Chemical dependency Essay Example for Free

Chemical dependency Essay Group Structure: Type of group: This meeting was a â€Å"Narcotics Anonymous Open Sharing Meeting†. This component, where anyone attending had the opportunity to share. There was no direct feedback from the other participants during the â€Å"share†, thus only one person spoke at any given time during that portion of the meeting. Organizational affiliation: Narcotics Anonymous as a group has no affiliation outside of Narcotics Anonymous. As a group they have no opinion on outside issues,† including those of politics, science, or medicine, and do not endorse any outside organization or institution. The fellowship does not promote itself, but rather attracts new members through public information and outreach. Narcotics Anonymous groups and areas supply outside organizations with factual information regarding the Narcotics Anonymous program, and individual members may carry the Narcotics Anonymous message to hospitals and institutions, such as treatment centers and jails. Narcotics Anonymous as a group base their public relations policy on attraction rather than promotion. Physical environment: This meeting was held in the recreation room in the basement of a church. There was an oblong table at the head of the two rows of chairs placed in a 360 degree circle. Participants: There were roughly 40-50 participants ranging in age from mid teens to late 50’s. There were only 5 females in attendance. This group’s ethnicity was about 85% Caucasian, 10% African American and 5% Latino. Leadership structure: In different areas the work is divided differently, and the particular jobs are sometimes called different names. At this particular meeting the leadership structure was as follows, ranking from top to bottom in hierarchy. Chairperson, Co-Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer and Group service representative (GSR). Process: What the group does for a person’s first visit? First time visitors and  newcomers to this meeting were asked to introduce themselves by first name only. These individuals were welcomed by all the participants at the meeting. These individuals were given a hand shake, a hug and a white key tag (by a presenter) that said welcome on one side and on the other side had the Narcotics Anonymous logo. How members’ contribute to the group’s leadership? Members who attend the same meeting on a regular basis to establish a recovery network and reliable routine understand this to be their â€Å"Home Group†. These group members are able to participate in the group’s business, and play an important role in deciding how the structure, leadership and the group’s meetings will be conducted. Each member has a vote in this process and the majority vote rules. Activities that occurred during the meeting. There were no physical activities during this meeting but certain individuals read inserts from the â€Å"Basic Text Book† of Narcotics Anonymous pertaining to that week’s format and agenda. Address the following questions: How did the group begin? The group began by the Chairperson knocking on the table to gain every ones attention, then announcing them self, followed by stating the name of this group (Dead Man Walking) then reciting the Serenity Prayer. How was the purpose of the meeting communicated? The purpose of the meeting was indicated by preamble which was read by the Chairperson also by the reading of the secretary’s report, which was read by the C-Chairperson, this stated the purpose of the meeting and the rules in which the participants were required to oblige by. How was the meeting’s agenda established? The agenda varies in whatever way seems to best suit the personality of the group and the needs of the addicts in the community. This meeting’s agenda and format was established by the governing members (from the Home Group) and varies from week to week but was mostly based on the 12 Steps and 12 Traditions of Narcotics Anonymous. Techniques used to encourage people to participate. It was announced to all those attending the meeting that participation was optional. What extent were these techniques effective. There was no pressure on anyone which made the atmosphere very comfortable. What are participants’ responsibilities for the meeting process? Anonymity of the group’s participants and process were the main responsibilities from all those attending and keeping the sharing time  between 3-5 minutes and not interrupting the person who was talking. How were these responsibilities explained? These responsibilities were explained to the group in detail during the reading of the secretary’s report. How did the group demonstrate interest, acceptance, etc. in those attending? The participants showed interest by paying close attention to the individual who was sharing and when those who shared finished, everyone in the group (at one time) thanked that person for sharing their story. What emotions were observed? There were a couple of times when an individual who was telling their story began to cry. Other times there was some laughter from the group when certain individuals identified their own story with the one the person was sharing. How did the participants respond to expressions of these emotions? The participants expressions showed true concern and empathy for those who were sharing their experience, strength and hope. Were there any decisions made for future events or meetings? It was stated in the secretary’s report that all meeting events and decisions are discussed and made during the group’s monthly business meeting. The business meeting for this group is held on the second Saturday of the month. Describe any observation of any therapeutic factors. The therapeutic value of one addict helping another gave each participant the feeling of acceptance and familiarity. There were a lot of similarities between the structure of an Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meeting. A major difference I witness at the Alcoholics Anonymous meeting from the Narcotics Anonymous meeting was, at the Narcotics Anonymous Meeting it was suggested that those who was sharing not to acknowledge or mention there drug use. At the Narcotics Anonymous meeting it was clearly stated that â€Å"Narcotics Anonymous does not distinguish a difference between substances, they are all inclusive, â€Å"Alcohol is a drug†. It was also stated at the Narcotics Anonymous meeting that anyone from the other fellowship (Alcoholics Anonymous) was accepted at this and all Narcotics Anonymous meetings.

