The Theory Of Positivism Sociology Essay

The Theory Of Positivism Sociology Essay As what Beauvoir had said, Representation of the world, like the world itself, is the work of men; they describe it from their point of view, which they confuse with the absolute truth Men dominates the legal system, has created law and theories about law. The law is made in how they see the world. It becomes their representation of reality and it is held to be the absolute truth. Based on such arguments, the law is thus gendered. This is due to a patriarchy world where men rules over women. A patriarchy world where an unjust social system which is oppressive towards women exists. It looks at them not as an individual capable of the same reasoning as men and not on equal standing with men. Liberal feminism challenges male domination by showing that there are no difference between men and women. Both men and women are equal and capable of the same social role without any form discrimination. However, Catharine Mackinnon does not agree with liberal feminism. She believes and argues that sex and sexuality are the main reason, the fundamental reason why women are being dominated and discriminate. Sexual domination is the main reason for sexism. To understand deeply on Catharine Mackinnons argument of sexual domination, we need to first understand on how the law objectifies, how sexual domination occurs in the reality and other counter arguments. Mackinnon pointed out that the whole problem with this unjust system is the dominance of men over women  [2]  . This domination is deeply embedded in the system, in the Rule of Law. It is not a matter of rights or being equal with men as what the Liberal feminists see. It is the domination of women by men by the law/the State which is male in nature. The domination occurred due to the objectification of women by men. Men objectify women. As the legal system is dominated by men, the law thus objectify women. Thus sexism was born. Liberal feminist see it as an illusion or myth that need to be dispelled but Mackinnon views it as a male power that creates the world in its own image and how male desires it to be. This is quite true as the law is legislated by male and thus it does not take into account of the point of view of women. Nor does it drafts based on a womens experience of everyday life by women and for women. It was after all drafted by white upper class men to be exact and their opinions which they held to be the absolute truth. The irony is that despite being excluded from the legislating process, women are bound by the rules. The law was not create for the benefit of women as what women think they ought to be but merely it was create by what men thinks benefit the women. By not taking into account the point of view of women and their everyday life and experience, the law is thus ineffective and oppressive. This is why objectivity epistemology is the law of law. Objectivity is just a conception of the society by men. Men legitimizes itself by reflecting their beliefs and view of existing society, a society men made and makes by so seeing it and calling that view and that relation practical rationality and objective. Thus the law shows men rules and dominates over women and in a male way. To put it more simply, objectification is the primary process of the subordination of women. How does objectification occur? How does it affect women as what the radical feminist preaches? Mackinnon in her works examined the law regarding rape and how the law had objectified it. She stated that, where the legal system has seen the intercourse in rape, victims see the rape in intercourse  [3]  . The legal system describes rape as violence and failed to see the effects of rape toward women. For all the law could see was the intercourse in rape but the victims see rape in intercourse. The law failed to see from the point of view of women and imposed their view, the view of upper class white men and the law was legislated according to their views. Rape law is one of the many laws which were objectified. According to s1 (1) (a) Sexual Offences Act 2003, rape is defined by the penetration of penis. The law is fixed upon the act of penetration. It shows oppression toward women by defining the element of rape from the point of view of male. What Mackinnon try to point out from her analysis of rape law is that the law is based on a male point of view and incapable of understanding or even comprehend the perspective from a woman point of view. It renders the law to be distant and unable to understand rape from the experience of a victim. The rape law is only concern with penetration of the vagina, it reflects upon a loss defined in a male term. It favours male sexuality rather than female sexuality. It does not understand what loses the female went through but what male loses instead. Mackinnon described rape as a crime against female monogamy than against female sexuality  [4]  . This is very true with such phallus-centric definition of rape. It acts as a protection for men more than a female. The female sexuality was ignored; their experience and resentment of rape were not taken into account. The rape law is to protect the property of men which is women. Women are thus objectified. They are not considered to be equal with men; they are sadly, regarded as property. This is oppression on the ground of sex. Sex is defined by men and on what they believe to be. It is the masculine form of sex that was incorporated into the law. The law was imposed onto women and male domination occurred. The projection of a patriarchal belief and vision of female sexuality occur and imposed onto the body of women. Consent is the line that governs between what is rape and intercourse. Intercourse without consent is rape. This show how the law governed and defined the sexuality of women. Rape in the eyes of women is not prohibited but it is in reality regulated. When a woman is rape and