Jean Jacques Rousseau and Mary Wollstonecraft Essays

Jean Jacques Rousseau and Mary Wollstonecraft Essays Jean Jacques Rousseau and Mary Wollstonecraft Paper Jean Jacques Rousseau and Mary Wollstonecraft Paper Essay Topic: Bad Boy a Memoir Jean Jacques Rousseau and Mary Wollstonecraft were both born in the 18th century, within 47 years of each other, and both were regarded as important philosophical thinkers of their time. Jean Jacques Rousseau was born in Geneva, Switzerland in 1712; his father was a watchmaker and his mother died while giving birth to him. His father Isaac, who taught him to read, and appreciate the countryside, consequently brought up Rousseau. His father had to leave Geneva when Rousseau was 10 years old to avoid going to prison; he was then brought up by his aunt and later by an uncle. In his writings The Confessions he recalls only happy memories of his childhood, although to the reader it does have some strange features such as not being allowed to play with children of his own age, Never once, until I left my fathers house, was I allowed to run out alone into the road with the other children (The Confessions: Book 1, 1953, pp21). When Rousseaus father had to leave Switzerland, he was put into the care of his Uncle Bernard, who had a son of Rousseaus age. Together they were sent to a place called Bossey to board with a pastor called M. Lambercier, for an education. Up until this point Rousseau had had a childhood with no formal education at all. Rousseau also recalls his time at Bossey with fond memories, and claims; The manner of my life at Bossey suited me so well that if only it had lasted longer it could not have failed to fix my character for ever. (The Confessions: Book 1, 1953, pp25). After leaving Bossey and spending a few years living with his uncle, he was sent at the age of thirteen to be an apprentice engraver. He lived here for about three years before running away at the age of sixteen to travel across Europe, where he becomes a Catholic briefly before converting back to Protestantism. Rousseau ended up in Paris, leading a somewhat unsettled life, where he eventually died in 1778. He left behind him a cult following, his name and writings became infamous during the French revolution. Mary Wollstonecraft was born in 1759 to John Edward Wollstonecraft, who was a tyrant and a bully, and Elizabeth Dixon. She was the second child of six. She had an elder brother; Edward and four other siblings were born after her, James, Charles, Eliza and Everina. They were brought up as Anglicans. Wollstonecrafts paternal grandfather owned a silk weaving business, and her maternal grandfather was a wine merchant. In 1765 her paternal grandfather died leaving the silk weaving business to her father. However her father was a bit of a snob and he didnt care very much for being a tradesman, so he took the money from the business and invested in farming. This had disastrous consequences as her father knew nothing of farming, and the family spent their time moving from one farm to another, leaving their debts behind them. Between the years 1759 and 1776 they had moved about the country on numerous occasions and tried their hand at farming at places such as Epping, Whalebone, Essex, Yorkshire and Wales. By the end of the 1770s the family fortune was at very low ebb. In 1775 Mary Wollstonecraft met Francis (Fanny) Blood, who became her closet friend and companion until her death in 1785. Her mother died in 1782, and in 1784 Mary Wollstonecraft, her sister Eliza, and Fanny opened a new school in Islington, where they were joined by her other sister Everina. After Fanny Bloods death Wollstonecraft returned to find the school had suffered in her absence, so she closed it and turned her mind to writing by way of making a living. In 1786 she earned herself ten pounds after her first publication, which was a pamphlet entitled Thoughts on the Education of Daughters. Mary Wollstonecrafts life was changed, as was most of the world, by the French Revolution in 1789, and went to live in Paris in 1792 to witness first hand the effects of the French revolution. Wollstonecraft went on to produce many more important writings during her lifetime, one of her most famous being A vindication of the rights of women. Wollstonecraft died on 10th September 1797 of childbed fever 11 days after her second child was born. In 1798 William Godwin, her husband published a book called Memoirs of Mary Wollstonecraft, which seemed to have a negative effect on her popularity. Jean-Jacques Rousseaus ideas on childhood and education were considered quite revolutionary at the time, and even today they continue to be quite controversial. Rousseau was famous for being a social critic; he felt that social life corrupted human nature. Rousseau strongly believed that: We are all born good, but civilisation turns us all into moral slaves. (Lecture notes, 13/10/03) It is upon this belief that Rousseau wrote one of his most controversial pieces in 1762, which was a novel called Emile. This book was based on Rousseaus thoughts that people developed through various stages and that different forms of education may be suitable to each specific stage. Rousseau alleged it was possible to sustain the original nature of the child by careful control of his education and environment. This was done through a close investigation of the different physical and emotional stages through which the child passed from birth through to maturity. Geraint Parry mentions in the book Emile: Learning to Be Men, Women, and Citizens that: It is intended to portray an ideal of education that is as close to nature as it is possible to attain in the