Sociological theory of religion

Sociological theory of religion 1 Using examples critically assess one sociological theory of religion In most traditional societies, religion is an important form of social togetherness. It augments a feeling of community and promotes a set of shared values and beliefs in some form of god. Religion also plays a central role in cultural life; people often synthesize religious symbols and rituals into the material and artistic culture of the society: literature, storytelling, painting, music, and dance.[1] It is the focus of the society that is of interest to religious sociologists, in particular theories concerning the way religious behaviour differs between and within societies. Beckford notes that theories revolving around how social interaction benefits or holds back societies, has made sociology a renowned area of study.[2] In order to establish a fundamental starting point in this thesis, the foundations of sociology and the sociology of religion will be described in context. Furthermore, it will discuss, in some detail, the sociological theoretical approach of functionalism by sociologists; a critical analysis will aim to show the differences in their approaches to functionalism and will include supporting and critical statements from preceding and subsequent sociological theorists. Sociologists generally define religion as a codified set of moral beliefs concerning sacred things and rules governing the behaviour of believers who form a spiritual community[3]. Auguste Comte (1798 1857) describes sociology as the study of human societies.[4] A classical view is that, it is a social science that, uses varied methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis,[5] and is often used to develop theory about human social activity. The sociology of religion therefore takes into account the aforemention ed and also includes the practices, historical backgrounds, developments, universal themes and roles of religion in society.[6] Jones (2003) describes Comte as the first to proclaim the virtues of an empirically based social science,[7] a type of sociology that would have enormous implications for someone like Comte, who had been born during the aftermath of the French Revolution. Bilton et al (1996) explain this further: Positive social knowledge could offer the means for peaceful reconstruction of social order by the elite of enlightened scientists and intellectualsSocial change need not depend upon revolutionary violence and the manipulation of the mob[8] Comte was able to make use of the new science for the progression of society and the re-establishment of order as well as being able to apply the positive method to social theory[9]. Comte and his fellow Frenchman Durkheim are said to be the forerunners in creating the discipline of sociology. Thompson (1982) describes Comte as giving the subject its name and an ambitious prospectus, whilst Durkheim gave it, academic credibility and influence.[10] Functionalist sociologists focus their attention on the nature of institutional relationships in society.[11] To understand this further, one can use Talcott Parsons functionalist ideas as an example. Parsons, [who supported functionalism in the United States] used the functionalist perspective to group institutions in society into four related functional sub-systems; economic, political, kinship, and cultural. This theory stressed the importance of interdependence among all behaviour patterns and institutions within a social system to its long-term survival. [12] In a similar way Durkheim In trying to explain the value of social and cultural character, illuminated them in terms of their contribution to the operation of an overall system. Furthermore, Malinowski, who promoted functionalism in England, endorsed the idea that cultural practices had psychological and physiological functions, such as the reduction of fear and anxiety, and the satisfaction of desires.[13] Another English man Radcliffe-Brown contended that, all instituted practices ultimately contribute to the maintenance, and hence the survival, of the entire social system, determining the character of inter-group relations.[14] It is Parsons sub-system of culture that encompasses religion that we now turn to. A functional definition of religion is fundamentally based on the social structure and drawing together of people, it pays particular attention to how religion guides and influences the lives of people who are actively involved, and through this promotes unity and social cohesiveness.[15] Durkheim believed and argued that, religion was a socially constructed institution, serving the needs of society by socialising members into the same norms, values and beliefs, therefore reinforcing the collective conscience upon which the stability of society rests.[16] He looked in depth at the origins, meaning, and function of religion in society. His belief was that religion was not so much about God, but more about the consolidation of society and the sense of identity that this creates within a particular society.[17] He fully believed that individuals who accepted their role within their own society develop a form of social conscience as part of that role, which Durkheim labels as the Conscie nce collective,[18] which in simpler terms could be labelled as, a common understanding.[19] Published in 1921 and penned by Durkheim, The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life, is renowned as the best-known study on the sociology of religion.[20] Using secondary data, Durkheim studied native totemism in primitive Australian tribes, in effect the totem is a symbol that is an integral part of the group, and during ceremonies will be the magnet that draws everyone together to form a collective whole. Therefore, totemism in this instance is explained not in terms of what it is, [what the content of its doctrines and beliefs are] but what it does, that is, the function it performs for the social system.