the prosecution failed on the ground of consent, the women is not considered to have suffers any loss. Because it is sex and it is not a violation and thus it could not be an injury. The law governed from the point of view of men. When women described rape, men could only see sex for they see it as sex. Thus the law objectified from a male point of view and dominated over women who are forced into subordination. It fails to deal with the more important issue, how the law going to reduce the rate of women being rape. While it is very true that the law is male and phallocentric in nature, radical feminism focuses too much on the issue of sex and sexuality. It does not take into account of other types of oppression and other school of feminism. It is criticised for being essentialist, oppositional, and utopian  [5]  . Mackinnon presented her argument as the universal truth and essentialises the experience that women faced. She sees sexual division as the foundational division at the heart of social life. This is because according to her oppression of women occurred because male dominates women over sex and reproductive rights. Due to this sex domination, women are thus oppressed and discriminated. However radical feminist reduces everything to sex and emphasise everything to sex. Mackinnon stated, Sex makes a woman a woman. Sex is what women are for  [6]  . This shows that sexual oppression happens due to what men perceive women to be. Mackinnon turned her theory into the ultimate truth and failed to take into account of other cultures or other oppressed groups. What she did was the same as what white upper class men did. Objectified the world according to what they believe. Thus by adopting the method men had used, did she not ended up being the same as men and render her argument against liberal feminisms aspiration to be like men to be nothing. Mackinnon and her sexual objectification had victimised women. It had in a sense betrayed the goal of feminism of overturning and restructuring this patriarchy world. It reduces women into victim and to be subjected into sexual violence instead of empowering them. She creates a specific voice for women and assumes that all women have the same experience. All women undergo the same sexual oppression whether they are lesbians, non-white women and for other non-privileged women which is not true. . Sexism occurs in a variety way and sex is not the only cause for it. There is after all a variety different cause of sexism that happens in the world. In America, it may be due to sex as what Mackinnon had argued but what about those from Islamic nations where sexism occurs due to religious or cultural reasons. For example, women are not allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia and Chinese women used to practise foot binding during the 19th century A.D. It is not due to sexual domination but due to religious belief and, for the latter, cultural traditions. While it is truth that men objectified women and thus a patriarchy world was born but it is not sex that is the only cause. Gender stereotypes, social reproduction, cultural are only a few examples of how sexism occurs. Cultural feminist, Carol Gilligan  [7]  stated that boys and girls reason differently to resolve problems. Their ways to react and deal with problems differ from one another. Boys tend to focus on individual entitlement and generate rules to solve problems or conflicts. Girls tend to emphasise on personal relationship and seek compromise so that everyone interests are taken into account. What happen is that gender stereotypes occur since young and children are brought up in such scenarios. This creates a social reproduction. Discrimination happen to women is not just due to sex domination. It is due to gender stereotype that was installed into children since they are young. They grew up and they acted the way they though they ought to be. Davies asks, how can we disentangle ourselves from the social environment which has made us what we are  [8]  ? This question is respond towards Mackinnons feminism which focuses too much on sex subordination. Men and women are different and this is a naturally self-evident attributes. Clearly Mackinnon did not agree with Gilligan in regards the differences between men and women. But it is impossible to think of such world where there is no difference between men and women. It is clearly beyond our comprehension and clearly too utopic in nature. This is due to us being brought up in a patriarchy world and socialise according to the order of such world. Radical feminists strive to eliminate sex subordination and by doing so eliminate the way the law looks and objectified women due to her sex. Nevertheless the question remains, how it is possible for women to be defined in an alternative legal way when the difference between men and women are not just sex but naturally and self-evident attribute. It is too utopic that it is absurd and incomprehensible. I do agree with most feminists that the law is male in nature. It is phallocentric and it objectifies women the way we men see women and think women ought to be and imposes it to be the law. Nevertheless, I could not endorse or agree with Mackinnons view that sex and sexual subordination are the fundamental reason for women to be discriminated against. It is too simplistic. For in my opinion, there are others valid reasons why the law objectifies women as men see it. One of them is Gilligans point of view that women and men have different voices and ethics. We are brought up in this patriarchy world and our points of views are being shaped by what society thinks we ought to behave based on our gender. Radical feminism pretends that their point of view to be the ultimate truth without taking into account of other groups such as black women or lesbian. Lastly, it forgets that other part of the Earth have different reasons for sexism to occur, be it cultural or even religion.