world as we now find it. (The Cambridge Companion to Rousseau, 2001, pp249) In Emile, Rousseau divides the childs development into five stages, and a book is devoted to each. The five stages are: Stage one Infancy (birth to two years), Stage two The age of Nature (Two to Twelve years), Stage three Pre-adolescence (Twelve to Fifteen years), Stage four Puberty (Fifteen to Twenty years) and Stage five Adulthood (Twenty to Twenty Five years). (www. infed. org) The books that are most fundamental to Rousseaus belief of childhood being a crucial phase of self-development are books one, two and three. Rousseau attempts to show the reader how a persons self-development can be determined by the way he is educated in his childhood. Rousseaus belief that society was corrupt fuelled his ideas on education. Geraint Parry mentions in Emile: Learning to be Men, Women, and Citizens that The significance of education for Rousseau is that it seems to offer a means of solving one of the central dilemmas of his social and political thought. A fundamental objective is to create a virtuous circle in which transformed human beings could live in a transformed society (The Cambridge Companion to Rousseau, 2001,pp248) Rousseau says in book one of Emile: We are born sensitive and from our birth onwards we are affected in various ways by our environment. As soon as we become conscious of our sensations we tend to seek or shun the things that cause them, at first because they are pleasant or unpleasant, then because they suit us or not, and last because of judgements formed by means of the ideas of happiness and goodness which reason gives us. (Emile, 2003, pp7) Rousseau backs this idea up when he writes his Confessions later in his life when he recalls some of his childhood memories, one in particular of his time at Bossey when he was chastised by Mlle Lambercier for a wrong doing and found that the experience of being beaten by her wasnt as bad as he had first thought it would be, and he goes on to say: Who could have supposed that this childish punishment, received at the age of eight at the hands of a woman of thirty, would determine my tastes and desires, my passions, my very self for the rest of my life,.. (The Confessions, book one, Penguin 1953, pp26) It is clear from Rousseaus writings that he strongly believed that Childhood is a crucial phase of self-development. Much of his work was read and admired by Mary Wollstonecraft. She was born nearly fifty years after Rousseau, but his writings on education were something that Wollstonecraft admired: the ideas she had begun to acquire about education, filtered down from Rousseau (The Life and Death of Mary Wollstonecraft, Claire Tomalin, Penguin 1992, pp49) Wollstonecraft was seen as very insightful, in the sense that she longed to bridge the gap between mankinds present circumstance and an ultimate perfection. She was beyond doubt, a child of the French revolution. She saw a new age of reason and compassion close at hand. Wollstonecraft, in her writings, attempted to undertake the huge task of helping other women. Helping them to fight for a better education did this. Which in turn helped them to achieve a better life, not just for themselves, but also for their children and even their husbands. In reality it took more than a century before society sat up and took notice of her beliefs and put her views into effect. Mary Wollstonecrafts experience in childhood and as a young woman, in a class-bound and male-dominated society, influenced and shaped the ideas she would later develop into a feminist argument. (A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, Penguin 1992, pp2) It is possible to see that Wollstonecrafts own childhood experiences have shaped her beliefs on childhood as a crucial phase of self-development. Unlike Rousseau, however Wollstonecraft is primarily concerned with the childhood and education of females. This is because in 1784 she opens a school for girls in Newington Green, near Islington. Wollstonecraft quickly became convinced that the young women they were trying to teach had already effectively been enslaved into submissiveness to men through their previous social training. As there were no qualifications that were needed to become a teacher sadly this venture failed, but it did lead her to start writing about her ideas on childhood and education, especially for women and girls. In 1786 Wollstonecraft was published for the first time. She earned herself ten pounds from the publication of a pamphlet called, Thoughts on the Education of Daughters. In this publication she proposed to intentionally explore the enlightenment ideals to include education for women; because she believed their rational natures were no less capable of intellectual achievement than were those of men. Wollstonecraft was for a short time a Governess to the Kingsborough family in Ireland. The position of a Governess was a hard one. She was employed to bring up the children of the Kingsborough family. Wollstonecrafts experiences in her childhood and as a young adult no doubtedly had an effect on her ideas about childhood being a crucial phase of self-development. In the introduction to A Vindication of the Rights of Woman it states; Mary Wollstonecraft may have been recalling her own childhood when her narrator in Maria The Wrongs of Woman says that her mother was a vague and uncertain figure. She seemed to dote on her oldest son, a boy, (Penguin 1992, pp3) it is clear from this quote that Wollstonecrafts childhood experiences, especially those with her mother and father have stayed with her into her adult life. It has shaped her very ideas and thoughts on how