such as the Bible. Religion to me is what beliefs you have about life, death, and everything in between. It is your faith and purpose. Why are we here? Who created us? Similarly as we have a set of beliefs to answer these questions, indigenous people do too.