Passion – Basketball

My Passion by: Shariar Alam Sadmun What is basketball? In technical terms as defined by Princeton, it could be defined as a game played on a court by two opposing teams of 5 players; points are scored by throwing the ball through an elevated horizontal hoop. In my own words I would describe basketball as my best friend that never backstabs or goes away from my side; it is always there by my side no matter what just like a true friend. Everyone has a passion but I think my passion is truly unique because I have loved the sport of basketball since I was seven. I remember the day I was watching my first basketball game, I still remember it as if it was yesterday. I was not very familiar with the rules and the scoring. I did not know any players. My idol, Shaquille O’Neal, was playing in that game and he was dominating the whole game until he missed two crucial free throws near the end and his team lost. After the game he said, â€Å"Me shooting 40% at the foul line is just God’s way to say nobody’s perfect. † His play that game and the way that he encountered and the way he intellectually answered the critics that day has inspired me to play and love the game of basketball. People sometimes ask me, â€Å"Why do you love basketball? All you try to do is shoot that ball through that circle. That is not fun† My response to them is always the same. I tell them basketball is not just a game, it is more than a game. It is my love, it is my passion, it is the game that is always by my side, and it is the game that gives me the most enjoyment whenever I am playing or watching it. I love to watch the game. If they show the game on television for 4 hours straight, I will watch it without getting fed up with it. If someone starts a conversation about basketball, I will turn into Manny from Ice Age who never stops talking. I hate losing, basketball brings out my competitive spirit. Basketball lets me take out my emotions, which helps me in expressing myself to others. Basketball is a game of cooperation, where the five people on the court work cooperatively to achieve the goal of winning. The great Michael Jordan once said, â€Å"Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships. † Michael Jordan is a hero and an inspiration to a lot of people. He is the reason a lot of people not only in North America, but everywhere in the world started playing basketball. He once said, â€Å"I have missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot†¦ and missed. And I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why†¦ I succeed. † His competitive spirit and his hunger to succeed have always inspired me, and every time I hear or read these awe-inspiring quotes by him it always gives me goose bumps. Basketball teaches me good discipline in terms of when to shoot and when to pass to a teammate. Basketball has given me the chance of leading by example. Basketball players not only play the game but they do a lot to help their communities. A great example of that would be Steve Nash, who is an honorary member of Order of Canada (the highest civilian honour in Canada). He is possibly the greatest Canadian basketball player ever. He is an inspiration to every Canadian. All the philanthropic work he does, the way he takes care of his body, his work ethic and the way he leads his team is just a joy to watch and hear about. It makes me proud to be a Canadian and to know that a Canadian is one of the greatest basketball player ever to step on the court. Players like Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal are once in a generation type of players. The way they play with intensity and seriousness is something really commendable. I practice every day during the summer, I try to play with that killer instinct like my idols. When I was in grade five, I would play my brother every day after school and I would never win. One day he did not want to play me anymore because he told me I was not at his level. That really hit me. I remember for the next two months, I had a basketball with me. Everywhere I went, I had it with me from walking and dribbling it to the point where I slept with it. That is how much I wanted to beat my brother. I got that competitive spirit from players like Jordan or O’Neal. After two months, I requested my brother to play me and I told him if I lost I would never ask him to play me. He accepted the challenge, and after a very close game I beat him twenty-one to eighteen. After the game, I cried so much because I was so thrilled that I finally beat my brother. Basketball for some people is just a game. It is more than a game to me. It is like my best friend. It is my passion. It has always been there for me through the tough times and as well as the good times. It has helped me take my emotions out in a proper manner. It lets me take out my competitive spirit. It has taught me how to work in a team effectively. Alan Armstrong once said, â€Å"If there is no passion in your life, then have you really lived? Find your passion, whatever it may be. Become it, and let it become you and you will find great things happen for you, to you and because of you. † I feel basketball has given me the chance to enjoy my life in a way that I would have probably not enjoyed without it. Basketball has given me the chance to become its best friend, and I will always admire basketball for what it has done to change my life and what it has done to always stay by my side.

Medical Classification and Medical Billing Process Essay

The ten steps in the medical billing process are divided into three sections and they are: visit, claim, and post claim. The visit has four steps and they are: preregister patients, establish financial responsibility for the visit, check in patients, and check out patients. The claim has three steps and they are: review coding compliance, check billing compliance, prepare and transmit claims. The last section is the post claim which has the last three steps which are: monitor payer adjudication, generate patient statements, and follow up on patient payments and handle collections. HIPAA, ICD, CPT, and HCPCS, all have an important role in the medical billing process. HIPAA protect any information in which individuals can identify the patient, their health and history, such as their name, social security number, contact and billing information, and insurance. When first visiting the medical facility a patient must receive a notice of privacy, this will explain how to exercise his or her rights under HIPAA. It will protect patient records from being disclosed without his or her consent. In the medical billing process, HIPAA influences preregistering because the staff must make sure the patient information is not overheard by others in the waiting room. HIPAA also influences the establishing’s financial responsibility because the patient provides the medical facility with his or hers personal information as well as insurances. International Classification of Disease (ICD) is diagnosis codes used at check out time to identify the patient’s primary illness. In order for the visit to be bill the physician must put down a medical code to describe the patient medical diagnoses and procedures. When the physician performs a treatment or test a procedure code is assigned. These codes can be selected from the CPT or Current Procedural Terminology. Any service in which is not included in the CPT can be found in the HCPCS or the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System. HIPAA has made HCPCS codes mandatory for billing and coding. HCPCS codes are for patients in Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance plans. Once the services is provided and the ICD, CPT, and HCPCS codes are assigned then the medical facility can submit the claim to the insurance provider. By not putting the right codes down it can cause the claim to be denied. The medical coder will then have to resubmit the claim so the bill can be process and paid.