parents should show affection and bring up their children. She has dedicated a whole chapter to Parental Affection in her book A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. Wollstonecraft writes very clearly about parental affection, and she also makes it clear where she believes parents are going wrong with their children; Parents often love their children in the most brutal manner, and sacrifice every relative duty to promote their advancement into the world. (Penguin 1992, pp270), Wollstonecraft is trying to make the point to her readers that the child will only suffer if it is brought up in this manner. The parents will rob the child of the vital stage of having a proper childhood if they neglect everything else while pushing their children to become the child genius they dream of them becoming. Wollstonecraft goes on later in the chapter to describe the qualities of a good mother, which she lists as; To be a good mother, a woman must have sense, and that independence of mind which few women possess who are taught to depend entirely on their husbands. (A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, Penguin 1992, pp272), Wollstonecraft is trying to reiterate that to have any hope of being a good effective mother, a woman must be in possession of good sense and have her own mind. A woman must also be independent from her husband, Wollstonecraft felt that if a woman relied too much on her husband it would effect her abilities as a mother, this is backed up by what she states later in the chapter; Meek wives are, in general, foolish mothers; wanting their children to love them best, and take their part, in secret, against the father, who is held up as a scarecrow. (A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, Penguin 1992, pp272). In conclusion it is clear to see from both Jean-Jacques Rousseaus and Mary Wollstonecrafts writings that they both believed that childhood was a crucial phase in a persons self-development. It was important for them to try to relate their beliefs to the general public which is why they emphasise it in their books, and also the reason that they write about it so successfully is because of their own personal experiences in their own childhood which seems to have provided them with a solid base to work upon in their adult life.

The Short Game Story in Sportswriting

The Short Game Story in Sportswriting There are lots of different kinds of stories you can write on the sports beat, but probably the most basic is the short game story. A short game story, usually 500 words or less, follows a straightforward format that can be applied to any game you cover. The Lede The lede of your story should include the final score and some details about what made the game interesting. Generally, this means focusing on the efforts of an individual player. Let’s say a team’s star athlete is injured and a previously unheralded player comes into the game as a substitute. Not much is expected of this rookie but he defies expectations and plays a great game, leading the team to victory. Example 1: Second-string quarterback Jay Lindman, who had never played a down for Jefferson High School, came off the bench after star QB Fred Torville was injured Friday night and threw three touchdown passes to lead the Gladiators to a 21-14 victory over the McKinley High School Centurions. Or maybe the game is a close, seesaw battle between two evenly matched opponents, and is won in the final seconds by an especially dramatic play. Example 2: Second-string quarterback Jay Lindman threw the game-winning touchdown with just 12 seconds left to lead the Jefferson High School Gladiators to a 21-14 victory over the McKinley High School Centurions Friday night. Notice that in both examples we focus on the efforts of an individual athlete. Sports is all about the human drama of competition, and focusing on a single person gives the game story a human interest angle that readers will enjoy. The Body of the Story The body of your story should basically elaborate on the lede. If your lede was about the benchwarmer becoming the game’s star, then the body of the story should go into more detail about that. Often a simple chronological account works best. Example: Torville’s ankle was sprained when he was sacked in the first quarter. Lindman came into the game with low expectations but threw his first touchdown pass in the second quarter with a high, floating ball that receiver Mike Ganson snagged in the end zone. In the third quarter, Lindman was forced to scramble out of the pocket to avoid the rush but managed to fire a bullet to receiver Desean Washington, who made a diving catch at the goal line. The Wrap Up The wrap-up, or ending, of your story usually centers on quotes from the coach and players gleaned from post-game interviews or press conferences. Getting great quotes for sports stories can sometimes be tough- coaches and athletes often speak in clichà ©s- but a snappy quote can really be the icing on the cake of your game story. Example: â€Å"I knew Lindman could play but I didn’t know he could play like that,† said Gladiators coach Jeff Michaelson. â€Å"That was one heck of a game by a young guy who showed a lot of heart.† Washington said Lindman exuded confidence even in the huddle before his very first snap. â€Å"He just said, ‘Let’s do this to win,’† Washington said. â€Å"And he went out there and did it. That boy can throw the ball.†

TRANSFER STUDENTS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