[21] Durkheim claims that, the totem, the sacred object is a representation, by which society symbolises itself,[22] which according to Fulcher and Scott, he believed to be the real basis of social solidarity.[23] From his observations Durkheim developed his theory of the sacred and profane, believing that all things in society can be separated into these distinct categories, as a fundamental dichotomy the sacred and profane are seen as two separate domains or worlds. For Durkheim the sacred meant the unity of the group embodied in symbols, as in his example of totems, the profane was more about the mundane or the individual, and less concerned with the group. However the British anthropologist Evans-Pritchard (1937) observed that sacred things may be profane at certain times, an example he gives is the case of the Azande[24], who, when their shrines were not in ritual use, were used as props to rest their spears.[25] This analysis of the sacred and the profane was extended to all religions by Durkheim and his followers, making a focus on what is similar about what they each do, and about the integrative functions all these religions perform on their social systems.[26] He therefore viewed religion within the context of the entire society and acknowledged its place in influencing the thinking and behaviour of the members of society.[27] Furthermore he beli eved that order flowed from consensus, from the existence of shared norms and values,[28] for him the key cause of social upheaval stems from anomie, the lack of regulating norms. Without norms constraining behaviour, explains Durkheim, humans develop insatiable appetites, limitless desires and general feelings of irritation and dissatisfaction.[29] Radcliffe-Brown continued Durkheims sociological perspective of society; he particularly focused on the institutions of kinship and descent and suggested that, at least in tribal societies, they determined the character of family organization, politics, economy, and inter-group relations.[30] Thus, in structural-functionalist thought, individuals are not significant in and of themselves but only in terms of their social status: their position in patterns of social relations. When regarding religious ceremonies Radcliffe-Brown contends that ceremonies, for example, in the form of communal dancing, promoted unity and harmony and functioned to enhance social solidarity and the survival of the society, in this he agreed with another renowned anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski. Malinowskis functionalism was highly influential in the 1920s and 1930s, a British anthropologist, he conducted one of the first major studies of religion from an ethnocentric perspective, on the people of the Trobriand Islands.[31] The first anthropologist to undertake a long-term piece of field research, Malinowski lived among the Trobriand islanders for four years.[32] In studying the functions of religion in a small scale, he agreed with Durkheim that religion reinforced social norms, values and promoted social solidarity.[33] Malinowski also believed that religion could relieve social anxiety and could provide a sense of security especially when people are faced with situations in which they have no control, an example Malinowski gives is based on his observation of the Trobriand islanders fishing in a calm lagoon, no religious practice was attached, however when faced with the perils of fishing in the open ocean, religious rituals were always performed. In this way Malinowski b elieved humans could exert a perceived control over a world in which they held no significant, individual power.[34] This individual, perceived control can be seen to be used by people facing a personal crisis. Often in a situation where they have no control over the outcome, people will turn to religion looking for guidance and sanctuary; thereby giving them a sense of power. For Malinowski then, religion also helped to conciliate periods of life crises and events such as death, marriage and birth, these rituals, known as rites of passage are marked by ceremonies, that by their very nature, are a form of social togetherness that help to create social order and contentment. These rites however can be seen to be controlled in that to a certain extent one is prepared for new life, death and marriage, these events form part the circle of life and therefore come with some prior knowledge. Ceremonies that relate to these life events could be seen as a predictable common bond that will help to reinforce social solidarity. Malinowski argues that religion minimizes the disruption, in particular, of death. He believes that the assertion of immortality gives rise to feelings of comfort for the bereaved, whilst the act of a funeral ceremony binds the survivors together.[35] Coser (1977) explains further: Religion can counter a sense of loss, which, as in the case of death, may be experienced on both the individual and the collective level therefore religion as a social institution serves to give meaning to mans existential predicaments by tying the individual to that supra-individual sphere of transcendent values which is ultimately rooted in his society.[36] So far we have seen that collective or communal gatherings are generally aimed at promoting social solidarity and cohesion, this is backed by the empirical evidence offered by Malinowski in his study of the Trobriand Islands. Hamilton (1995) offers that these gatherings can also be interpreted as involving the recognition of divisions, conflict and disharmonies inherent in the society and rituals may be seen as a means of coping with and defusing them.