Timeline from 1800 to 1810

The 19th century gave us technological changes, fantastic discoveries, and political maneuvering that shook the foundations of global society. Those reverberations are still felt hundreds of years later. Documented here is the first decade of the 1800s with duels, battles, explorations, and births in the U.S. and abroad. 1800 The second federal census was taken in 1800, and determined the population to be 5,308,483. Of that number, 896,849, about 17 percent, were slaves.April 24, 1800: Congress chartered the Library of Congress and allocated $5,000 to purchase books.Nov. 1, 1800: President John Adams moved into the unfinished Executive Mansion, which would later be known as the White House.Dec. 3, 1800: The U.S. electoral congress convened to decide the winner of the election of 1800, which ended in a tie.Nov. 17, 1800: The United States Congress held its first session in its new home, the unfinished Capitol, at Washington, D.C. 1801 Jan. 1, 1801: President John Adams began a tradition of White House receptions on New Years Day. Any citizen could stand in line, enter the mansion, and shake hands with the president. The tradition endured until well into the 20th century.Jan. 1, 1801: The Act of Union, which bound Ireland to Britain, took effect.Jan. 21, 1801: President John Adams nominated John Marshall as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Marshall would go on to define the role of the court.Feb. 19, 1801: Thomas Jefferson won the disputed election of 1800—over Aaron Burr and the incumbent John Adams—which was finally resolved after a series of votes in the House of Representatives.March 4, 1801: Thomas Jefferson was inaugurated as president and delivered an eloquent inaugural address in the Senate chamber of the unfinished U.S. Capitol.March 1801: President Jefferson appointed James Madison as secretary of state. As Jefferson was a widower, Madisons wife Dolley began serving the White House hostes s.March 10, 1801: The first census taken in Britain determines the population of England, Scotland, and Wales to be about 10.5 million.March 16, 1801: George Perkins Marsh, an early advocate of conservation, was born in Woodstock, Vermont.April 2, 1801: At the Battle of Copenhagen, the British Navy defeated a Danish and Norwegian fleet in the Napoleonic Wars. Admiral Horatio Nelson was the hero of the battle.May 1801: The Pasha of Tripoli declared war on the U.S. President Jefferson responded by dispatching a naval squadron to fight the Barbary pirates.May 16, 1801:Â  William H. Seward, a senator from New York who would become Lincolns secretary of state, was born in Florida, New York.June 14, 1801: Benedict Arnold, the famous traitor from the American Revolutionary War, died in England at the age of 60. 1802 April 4, 1802: Dorothea Dix, an influential reformer who headed efforts to organize Union nurses in the Civil War, was born in Hampden, Maine.Summer 1802: President Thomas Jefferson read a book by explorer Alexander Mackenzie, who had traveled across Canada to the Pacific Ocean and back. The book helped inspire what would become the Lewis and Clark Expedition.July 2, 1802: Jonathan Cilley, who would be killed in a duel fought between two members of Congress, was born at Nottingham, New Hampshire.July 4, 1802: The U.S. Military Academy opened at West Point, New York.November 1802: Washington Irving published his first article, a political satire signed with the pseudonym Jonathan Oldstyle.Nov. 9, 1802: Elijah Lovejoy, a printer and abolitionist who would be killed for his anti-slavery beliefs, was born in Albion, Maine. 1803 Feb. 24, 1803: The Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice John Marshall, decided Marbury v. Madison, a landmark case that established the principle of judicial review.May 2, 1803: The United States concluded the purchase of the Louisiana Purchase with France.May 25, 1803: Ralph Waldo Emerson was born in Boston.July 4, 1803: President Thomas Jefferson officially gave orders to Meriwether Lewis, who had been preparing for an expedition to the Northwest.July 23, 1803: A rebellion led by Robert Emmet broke out in Dublin, Ireland, and was quickly put down. Emmet was captured a month later.Sept. 20, 1803: Robert Emmet, leader of an Irish rebellion against British rule, was executed in Dublin, Ireland.Oct. 12, 1803: Alexander Turney Stewart, the inventor of the department store and a leading merchant in New York City, was born in Scotland.Nov. 23, 1803: Theodore Dwight Weld, a great organizer of the abolitionist movement, was born in Connecticut.Dec. 20, 1803: The vast territory of the Louisia na Purchase was officially transferred to the U.S. 1804 May 14, 1804: The Lewis and Clark Expedition began its westward voyage by heading up the Missouri River.July 4, 1804: Author Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts.July 11, 1804: The Vice President of the United States, Aaron Burr, fatally wounded Alexander Hamilton in a duel at Weehawken, New Jersey.July 12, 1804: Alexander Hamilton died in New York City following the duel with Aaron Burr.Aug. 20, 1804: A member of the Corps of Discovery on the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Charles Floyd, died. His death would be the only fatality on the entire expedition.November 1804: Thomas Jefferson easily won reelection, defeating Charles Pinckney of South Carolina.November 1804: Lewis and Clark met Sacagawea at a Mandan village in present-day North Dakota. She would accompany the Corps of Discovery to the Pacific Coast.Nov. 23, 1804: Franklin Pierce, who served as President of the United States from 1853 to 1857, was born in Hillsborough, New Hampshire.Dec. 2, 1804: Napoleon Bonapa rte crowned himself Emperor of France.Dec. 21, 1804: Benjamin Disraeli, the British author and statesman, was born in London. 