TRANSFER STUDENTS - Essay Example In response to the opportunities to learning and exploration, I look forward to actively participate in every activity offered in the school that is related to Software Engineering. I believe that experiencing the theories taught in school will enhance my understanding and might even help me to discover other things. Moreover, working with other students will be a means of sharing what they understood and could be a way of verifying what is not clear during class discussions. Watching is an easier and more interactive way of learning than just reading and listening to lectures so it is my aim to learn as much as I can from hands on experiences by actively engaging myself with the activities. Research is another field that could be interesting to learn from as it challenges individuals to think critically. Doing research with the faculty will not only open me to educational experiences but will also encourage me to share what I have in mind. This is an opportunity that I see could always drive me to study harder, learn and think

Global Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Global Marketing - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that organizations, which are operating in any industrial sectors including in the sector of Information Technology (IT), would want to expand their operations into foreign territories due to various factors. That is, organization could think about entering foreign markets if they have achieved optimal success in the home market, or due to heightened competition or saturation in the home market, or due to good opportunities in the foreign market, etc, etc. Whatever is the motivation for the firms to enter foreign territories, it is paramount on the part of the organization to study the foreign market in an in-depth as well as extensive manner. Various factors will be at ‘play’ in those foreign markets, and those factors will either aid the entering organization or will pose a major challenge to the organization. These factors will be visible both in the macro as well as in the micro environment of the organization. In the macro -environment, factors including political, social, cultural, economic, etc., could impact the entering organization. In the micro or in the immediate environment of the firm, market factors including competitors, recent trends, etc., will impact the organization. After analyzing these factors, the firms have formulate a set of objectives, so they have can have a clear path, regarding what to achieve and how to achieve those objectives. The next key process is analyzing the various entry modes and finding out the best entry mode. The firms should also plan out the marketing strategies that have to be implemented in the entering countries before-hand, so they can aptly reach their products or services to the intended customers. All these key processes will be applicable to our software development firm as well. Our company is a medium sized software firm developing software for applications in many sectors particularly electronics and communications sector. In our home operations in U K, we have around 2000 employees working in our various offices in number of cities. We are achieving optimal success and good profits in the UK market, but still some competition is emerging. Although, we can aptly fight the competition, with the intention to grow further, we are looking at foreign expansion. So, after achieving great success in the UK market, our firm has decided to broaden our horizons and target, initially the two foreign markets of Brazil and India. This report will first do an environmental audit of both the countries through the PESTEL and Porter’s Five Forces tool, and by focusing on the market as well as the competitors. Secondly, the report will set the SMART global marketing objectives for going international, then will discuss about the entry modes, finally ending with the discussion about the marketing strategies that has to be implemented for optimal success. Environmental Audit Every market or country including Brazil and India has certain uniq ue or common political, social and economic conditions, along with different clients’ base, consumer behaviour and competitors. These distinct aspects could aid as well as impede the organisations’ entry into that particular market as well as the resultant success. So, understanding and analyzing these aspects behaviour in relation with the product or service is a key necessity. Based on this analysis only, the marketing strategies need to be formulated, so that organisation can reach maximum customers, entice them and importantly build long-term relationship, thereby retaining them. As the above mentioned country specific aspects need to be mainly analyzed in relation with the product that is going to be launched, the product’s profile should ‘fit’ with the consumer of that particular market. Although, it applies to all product range, it is of utmost importance to the firms dealing in the IT sector. So, from the above understanding, it is clear tha t, the macro and the micro environment for the software firms as well as the consumer behaviour in the Brazilian and Indian market has to be analyzed, based on

Bitter Stereotypes :: Essays