[37] Concerning Malinowskis empirical evidence, a contrasting point is noted by Casanova (1995) who questions functionalism on empirical grounds, he argues that religion does not provide consensus and unity, instead he says that most conflicts [an example he gives is the Iran/Iraq war] in society have religious foundations.[38] Marxist sociologists also criticise functionalists on a theoretical level. Marx claims that religion does not create societal consensus, instead it creates conflict between those that have wealth in the ruling class and those that do not in the working class.[39] Therefore according to Marx, the only norms and values that are conserved by religion are those of the ruling class. Functionalist theory could therefore be said to neglect the areas in which religion has been dysfunctional for society, whereby religious divisions have caused disruption and conflict rather than promoting social order. History provides numerous examples of this including the aforementioned Iran/Iraq dispute, Northern Ireland and Bosnia. An Extreme functionalist assessment of religion, declares William Stevens, is put forward by American sociologist Robert Bellah. Bellah fuses Parsons argument that America derives its values from Protestantism, with Durkheims belief that the worship of god is the disguised worship of society. From this Bellah develops a new kind of religious concept, that of a civil religion.[40] Therefore despite the individual belief systems of American citizens, it is the overarching faith in America that unites Americans. Wallis (1983:44) cited in Jones, explains that Bellah finds evidence of civil religion in Presidential inaugurations and ceremonials such as Thanksgiving Day and Memorial Day are similarly held to integrate families into the civil religion, or to unify the community around its values.[41] A further point to be made here is that generally civil religion does not hold to a belief in the supernatural. Bellah disagrees and says examples of confirmation in the supernatural can be see n or heard on a daily basis, phrases such as God Bless America and the words In God we trust on the national currency, he believes are prime examples of this. However Stevens asserts that this is not the god of any particular creed, but a god of America. For Bellah then civil religion creates a social cohesiveness by gathering people together to collectively partake in some form of ceremonial event. Therefore flag waving at a sporting event or lining the street to celebrate a royal marriage or death can bring about a united outpouring of joy or grief that in itself generates order. A contemporary example is the untimely death of Princess Diana. Her funeral witnessed a monumental combining of people, faiths and nations in a symbolic act of grief. Functionalist sociologists tend to emphasize what maintains society, not what changes it and are criticized for being unable to account for social change because it focuses so intently on social order and equilibrium in society. Functionalists have to take into account that change does happen in societies and that change is a good thing, and can represent progress. Jones says that the functionalist way around this is to use an organic analogy social progress occurs as it does with organisms as an evolutionary change.[42] Bilton et al explain that this takes shape in the form of structural differentiationdifferentiation is a type of splitting or separation of a previously undivided unit, the new units differ in that they are more specialised in the functions they perform.[43] Talcott Parsons, in his approach to social change, emphasises differentiation. According to Parsons, Institutions change, if the need of the system changes.[44] An example of a system change stems from The Indu strial Revolution, which was facilitated by capitalism, was increasingly demanding technological advances to increase profit. In order to make this possible there was a need for more educated workforces. As a result the industrial economy needed a new form of family to perform these specialist functions. Thus, as one aspect of society changed the economy and production it required a comparable change in the educational system, bringing social life back into equilibrium. This new modernization of society, explains Marske, is associated with the increasing indifference of the individual from the traditional social bonds of an intimate network of diffuse social relationships. [45] Due to a greater demand in the workforce people from all walks of life came together causing an increase in the cultural diversity within a particular society. As a result individuality became a more prominent feature; religion it seems was becoming less social and more personal. Durkheim would disagree with this statement as he believed it was possible to be an individual as well as social institution, he explains, In reality, the religion of the individual is a social institution like all known religions. It is society which assigns us this ideal as the sole common end which is today capable of providing a focus for mens wills.[46] Dillon (2003) explains that social scientists and Western intellectuals have been promising the end of Religion for centuries, Comte announced that, as a result of modernization, human society was outgrowing the theological stage of social evolution and a new age was dawning which the science of sociology would replace religion as the basis or moral judgements.[47] Durkheim predicted the gradual decrease in formal world religions; in post-enlightenment society he felt that there would be a greater emphasis on the individual. This he believed would lead to a weakening of ties in the modern world. In addition he envisaged that social solidarity and the collective conscience would be taken up by other institutions that would evolve into new forms of religious experience.