1805 March 4, 1805: Thomas Jefferson took the oath of office for the second time and delivered a remarkably bitter inaugural address.April 1805: During the Barbary Wars, a detachment of U.S. Marines marched on Tripoli, and after victory, raised the American flag over foreign soil for the first time.August 1805: Zebulon Pike, a young U.S. Army officer, embarked on his first exploring expedition, which would take him to present-day Minnesota.Oct. 21, 1805: At the Battle of Trafalgar, Admiral Horatio Nelson was fatally wounded.Nov. 15, 1805: The Lewis and Clark Expedition reached the Pacific Ocean.December 1805: Lewis and Clark settled into winter quarters at a fort constructed by the Corps of Discovery. 1806 Bernard McMahon published The American Gardener’s Calendar, the first book on gardening published in America.Noah Webster published his first dictionary of American English.March 23, 1806: Lewis and Clark began their return journey from the Pacific NorthwestMarch 29, 1806: President Thomas Jefferson signed into law a bill allocating funds for the building of the National Road, the first federal highway.May 30, 1806: Andrew Jackson, future American president, killed Charles Dickinson in a duel provoked by disagreement over a horse race and insults to Jackson’s wife.July 15, 1806: Zebulon Pike departed on his second expedition, a voyage with mysterious purposes that would take him to present-day Colorado.Sept. 23, 1806: Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery returned to St. Louis, completing their expedition to the Pacific. 1807 Washington Irving published a little satirical magazine, Salmagundi. Twenty issues appeared between early 1807 and early 1808.March 25, 1807: Importing slaves was outlawed by Congress, but the law would not take effect until Jan. 1, 1808.May 22, 1807: Aaron Burr was indicted for treason.June 22, 1807: The Chesapeake Affair, in which a U.S. Navy officer surrendered his ship to the British, created an enduring controversy. Years later, the incident would provoke a duel that would kill Stephen Decatur.July 4, 1807: Giuseppe Garibaldi was born.Aug. 17, 1807: Robert Fulton’s first steamboat left New York City bound for Albany, sailing on the Hudson River. 1808 Jan. 1, 1808: The law banning importing slaves into the U.S. took effect.Albert Gallatin completed his landmark Report on Roads, Canals, Harbors, and Rivers, a comprehensive plan for creating a transportation infrastructure in the United States.November 1808: James Madison won the U.S. presidential election, defeating Charles Pinckney, who had lost to Thomas Jefferson four years earlier. 1809 Feb. 12, 1809: Abraham Lincoln was born in Kentucky. On the same day, Charles Darwin was born in Shrewsbury, England.December 1809: The first book by Washington Irving, A History of New York, an inventive blend of history and satire, is published under the pseudonym Diedrich Knickerbocker.Dec. 29, 1809: William Ewart Gladstone, British statesman and prime minister, was born in Liverpool. 1810-1820

Humor And Humour Of The Picture Of Dorian Gray - 1368 Words

On why humour is about power, control and the balance of intellect and emotions In ancient times, humour or comic was strictly censored. In places like Greece and Egypt, jokes were even forbidden in social situations. Considering the almost taboo nature of humour, it s hardly surprising that humour never received particular attention from ancient scholars. Plato was averse to humour as jokes and sarcasm were not encouraged and men and women were expected to be serious rather than frivolous about all issues. Some ancient scholars went to the extent to argue that humour could lead to sarcasm, disrespect, vulgar or volatile discourse and finally anger, resentment and even murder. Despite this, there is some interesting anecdotal evidence†¦show more content†¦A recent example of humour gone badly is the case of Charlie Hebdo. The magazine has been under repeated attacks as their humorous cartoons on Prophet Muhammad and on the aftermath of Italian earthquake were considered in bad taste and insensitive. The concept of humour has been anthropologically tied to the aggressive and mocking behaviour of apes. However, historically humour has been linked with a type of play so humour is primarily applied to situations that are comic. However, laughter has often been associated with scorn, mockery, and sarcasm. Philosophically, humour has been explained with the superiority theory, the relief, and incongruity theory. Superiority theory suggests that humour and ridicule are often used against an adversary as by joking about someone, we establish our superiority. This theory suggests that laughter helps us to establish superiority. The Relief theory suggests that humour is a form of relief of the nervous system and laughter acts as a valve and helps in relieving the pent-up nervous energy. The relief theory is a popular theory in philosophy and is congruent with the Freudian theory of humour as Freud argued that humour is the release of sexual energy and repressed unconscious thoughts and emotions on hostility and sexuality are often given vent through laughter and jokes. This means that if you feel sexually attracted to someone or feel hostility towards someone, you ll tend to joke to release some of thatShow MoreRelatedThe Picture of Dorian Gray and the Turn of the Screw in the Gothic Genre4189 Words   |  17 PagesOscar Wildes The Picture of Dorian Gray and Henry James The Turn Of the Screw are key examples of the way in which gothic texts use and adapt the conventions of the genre. These changes occur due to the authors own personal context and values. The inexorable link between text, context and values is expressed through the way in which both authors choose to manipulate, redefine and introduce new conventions to the gothic. Oscar Wildes first and only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, was written

Childhood Obesity And The United States And School Lunches