Bitter Stereotypes From the writer: When I was in high school, I was very involved with Amnesty International. Ever since then, the concern about basic human rights has been a vital part of my outlook on life. I chose Elisabeth Rosenthal's article because I liked the challenge of analyzing the complicated and sensitive issue of human rights in China. The realization that most people couldn't care less about the topic pushed me. I hope that by choosing Rosenthal's article, I have made at least one person more aware of the need to protect human rights. From the teacher: The writer's sense of justice and humanity comes across clearly in this essay. This transitional studio assignment asked students to examine a mass media article for its hidden motives and subtle uses of rhetorical devices. Angie reaches beyond the assignment with her suggestion that the setting (a Western publication) may limit even the potential validity of such a story, due primarily to what constitutes proof in this setting, and that proof's disconnection from the reality of the issue. From the editors: What drew us to this piece was how passionately Haupt critiques the validity of a strictly Western explanation for the problem of suicide among women in rural China. She points out that such stories may best be told by those closest to the issue. We agree. The prevailing Western stereotype of Chinese society is that it is cold, harsh, and backward. Our whole image of China is tainted. We associate China with the ridiculousness of Mao Zedong's Cultural Revolution, with the brutality of the Tiananmen Square massacre, with the horrors of human rights abuses in Tibet and in mainland China, with the fortune cookie, and with the phrase "Confucius says" (even though only a handful of us could explain who Confucius was and what he said). Therefore, it is not surprising that the media tends to over-simplify Chinese issues, so that they can fit with our (mis)understanding of Chinese society. I believe that Elisabeth Rosenthal's article, "Suicide Reveals Bitter Roots of China's Rural Life," (New York Times 24 January 1999: early ed. Sec. 1: 1+) fell into the stereotype trap. Rosenthal's article is about the unusually high rate of suicides among China's rural female population. The title promises to explain the phenomena: "Reveal Bitter Roots." And yet, only six short paragraphs (in a five-page story) address the possible causes (roots) of the problem. Bitter Stereotypes :: Essays Bitter Stereotypes From the writer: When I was in high school, I was very involved with Amnesty International. Ever since then, the concern about basic human rights has been a vital part of my outlook on life. I chose Elisabeth Rosenthal's article because I liked the challenge of analyzing the complicated and sensitive issue of human rights in China. The realization that most people couldn't care less about the topic pushed me. I hope that by choosing Rosenthal's article, I have made at least one person more aware of the need to protect human rights. From the teacher: The writer's sense of justice and humanity comes across clearly in this essay. This transitional studio assignment asked students to examine a mass media article for its hidden motives and subtle uses of rhetorical devices. Angie reaches beyond the assignment with her suggestion that the setting (a Western publication) may limit even the potential validity of such a story, due primarily to what constitutes proof in this setting, and that proof's disconnection from the reality of the issue. From the editors: What drew us to this piece was how passionately Haupt critiques the validity of a strictly Western explanation for the problem of suicide among women in rural China. She points out that such stories may best be told by those closest to the issue. We agree. The prevailing Western stereotype of Chinese society is that it is cold, harsh, and backward. Our whole image of China is tainted. We associate China with the ridiculousness of Mao Zedong's Cultural Revolution, with the brutality of the Tiananmen Square massacre, with the horrors of human rights abuses in Tibet and in mainland China, with the fortune cookie, and with the phrase "Confucius says" (even though only a handful of us could explain who Confucius was and what he said). Therefore, it is not surprising that the media tends to over-simplify Chinese issues, so that they can fit with our (mis)understanding of Chinese society. I believe that Elisabeth Rosenthal's article, "Suicide Reveals Bitter Roots of China's Rural Life," (New York Times 24 January 1999: early ed. Sec. 1: 1+) fell into the stereotype trap. Rosenthal's article is about the unusually high rate of suicides among China's rural female population. The title promises to explain the phenomena: "Reveal Bitter Roots." And yet, only six short paragraphs (in a five-page story) address the possible causes (roots) of the problem.

Overpopulation: The Underlying Cause of Most Environmental Issues Katie Caputo Essay

There are so many environmental issues that are affecting the entire globe today. People often speak of environmental issues as if they have no control over making them better or worse, however, environmentalists feel that many if not all of the environmental problems that we are facing â€Å"are either caused or exacerbated by population growth† (West, 2009). That means that people themselves are the very ones causing harm to the environment. What we do or don’t do about the issue of overpopulation will determine the very fate of the environment in the future. This presents the need for ethical decision making. Global environmental problems are ethical problems† (Brown, 2009). Each and every person has a moral and ethical responsibility toward the environment, the problem is that people often ignore that responsibility, especially when it presents other ethical dilemmas. Defining Ethics To begin, I would like to define ethics. A definition taken from the National Academy of Engineering states â€Å"ethics is concerned with what is right or wrong, good or bad, fair or unfair, responsible or irresponsible, obligatory or permissible, praiseworthy or blameworthy† (2006). So what does ethics have to do with overpopulation and other environmental issues? If we know that overpopulation is the direct cause of many of the environmental issues that are affecting the entire globe, ethically, it is our responsibility as humans to come up with a solution to the problem. Population Growth â€Å"Over-population is the term that refers to a condition by which the population density enlarges to a limit that provokes the environmental deterioration, a remarkable decline in the quality of life or a population collapse† (Biology Cabinet Organization, 2003). In around 1963, the global rate of human population growth peaked, but the number of people living on Earth has grown by more than two-thirds since then, topping out at over 6. 