[48] Furthermore a maturing modernity would see scientific thinking replace religious thinking. As a consequence, Durkheim considered the concept of God to be on the verge of extinction. In its place he envisioned society as promoting civil religion, in which, for example, civic celebrations, parades, and patriotism take the place of church services. If traditional religion were to continue, he believed it would do so only as a means to preserve social cohesion and order. Parsons disagrees with this synopsis, with modern life will come structural frameworks that are more competitive and specialised, however they would still persist because religion is an adaptable structural framework for the explanation of inexplicable social phenomena.[49] A criticism applied to the functionalists perspective stems from Durkheims analogy that societies and social institutions have personalities.[50] To imagine that a society is a living, breathing organism is a difficult concept when in fact it is seen as an inorganic object. This creates what can said to be a philosophical problem and an ontological argument that society does not have needs as a human being does; and even if society does have needs they need not be met. The view here is that society is alive in the sense that it is made up of living individuals. What is not taken into account is that each individual is a different entity, with their own wants and needs. As part of the unit they can function and integrate within the group as a viable member. However individual life choices may not always create a positive function for the society as a whole. Functionalists in general tend to have a too positive view by believing that everything that exists in society does so because it has some kind of functional purpose. Robert Merton believed that it was entirely plausible for society to have dysfunctional elements.[51] Durkheim also recognised that some forms of social life could be seen in the same way, however he did not use the term dysfunctional. In his work on crime, he noted that crime was functional to society, this seems to be a contradiction in that he also said, too high a level of crime might not be functional, because it could create a state of confusion regarding what constitutes the norms that applied to peoples lives. As a society dysfunctional actions, in particular criminal actions are frowned upon, and as a society we can become mob-handed in the way people come together to condemn an act of crime. Durkheim has a point to make here in that, people combine together, forming a collective cohesion in defining themselves against what they are not.[52] Picturing society like a vast machine, Merton argues that a society should best be considered as a cross between the cultural goals of a society-what it holds its members should strive for-and the means that are believed, legally or morally, to be legitimate ways that individuals should attain these goals. In an ideally organized society, the means will be available to deliver all of its members to their goals.[53] One must take into account when analysing such theories that at the time of writing the world was a very different place to the one we live in today. Social anthropology has come under criticism for looking into primitive societies as a representation of unchanged societies criticism in particular stems from the lack of historical records that could confirm or deny any findings. Radcliffe-Brown considered this type of work a mistakehis belief was that the religious and ritual systems had to be understood in the context of the existing society and their role in that society.[54] One could linger on Durkheims prediction that religion would decrease with modernity, religion here being in reference to the act of attending a social gathering in the worship of some form, whether it be totemic or divine. However an important point to note is that at the time when the Sociology of Religion was in its infancy, religious practice was more of a regular occurrence than one would perhaps find in todays society. However individuals are still irrevocably influenced by the role of religion in their own lives. Their beliefs and values allow them to feel supported in their everyday life; religion sets aside certain values and infuses them with special significance. Culture plays an important part here, as values, customs and beliefs combine to become a moral code by which societies adhere to and live by and pass on to future generations. Religion encourages collective worship be it in a church, mosque, temple, home or some other specified gathering place. Through the act of collective worship the individual is encouraged to feel part of a wider community. Today, societies are classed as more secular in their nature, yet if one consider the earlier statement about religion being an important form of social togetherness it would be easy to make analogies with the different groups that make up the society we inhabit. For example schools hold assemblies, awards evenings and performances all which can be seen as an example of community spirit and social cohesion. People as individuals, have interests outside of their immediate social groupings, this does not make them an outcast or outsider, and instead it promotes a sense of identity, individualism and the self. The writings of sociologists such as Durkheim, Comte, Radcliffe-Brown and Parsons are still important today, especially in comparing the way society sees religion. However, in contemporary society sociologists have a different set of problems to contend with as belief in modern society and materialism for many becomes a more vital moral value than partaking in a religious practice . BIBLIOGRAPHY Beckford, James A. (2003) Social Theory and Religion, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003). Bilton et al, Introductory sociology 3rd Edn (Basingstoke: Macmillan, 1998). Casanova, Jose, Public Religions in the Modern World (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1995) Christiano, Kevin