Observational studies were done on school children in kindergarten through third grade. The article explains that the children’s BMIs (body mass index) were measured at the beginning of the school year, end of the school year, and then again at the beginning of the following school year. It was seen that the BMI increase of the children increased twice as much during the three summer months than during the nine-month school frame. This infers that children gain more weight and are more incline to become overweight in their own home environment than their school environment. Sloviter makes a point that this increase in BMI at such a young age will lead to an increased risk for adult obesity. She concludes the article by briefly reminding the reader to remember that there are other factors that contribute to childhood obesity and the largest factor may not be the school lunch environment after all. While reading this article my viewpoint was challenged. Childhood obesity in the United States and school lunches have always seemed to go hand in hand because of all the national attention public school have been receiving within the past ten or so years. However, the studies that Sloviter provided made clear suggestions that school lunches in the United States may not be so terrible or unhealthy as I have been assuming. It is still slightly odd that this is so, considering in my previous research statistics have shown American school lunches to be high in fats, carbs, and sugars.Show MoreRelatedChildhood Obesity : A Serious Problem1221 Words   |  5 PagesObesity is not only found amongst children, it is also found in pre-teen to teenage years as well. Childhood years are the most important period of a kids life, were they learn behavior and mold into the adult they will become. Starting bad eating habits early in the childhood years sets them up for more complications later in t heir lives. One out of three children in the U.S are obese, which most of them will end up facing a greater risk of having medical, social, emotional problems some even endRead MoreChildhood Obesity And Its Effects On Children985 Words   |  4 Pageschildren, obesity among children is still too high. For children and adolescents aged 2-19 years, the prevalence of obesity has remained fairly stable at about 17% and affects about 12.7 million children and adolescents for the past decade (CDC). Childhood obesity does not only affect children, but also has many long term health effects on our children as they get older, including, an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in both childhood and adulthood. (2). Researchers estimate that if obesity trendsRead MoreChildhood Obesity Is The Constant Build Up Of Excessive Fats That Impair The Health Of A Child Essay1723 Words   |  7 PagesChildhood obesity is the constant build up of excessive fats that impair the health of a child. When chil dren are obese, they have high cholesterol and high blood pressure that threatens their lives with CVD. It also causes extreme breathing problems, joint problems, and an increase in contracting type 2 diabetes. Nearly one in three kids in the United States is obese and that is more than triple the amount from the 1960’s. Childhood obesity is taking control of many kid’s lives throughout theRead MoreShould School Lunches Be Banned?1565 Words   |  7 PagesA child spends the majority of their childhood in a school. In schools, students acquire the academic knowledge and life skills that they need to carry out a successful life—ranging from learning basic math to how to tie their shoes. Another big part of school is the lunch hour. Lunch is a period in which students can get a break from classes, socialize, and refuel their minds to tackle the rest of the day. But school lunches have been known for being unhealthy and bad for students to consumeRead MoreEv aluating the Research Process Essay1541 Words   |  7 Pages Steacy Childhood Obesity The author of this article talks about the increasing number of obese children in America and what it will take to have healthy and nutritious school lunch programs provided to school children. During a survey performed by the author on many children who are suffering from obesity in America and the health problems these unhealthy school lunches are creating, the lunches were analyzed based on content of nutritional value and how harmful school lunches are to childrenRead MorePersuasive Essay On School Lunches1052 Words   |  5 Pagesus have attended school once in our life. And many of us have tasted the dreadful school lunches that are served. Various people believe that schools need to provide more food in a meal. Society has been conversing about the nutrious value in a school meal and they wonder if the meat in the lunches are real or completely fake â€Å"beef†. School lunches have become even more unacceptable and need to be re-thought for the health of the younger generations. To start off school lunches have become moreRead MoreObesity And School Lunch Program997 Words   |  4 PagesChildhood obesity is one of the nation’s public health main challenge: About one third of children and adolescents (ages 6 to 19) are determined as overweight or obese, and more than one in six that group are determined to be obese in United States. As most people do not understand the difference between overweight and obesity, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases identifies this disparity—overweight refers to an excess amount of body weight that may come from musclesRead MorePreventing Obesity among School Children through Healthier School Meals1323 Words   |  5 PagesPreventing Obesity Among School Children through Healthier School Meals Obesity and overweight are among the pressing health problems among children and adolescents in the developed world. Obesity refers to an excess amount of body fat whereas overweight can be measured by the BMI index or height-weight ratio. According to the WHO (2012), obesity and overweight are the fifth largest risk for global deaths. Introduction Obesity and overweight among children and adolescents