6 billion today (West, 2009). Every year, more than 81 million people add to the world-wide population. Every 10 years almost one billion inhabitants are added to the world’s population (BCO, 2006). By the year 2050, the human population is expected to exceed nine billion (West, 2009). What affect does this have on the environment? Effects of Over-population Global Warming Global warming is considered to be one of the top environmental issues today. Scientists have determined that it is mostly human activities that are contributing to global warming by adding excessive amounts of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, accumulate in the atmosphere and trap heat that would normally exit into outer space. Many greenhouse gases occur naturally and are needed to create the â€Å"greenhouse effect† that keeps the Earth warm enough to support life, but it is human use of fossil fuels that cause the excess greenhouse gases. By driving cars, using electricity from coal-fired power plants, or heating our homes with oil or natural gas, we release carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere (West, 2009). Deforestation Deforestation is another environmental issue and is a significant source of greenhouse gases because fewer trees mean less carbon dioxide conversion to oxygen. â€Å"The most important direct causes of deforestation include logging, the conversion of forested lands for agriculture and cattle-raising, urbanization, mining and oil exploitation, acid rain and fire† (World Rain Forest Movement, 1998). Deforestation and forest degradation occurs both in Northern and Southern countries and its underlying causes also originate in both, although with varying degrees of responsibility. Industrialized countries have not only cut down or degraded their own forests in the past; many are still doing so today. This occurs either through large-scale clear-cutting (as in many areas of Canada, the US or Australia) or through the thinning and therefore degradation of forests, reducing them to a few commercially valuable species at the expense of biodiversity (such as in Sweden, France or Finland) (World Rainforest Movement, 1998). The root of the problem is trying to keep up with the demand of the ever-growing population. Biodiversity Biodiversity is defined by the Washington Biodiversity Council as â€Å"the full range of life in all its forms† (2003). Biodiversity loss is largely a result of deforestation. The worldwide rate of extinction of plant and animal species is estimated to be 10,000 times as rapid as it was in prehistoric times, with more than 27,000 species becoming extinct every year. An example of the loss of biodiversity due to overpopulation is seen in the state of Washington. â€Å"Washington is one of the most biologically diverse states in the union. This is due to the state’s diverse topography, its exposure to Pacific Ocean currents and weather patterns, and its location on the migratory path of many wildlife species. † â€Å"Washington, in fact, contains most of the major ecosystem types found in the western United States, including two found nowhere else in the world: the Olympic rainforest and channeled scablands. However, â€Å"since statehood in 1889, Washington has lost an estimated 70 percent of its estuarine wetlands, 50 percent of its riparian habitat, 90 percent of its old-growth forest, and 70 percent of its native shrub-steppe and arid grasslands† (Washington Biodiversity Council, 2003). As the smallest and second most densely populated of the rapidly growing Western states, Washington’s population in 2008 was 6. 5 million according to the U. S. Census Bureau, and is expected to add over 21 percent by the year 2020 (2009). This puts Washington in great danger of losing much of its diversity of plant and animal life within the next few decades. Although scientists are not fully aware of all the consequences of the continual loss of biodiversity, they do know that a diversity of healthy, functioning ecosystems is essential to the environment. Water Shortages As we in water-rich countries take our daily showers, water the lawn or laze about in the pool, it’s easy to forget that fresh water is a life-or-death issue in many parts of the world. Of a population of roughly 6. 