J., William Swatos Jr Peter Kivisto, Sociology of Religion: Contemporary Developments Lanham, 2nd edition (MD: Rowman Littlefield publishers, 2008). Comte, Auguste, A Dictionary of Sociology (3rd Ed), John Scott Gordon Marshall (eds), (Oxford: OUP, 2005). Coser, Lewis A. Masters of Sociological Thought: Ideas in Historical and Social Context, 2nd Ed., (Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc., 1977), pp. 136-139, Coser, Lewis A. Masters of Sociological Thought: Ideas in Historical and Social Context, 2nd Ed., Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc., 1977: 136-139, Dewar, Greg, Religious studies, Philosophy and Ethics, (London: Oxford University Press, 2002). Dillon, Michele, Handbook of the sociology of religion (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003). Durkheim, Emile, The Division of Labor in Society. Translated by, George Simpson. (New York: Free Press, 1893/1964). Durkheim, Emile, and Coser, Lewis A., The Division of Labor in Society. (Free Press, 1997) Durkheim, Emile. The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life: A Study in Religious Sociology. Translated by, Joseph Ward Swain. (New York: Macmillan, 1915). E. E. Evans-Pritchard, Theories of primitive religion, (Oxford: Clarendon press, 1965). Emile Durkheim, Sociology and philosophy (New York: free press, 1974). Evans-Pritchard, E. E. Social Anthropology and Other Essays. ( London,1950).Contains a critique of Radcliffe-Browns functionalism from the perspective of historicism. Fulcher, J. Scott, J. Sociology, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003). Giddens, Anthony, Durkheim, (London: Harper Collins, 1996). Goldschmidt Walter, Functionalism In Encyclopaedia of Cultural Anthropology, Vol 2. David Levinson and Melvin Ember, (eds) (New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1996), p. 510. Hamilton, M, The sociology of religion, 2nd edition (Oxon: Routledge, 2001). Hunt, S. Religion in Western Society, (Hampshire: Palgrave, 2002). Jones, Pip, Introducing Social Theory, (Cambridge: Polity Press, 2003). Jones, Robert Alun., Rules of the sociological method 1895, in Emile Durkheim: An Introduction to Four Major Works. (Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications, 1986), pp. 60-81. Macionis, J. Plummer, K. Sociology: A Global Introduction (Essex: Pearson, 2005). Merton, Robert, Social Theory and Social Structure, (USA: Macmillan, 1968), chapter 3. Orenstein, Ashley D. DM, Sociological theory: Classical statements 6th edition (Boston: Pearson Education, 2005), pp.3-5: 32-36. Sociology Quarter, Durkheim as a functionalist, vol 16 no 3 (Summer, 1975), pp 36 -379. Thompson, Kenneth, (1982) Emile Durkheim, (Sussex: Ellis Horwood Limited, 1982). Winthrop, Robert H. 1991. Functionalism In Dictionary of Concepts in Cultural Anthropology (New York: Greenwood Press, 1991), p. 130. WEBLIOGRAPHY Functionalism, in Anthropology and Sociology The Columbia Electronic Encyclopaedia. 2000-2007 Pearson Education, publishing as Infoplease. http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/society/A0819881.html (Accessed: 18.01.10). Functions OF religion learningat.ke7.org.uk/socialsciences/soc-sci/soc/a2/R. Accessed 14.1.10. CliffsNotes.com. Introduction to Religion. http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/topicArticleId-26957,articleId-26927.html. Accessed 10.1.10 Chris Livesey, Functionalist perspectives on Durkheim, www.sociology.org.uk Marjolin, Robert French sociology-Comte and Durkheim, University of Chicago press American journal of sociology, vol. 42, no 5 (Mar., 1937), pp693 -704. http://www.jstor.org/stable/2767763 (Accessed: 12.1.10.). Mark Glazer, Functionalism http://www.utpa.edu/faculty/mglazer/theory/functionalism.htm (Accessed: 13.12.09). Marske, Charles E, (1987) Durkheims Cult of the Individual and the Moral Reconstitution of Society, Sociological Theory, Vol. 5, No. 1, (American Sociological Association, 1987), pp. 1-14. http://www.jstor.org/stable/201987. Accessed: 17.01.10. The Azande, http://lucy.ukc.ac.uk/EthnoAtlas/Hmar/Cult_dir/Culture.7829 (Accessed: 15/1/10). William J. Stevens, Religion: A Functionalist Assessment, http://www.helium.com/items841304-religion-a-functionalist-assessment. (Acces

Advantages and Disadvantages of Nuclear Energy

Advantages and Disadvantages of Nuclear Energy Beyza GÃâ€"LGE In todays, demand for electric energy has increased with growing world’s population. Modern society has depended on fossil fuels for energy. However, because of the fact that fossil resources are limited and cannot last a long time, human beings have been in quest for finding new alternative energy sources. Since 1939, they have performed lots of experiments and researches in this area. First of all, the atomic fission, which is today known as the most crucial scientific finding in the physics, was discovered. In the following years, chain reaction was controlled and eventually, electric power production came true. Finally, in 1958, first electric energy was produced and utilized thanks to nuclear energy in the USA and then it expanded to other countries such as France, Germany, England and Russia. Nowadays, 11% of electric in world is ensured from nuclear energy (Steven B. Krivit, 2011). Today, running nuclear energy has become most controversial issue among people because of its safety and nuclear waste. Even if there are advantages of nuclear energy that which is fallen back upon to overcome the lack of energy, there are more serious disadvantages that should not be ignored. First advantage of nuclear energy is that nuclear energy has lower greenhouse gas emissions. During the processes of building, processing and switching off, it releases less amount of greenhouse gases. All different types of electric production techniques give rise to be released greenhouse gas which may be various quantities. Comparison with