has increasedRead MoreEssay on School Lunches Lead to Obesity in Our Children1309 Words   |  6 Pagesunder the age of 20, about 12.5 million are considered obese. School districts that serve students food that are high in calories and fat are to blame for the growing numbers of obese children. Although school lunches provide students food at minimal costs, the poor quality of food served delivers inadequate nutrition and is responsible for the rising numbers of obese minors in the United States. In order to combat this growing problem, school districts must limit student choices in the lunchroom andRead MoreGovernment-Subsidized Food1201 Words   |  5 PagesGovernment-subsidized food is a growing epidemic in this country. According to Adam Drewnoski, an obesity researcher at University of Washington, â€Å"A dollar could buy 1,200 calories of cookies or potato chips but only 250 calories of carrots. Also, he discovered that a dollar bought 875 calories of soda but only 170 calories of orange juice† (Pollan 1). This statistic proves that the emergence of unhealthy food and growing obesity numbers are directly correlated to the increasing government-subsidized food that is

Culture of the Samurai Essay Example For Students

Culture of the Samurai Essay When one thinks of a Japanese samurai, they generally picture in their mind a stout warrior devoid of emotion, battle armor glinting, and sword poised with a silent threat. Although this image may be historically accurate, many people do not expand their thoughts past the awe-inducing thought of such a noble warrior and into the many arts within the cultural aspects of being a samurai. Their art of fighting is what made the samurai famous world-wide. Although pride and honor came before anything else in the life of a samurai, there is much more to them than common knowledge dictates. In order to fully understand the Samurai in ancient Japan, it is necessary to take a look at the historical framework of the time. Before the early 12th century, Japan was ruled by an all-powerful Emperor who derived his power from the belief that he was a descendant of the sun goddess. Under the Emperor were small semi-autonomous tribal units called uji, who were bound together by fictitious bonds of kinship. These units were loyal to the Emperor and some, especially in the case of the Fujiwara clan during the Heian period (794-1185), even exerted dominance over the imperial family and were the ones who actually governed the Emperors land. However, the beginning of the 12th century saw the decline of Imperial power and the rise of regional militias formed to protect precious land in the wake of disunity in Japan caused by the break up of the Han Dynasty. It was during this time that the Samurai class began to take shape and rise to power. Perhaps one of the most fascinating arts that has come to be linked with the samurai is the cha no yu, or tea ceremony. Few activities in general are quite as thoroughly refined and thoughtful and yet evolved through such troubled times. Complicated and yet utterly simple, the tea ceremony in many ways could be a metaphor not only for the samurai ideal but also for the land of Japan itself. The tea ceremony normally took place in a tearoom, the chachitsu. The guests entered through the nijiriguchi, a small square door, with samurai leaving their swords outside and the last to enter, closing the door behind him. The nijiriguchi was only about two and a half feet square. Guests therefore entered by crawling, a deliberately humbling device intended to create a sense of equality once inside. The tearoom was arranged so that those entering would first spy a scroll hanging in the tokonoma or alcove. This scroll was normally of calligraphy, with its subject often that of a simple observation such as Honrai mu Ichibutsu (Originally there is nothing). As this scroll is carefully chosen by the host to reflect a mood or the season, the guests customarily spend a moment appreciating it before seating themselves around a small hearth in the center of the room. At this point the host enters, and the principal guest thanks him or her for their invitation and politely inquires about the scroll or some other object in the room should one be present. However, and throughout the time spent in the tearoom, conversations and articulations are brief, and it was considered impolite to speak of things not related to the ceremony. The principle guest then serves a light meal, called the kaiseki, which was intended to be pleasing to the eye as well as the taste. At this time, a modest serving of sak, a rice wine, is also offered in shallow bowls, followed by a piece of fruit or some other light dessert. The guests then exit the tearoom while the host prepares it for the drinking of tea, replacing the scroll with a single flower in a vase. When the guests return, the host heats water in an iron kettle, then rinses and wipes the tea bowl and utensils. He places powdered green tea in a bowl with a bamboo dipper, then whips the tea with a whisk (also bamboo) until the surface is slightly frothy, then serves it to his guests. Two kinds of tea will be served: koi-cha, which is the more formal of the two and possessed of a thicker consistency and bitter taste, and usu-cha thinner and more informal. Koi-cha is served first, and all the guests drink a small quantity from the same bowl. Later in the ceremony, usucha is served in individual bowls. The tea bowls themselves can vary in design according to the host and the season. Winter tea bowls are deeper, to help contain heat, while summer bowls are shallower and broader to release the heat and give the impression of coolness. Throughout the ceremony, the hosts and guests both aspire towards a sense of tranquility. The priest Takuan wrote of preparing for a tea ceremony and said, and let this all be carried out in accordance with the idea that in this room we can enjoy the streams and rocks as we do the rivers and