1 billion, more than 1 billion lack access to potable water. The World Health Organization says that at any time, up to half of humanity has one of the six main diseases such as: diarrhea, schistosomiasis, or trachoma, or infestation with ascaris, guinea worm, or hookworm which are associated with poor drinking water and inadequate sanitation. About 5 million people die each year from poor drinking water, poor sanitation, or a dirty home environment, often resulting from water shortage (University of Wisconsin, 2001). The water shortages are becoming more and more evident all over the world. For example: â€Å"Mexico City (home to 20 million people) is sinking because the city sucks out underground water faster than the aquifer can be refilled; Florida wants to refill it’s over pumped aquifer with untreated surface water, despite federal regulations to the contrary; Texas is moving toward private, for-profit water sales. The water will be ‘mined’ from aquifers that are disappearing fast. No word on what the private suppliers, including corporate raider T. Boone Pickens, will do once the aquifers run dry. Aquifers around the world are being over tapped for irrigated agriculture, which fills about 40 percent of the global larder; The Bush Administration has withdrawn a proposed tightening of the arsenic standard for drinking water. Critics say the old rule, dating to 1942, could allow thousands of cases of cancer and other diseases. Meanwhile, in Bangladesh, what’s been called the ‘largest poisoning of a population in history’ has 35 to 77 million people drinking arsenic-laced water;† and last but not least, â€Å"a showdown is looming over the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, which originate in Turkey, then water both Syria and Iraq. If Turkey goes ahead with a series of dams, the downriver nations could starve. There are projections that three billion people, half of today’s population, will be short of water in 2025† (University of Wisconsin, 2001). Some Recommended Solutions for Overpopulation Being that this issue is one of such great importance, we need to be proactive at finding some kind of solution. There have been many different ideas that have been presented to try to get the population under control; however, thus far, most of the ideas have been just that- ideas, with no definite plan of action. Some of the proposed solutions, to name a few, have been: â€Å"making sure people around the world have access to family planning services; empowering women in developing countries economically, socially, and legally in a manner that results in them having an equal say (with their husbands) in reproductive decisions; modifying school curricula to include information on population levels and implications for the future; reforming tax laws in a way that encourages couples to have no more than two children. They would still be able to have as many kids as they want, but the tax code would no longer subsidize more than two)† (Jeantheau, 2005). The Need for Ethical Decision-Making People tend to be very opposed to the thought of their freedom being imposed upon, especially when it deals with the amount of children that they can or cannot have. Many people will argue from a religious standpoint that God specifically says in the Bible to multiply and subdue the earth. Some feel that the use of birth control is unethical and against Bible principles. The problem is that people do not want to do anything else about the issues at hand either. For example: If we were still living the way our ancestors did the amount of people living on the earth would not be a problem. Unfortunately, we are polluting the earth with our technology and over consuming our resources. So the argument can also be presented to those against birth control for religious purposes, that the Bible also says that we should not be gluttonous. But again humans tend to want what they want when they want it. Most only keep the Bible principles that suit them. In any case, as in many ethical problems we are faced with a moral dilemma. A moral dilemma is best described as when two or more obligations are in conflict. â€Å"The crucial features of a moral dilemma are these: the agent is required to do each of two (or more) actions; the agent can do each of the actions; but the agent cannot do both (or all) of the actions. The agent thus seems condemned to moral failure; no matter what she does, she will do something wrong (or fail to do something that she ought to do)† (McConnell, 2006). When presented with a moral dilemma, we need to decide which obligation is most important and give preference to the more important one. Unfortunately, when contemplating any solution for an issue such as overpopulation, we are going to be faced with moral dilemmas. Now we have to choose the lesser of two evils. Should we practice birth control even though it violates our moral principles or continue to allow the population to grow to numbers that the earth cannot sustain? Should we object to abortion when a woman does not want to have a child? Abortion may violate our own personal beliefs; however, if it is what the woman wants for herself and it will surely decrease the number of people being added to our population, shouldn’t we support that decision? Utilitarians view the best moral decision to be the one that brings about the maximum amount of pleasures and the least amount of suffering. They do not make decisions based on their own self-centeredness, they â€Å"insist that the joys and sorrows of others must be part of the calculation (when making any ethical decision)† (Waller, 2008). So, from the utilitarian standpoint, trying to find an answer to slowing the population growth would not be an intrusion or a violation of one’s rights, it would be welcomed to lessen the amount of suffering that is caused by the issue of overpopulation. In the very near future, we will have no choice but to make some very important decisions as to what we will do about the issues that plague the environment. Again, environmental problems are indeed ethical problems. The only way that things will get better in our environment is if we get the rate of growth of the human population under control. We can no longer ignore the moral and ethical responsibility that we as humans have toward the environment, regardless of the ethical dilemmas that we are presented with.