other electric generation methods such as lignite, coal, oil and natural gas, nuclear energy emits less greenhouse gas and carbon dioxide ( see Figure 1) (Greenhouse gas emissions avoided through use of nuclear energy, 2014). Therefore, it is clearly understood that nuclear energy is less harmful for environment in terms of gas emissions. Other advantage of nuclear energy is job opportunities. It provides lots of job opportunities so many people. While nuclear power plant is being constructed and operated, a lot of employees and engineers take in charge. In addition, container houses are built to live staffs in this process. By this means, itmay be dealt with unemployment by giving a chance to people out of work. Figure 1 On the contrary, there are also serious disadvantages of nuclear energy. First disadvantage is nuclear waste. Some metal materials transform to radioactive state during some operations such as cooling reactor, cleaning of storage pool and also, running of nuclear power plants. These radioactive stuffs are called nuclear waste. Two types nuclear waste occurred: low level and high level radioactive wastes. Low level nuclear waste has same amount of radioactivity which emerging from schools, laboratories and hospitals so it is not remarkable issue. When chain reaction cannot be pursued effectively, power plant reactors induce to be occurred high level nuclear wastes which are fuel bundles. When the reactor fuel forms, in the sequel, it takes a 45 billion year to become harmless (Radioactive Waste, 2014). As a result of that, people and other living things will expose to these radioactive waste products in a long time. The situation also will cause irreparable damage to the environment. Because of this, people should be protected from radioactive waste products and radioactive wastes must be buried in private storages under the surface and remote from ground waters. Reactor accident is other disadvantage of nuclear energy. When something in the system fails, nuclear accident may happen. Failures in plant organization and management, operator errors and lack of quality and also education of employees may give rise to nuclear accidents. Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and Fukushima can be given as examples for nuclear accident in the world. Fuel melt down in accidents makes nuclear accident harmful. Bernard (2005) states that amount of fuel melt down determines number of those who are affected from accident and died because of the cancer. If there are in 2 out of 3 melt downs, nobody dies. However, if average of melt downs, it brings at least 400 deaths. For instance, 50.000 people died due to 1 out of 100.000 melt downs. Therefore, it is not contestable that there is always a risk to become nuclear energy accident. Also, effects of nuclear energy accident are indestructible and continue for a long time. As a result of this, it is a considerable thre at on people health. Last disadvantage of production electric by utilizing nuclear energy is nuclear weapons. Nuclear energy can be used with the purpose of war and terrorism. In todays, lots of countries such as USA, Russia and Israel are disposed to produce nuclear weapons. If these nuclear weapons are used against other countries, it brings calamity of nuclear war. Up to now, human beings have borne witness to two atom bombs. These atom bombs were dropped by the US against Japan on the Hiroshima and Nagasaki cities during World War II. Consequently, so many people lost their live. According to researches, it is estimated that number of people who died from nuclear bombs reached 250.000 in Hiroshima and 150.000 in Nagasaki in 5 years (Effects of nuclear weapons, n.d.). These events show that nuclear weapons create indestructible issues. Moreover, radioactivity occurs as a result of the nuclear bombs. Effects of radioactivity on humans and environment last too many years. To illustrate, numbers of peopl e who have cancer have increased after the tragedy of using nuclear bombs in the World War II. This tragedy has created genetic abnormalities in the individuals and it will also affect the future generations. Therefore, to prevent possible disasters, the nuclear energy should not be utilized. To sum up, it is difficult to fulfill the electric needs with increasing population day by day. People have tried the different forms of energy to find a solution. One of these energy forms is nuclear energy. Through nuclear power plants, not only a large proportion of electricity needs in the world can be supplied by not releasing greenhouse gases but also it provides employment for many people. Yet, it should not be ignored that nuclear energy may lead to disasters by reason of nuclear wastes, reactor accidents and nuclear weapons. That is true maybe nuclear energy can meet energy need but dangerous, fatal and persistent effects of nuclear energy should always be considered in the first plan. If it is not done, it will bring huge and irrevocable disasters rather than its benefits. REFERENCES Effects of nuclear weapons. (n.d.). Retrieved from Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament: http://www.cnduk.org/campaigns/global-abolition/effects-of-nuclear-weapons Cohen, B. L. (2005). Risk of Nuclear Power. Retrieved from University of Michigan: http://www.umich.edu/~radinfo/introduction/np-risk.htm Greenhouse gas emissions avoided through use of nuclear energy. (2014). Retrieved from World Nuclear Association: http://www.world-nuclear.org/Nuclear-Basics/Greenhouse-gas-emissions-avoided/ Radioactive Waste. (2014, October 24). Retrieved from Governmental Nuclear Regulatory Commission: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact-sheets/radwaste.pdf Steven B. Krivit, J. H. ( 2011). Early History of Nuclear Energy. In Nuclear Energy Encyclopedia: Science, Technology, and Applications (pp. 15-23). Canada: John Wiley Sons.