mountains in Nature, and appreciate the various moods and sentiments suggested by the snow, the moon, and the trees and flowers, as they go through the transformation of seasons, appearing and disappearing, blooming and withering. As visitors are greeted here with due reverence, we listen quietly to the boiling water in the kettle, which sounds like a breeze passing through the pine needles, and become oblivious of all worldly woes and worries Another art often not thought of is ancient Japanese clothing. As may be expected, the basic clothing item in a samurais everyday wardrobe was the kimono, which for men normally consisted of an outer and inner layer. Heavier kimonos were worn in the winter, while lighter examples (those made of finer silk, for instance) were worn in the summer. To Build A Fire EssayThe samurais hair was an important part of his appearance, and most texts and house-codes of the samurai make reference to the importance of its neat appearance. For the better part of a thousand years, the traditional hairstyle was the topknot, a fashion by no means exclusive to the samurai. Nearly everyone, with the exception of Buddhist priests, wore topknots, making the genesis of this style nearly impossible to guess at it with authority. There is reference to the use of topknots in ancient China, and it might have been one of the many cultural imports introduced to Japan between the Asuka-Nara and Heian Periods. Needless to say, there was any number of styles of topknot by the Edo Period. The chasen-gami , for instance, was produced by wrapping a piece of string around the length of the topknot, producing a spray of hair at the end that resembled a tea whisk. The topknot would then either be worn back or forward, hanging over the center of the head. The mitsu-ori was a style popular in the later 16th Century. The hair was well oiled and formed into a queue and folded forward on the head, then back again, and was tied in place. An abbreviated version, the futatsu-yori, was only folded forward before being tied, and was trimmed with a razor to give the front an almost solid appearance. Interestingly, these styles were not uncommon among the lower classes. For headgear out of armor, powerful samurai would wear eboshi, a cap of black silk gauze stiffened with a black lacquered paper lining. The cap was held in place either by a white cord, or was pinned to the samurais topknot. The size and shape of the cap was largely dependant on the samurais rank, though the use of eboshi was reserved for only the most formal of events by the 16th Century. As most anyone knows, a samurais honor is his life, and vice versa. Hara-kiri is the common language term for ritual suicide. Hara-kiri, which literally means stomach cutting, is a particularly painful method of self-destruction. Commonly known simply as seppuku, it was only allowed to be performed by samurai class warriors. A Samurai was allowed to die by his own hand in order to show respect for his character and honor. Other than the samurai who committed seppuku, a kaishaku was needed. Kaishaku, an assistant who was called the second, was responsible for cutting off the samurais head after he had sliced his abdomen open. The person was generally a close friend or associate of the condemned. Usually there would be about two attendants from the samurais lord and/or the shogun. They were called kenshi, or inspector. They were sent by the Shogun and responsible to observe the ritual and to file a report. Seppuku was carried out with dignity and great care by both the person committing it as well as the kaishaku. The soon-to-be-dead samurai dressed out in a nice, white kimono to symbolize purity. Before him would be a wooden tray crafted for this specific occasion. Placed upon it were a sheaf of washi paper, ink, a cup of sake, and a short knife called a tanto. To start the ceremony, he would drink the sake, preferably in two gulps. One gulp was considered gauche, and three was considered to be miserly. Two gulps showed the correct combination of contemplation and determination. Next, the samurai would take the paper and ink and compose a fitting poem. After composing the poem, he would then procede to the main event. The samurai slipped down his upper kimono to his girdle, carefully put his sleeves under his knees in order to die and fall forward; a standard way for a samurai to die. He took the dirk that lay before him with a steady hand. After waiting a few seconds to collect his thoughts, he stabbed himself deeply below the waist on the left hand side. He drew the dirk slowly across to the right. As the dirk reached the right side he gave a slight cut upward and then leant forward, craning his neck. Once an expression of pain crossed his face, the kaishaku, who had been keenly watching the whole process, sprang to his legs and poised his sword in the air for a second, cut off the head from the body quickly and smoothly. During a dead silence the kaishaku, having wiped his sword, bowed solemnly to the witnesses, and the dirk was removed as a proof of the death of the samurai. Although seppuku is now forbidden, many people in modern Japan still believe that an honorable death is better than a disgraceful life. Influenced by this idea, Japan has the highest rate of suicide in the world. Hearing of a Japanese kill themselves for failing in business or for not passing an exam is not uncommon. Throughout the centuries, the Japanese samurai has evolved and developed and become a cultural icon. They are distinguished by use of the tea ceremony: a reverent and calming experience. They are recognized by their appearance: status symbols, fashion, and utility. Finally, they often died by their own hand during the seppuku ritual: an honorable and highly choreographed death. The samurai lives as a fantastic image in the minds of subsequent cultures worldwide. However, there is much more history, ritual, and sacrifice to their history than most people tend to realize.