Culture Cause And Effect Of Cultural Culture Essay

Culture Cause and Effect A cultural analysis is the combination of many elements. Cultures have many traditions, customs, habits, beliefs, practices, and values. The cultures can have different traditions in their own essence. The traditions can came from their ancestors and people continue doing them. Other people does not like continue their own traditions and adapt others customs from others cultures. The cultures change from time to time or place to place. The enrichment of cultures consist in the adaptation and acceptance from others cultures beliefs. Not all the people tolerate others cultures traditions, language or stereotypes. Some cultures attack or support some cultural values The Mexican culture is hard-working and are so strict in their values. The Mexican culture has social and economic conditions oppressed by the power of his Government. The principal theme on this paper is the stereotypes, of a Mexican culture. The culture power and oppression, human universals prev ailing the social and economic conditions of people in cultures. The social and economic conditions in Mexico it is reflected on their citizens. The citizens of Mexico need to emigrate to others countries to continue their education or to find a better status of life. The Mexican people can choose stay in their countries with not a high pursue in their life. The economic situation in Mexico is oppressive. The citizens in Mexico can t aspire to continue their education because the economy inShow MoreRelatedCause and Effect of Cultural Shock Essay1133 Words   |  5 PagesCAUSES AND EFFECTS OF CULTURAL SHOCK Kasie Sepeda Professor Scherf 11/19/2012 Outline I. What is Cultural Shock a. serious phenomenon and a long-winded process b. Real culture shock can happen in places you expect to be similar II. Effects of cultural shock a. Happen when you take a culture for granted. b. Can affect your job, family, etc. III. Causes of cultural shock a. Can cause mild uneasiness or temporary homesickness to acute unhappiness or even, in extremeRead MoreMulticultural Psychology Essay900 Words   |  4 Pagesdifferent cultural backgrounds interact defines multicultural psychology. Many consider multicultural psychology a fourth force in psychology study. Communication, interactions, research, and investigations into human behaviors give insight into how different cultures interact socially and how they live among the different ethnic groups. Many issues have emerged in multicultural psychology. Two issues discussed in this paper, cultural identity and baby boomers, describe some of the effects on multiculturalRead MoreLJones Perceptions And Causes Ofpsycho Pathology1634 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿ Perceptions and Causes of Psycho-Pathology Linda Jones Dr. Harold Beaman PSYCH/650-Psychopathology March 2, 2015 Introduction In principle, psychopathology is the scientific study of mental disorders and their origin; in addition, this field of study examines the causes, development, and possible treatment for the disorders. Essentially, psychopathology encompasses three aspects that are considered as directlyRead MoreVirtual Information Project Teams : Virtual Team1360 Words   |  6 PagesVirtual information project teams have become a significant mechanism to utilize when desiring to achieve a particular task or goal globally. A virtual team consists of a group of individuals who are geographically diverse, which causes them to use electronic information or technological tools to coordinate their ideas in order to succeed at a given task. Unlike traditional teams, virtual teams are not run with face to face interaction, but virtually, which means members can participate from anyRead MoreThe Differences Between Cultures And Culture Essay1579 Words   |  7 Pagesdifferences and conflicts between culture s Culture is a specific set of attitudes and perception that direct the way a community lives. There are very many cultural groups and orientations in the world today. These groups are based on specific homogenous attitudes or values shared by a community. From the definition, the factors may emanate from religion, ethnicity, education, gender or sexual orientation. For example, as a function of religion, culture has the potential to cause huge divides between peopleRead MoreCoca Cola s Social Media Strategy Essay1459 Words   |  6 PagesCoca-Colonization is the spreading of American culture through popular products, especially the soft beverage Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola is an example of a cultural item that is repeatedly displayed in American television shows, movies, and other forms of media that are viewed throughout the world. For example, according to Kevin Shively, author of â€Å"Lessons from Coca-Cola’s Social Media Strategy: Cohesive Campaigns and Creative Content† on Simplymeasured.com, â€Å"Interbrand ranks them as the third largestRead MoreCulture As A Different Perception Of Behavior1713 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Culture is termed as the way of life, activities, customs, and beliefs of a group of people or society. In deeper context, Phil Smith describes it in his book ‘Cultural Theory’ in six different definitions (Smith, 2001). They are as follows: i. Structural definitions –depicts a culture as a different perception of behavior ii. Psychological definitions- illuminates culture as playing a role in solving problems by allowing individuals to interact, learn and satisfy both materialRead MoreGlobalization and Modernization on Traditional or Underdeveloped Nations1211 Words   |  5 PagesThe Effects of Globalization and Modernization on Traditional or Underdeveloped Nations David V. Head Western Governors University The Effects of Globalization and Modernization on Traditional or Underdeveloped Nations Introduction Globalization and modernization are subjects of necessary evaluation when looking at the evolution of traditional or undeveloped nations. This essay will first identify the effect of these phenomenons on the people ofRead MoreThe Negative Implications Of Cultural Appropriation1718 Words   |  7 PagesImplications of Cultural Appropriation Samantha Mulcahy INTC 1F90 Jeff Reichheld Seminar 3 Seminar Leader: Jeff Reichheld 13 March 2016 Word Count: 1526 Cultural appropriation is something that is commonly seen around the world in the Grand Narratives of dominant westernized cultures. The cultural appropriation of minority cultures in order to construct the Grand Narratives of dominant cultures has a negative effect on those who are apart of the oppressed minorities. These dominant cultures borrowRead MoreCommunication : Language And Communication1664 Words   |  7 Pagesways that people will try to communicate is non-verbal communication or an interpreter. Communication barriers can cause difficulties in understanding someone’s language such as cultural differences. People should learn a different language because this will allow them to communicate with fewer problems. Intercultural language causes communication barriers. Misunderstandings can cause barriers on how people communicate with each other. When individuals encounter people from a different language,