drugs in sports :: essays research papers fc

From the beginning of time sports have been around. It is the competition that everyone loves. The feeling of winning makes many people do anything to achieve it. Even if this means one must cheat to win. Cheating is monitored in professional sports by the use of referees or umpires. With the discovery of many â€Å"nutritional† supplements, many new forms of cheating have arisen that cannot be monitored on the field. Many players used and still use steroids to enhance their muscles so they are stronger during game play. Many random drug tests have been instituted to cut the number of people using steroids down. There are many other supplements that basically do the same thing as steroids that these players use. More and more are becoming illegal in professional sports. And people still use them. Illegal drugs to enhance one’s performance are illegal, therefore when people use them they are cheating. They have created an unfair advantage for themselves illegally. These people using these drugs should be banned from their sport. Professional sports players get paid to play a sport. What more could they want? It is every kids dream. It they cannot play with out cheating they should not have the privilidge of playing at all. There have been many cases in professional sports where athletes have been caught for using illegal drugs that enhance their performance. Often players even use illegal drugs that have no benefit on their performance. These drugs are illegal to everyone, but it seems that when professional athletes get caught using them they don’t get as harsh of a punishment as an average person because of their fame. Steve Howe received seven lifetime suspensions from Major League Baseball. For some reason that does not appear to be possible. If an average person was caught doing so they would be in jail. It is disappointing to see professional athletes receive special treatment because of their fame. They have a good profession; why would they risk it by using drugs?

Ancient Greece :: Ancient Greece Essays

I found chapter two particularly interesting because it deals with the ancient Greek culture and life. It is so different than the American way of living, yet there are some similarities that are strikingly close. I feel this is especially relevant in their religion. They had oracles, who were these people who delivered messages from the Gods. I think that is kind of like a priest or minister of some sort, but in the Greek world the oracles were the say all ? be all. Apollo was one of the most well known and respected Oracles. I interpreted this as him being like the pope. Everyone respects what the Pope says, and everyone in the ancient Greek world respected what Apollo said. They also had decorative doors to the religious places. Today, many doors to churches are very decorative or have symbols. The way the Greek people justified the world was through their gods and goddesses. They had a god or goddess for everything ? love, war, trouble, sun, the world, the moon, and many other s. My favorite goddess is Pandora. You always hear about Pandora?s Box when someone is about to get into some trouble. To me, she was the rebel goddess. The ?black sheep? if you will. I feel like everyone can relate to her in some way or another. I know there are many times I feel like the odd one out. Or that I am always getting in trouble. Poetry and really good fiction started to flourish in the times of the Greeks. They were very into the whole entertainment thing. Some great pieces of literature came from their time period. For example The Odyssey, The Iliad, and the Trojan War. Homer is the most well known author from the era.

The Name “Trifles” and Its Significance

The name Trifles and its significance John Wright was murdered in his bedroom; someone had took a rope and put it around his neck and strangled him. All the men, the sheriff, the country attorney, and the neighbor, thought his wife was the one killed him. This play is based on events that happened in the early 20th century. Susan Glaspell, the writer, uses the word trifles appropriately when naming this play, and she uses this play to establish that women were taken for granted.First, you can see the meaning of the word â€Å"trifles† and the reasons behind why it is an appropriate title. You can first start to figure out the word’s meaning shortly after the play begins. Mrs. Peters tells the men that Mrs. Wright is worried about her fruit jars breaking during the cold winter night. Mr. Peters, who is the sheriff, responses with, â€Å"Well, you can beat the woman! Held for murder and worryin’ about her preserves† (1369). Mr. Hale states, â€Å" Well, wom en are used to worrying over trifles† (1369). Mr. Hale and Mr.Peters refer to Mrs. Wright worrying about the fruit preserves as something of little importance compared to being held for murder. The County Attorney, George Henderson, judges Mrs. Wright of being a poor housekeeper when he tells everyone else, â€Å"Not much of a housekeeper, would you say ladies? † (1369). He is criticizing Mrs. Wright instead of thinking about how this small detail can help solve the investigation. The kitchen is considered to be a woman’s domain, so the men look everywhere else but there and the living room.The wives notice the quilt; Mrs. Hales mentions to Mrs. Peters,† †¦look at this sewing! All the rest of it has been so nice and even, And look at this! It’s all over the place! Why, it looks as if she didn’t know what she was about† (1371). The women worry over the small things around the house; the women are able to figure out the motive of why Mrs. Wright killed her husband, because of all the small, simple details they discovered. Trifles is an appropriate title, because it is the little things that are very sufficient.Finally, Susan Glaspell, the writer, uses the title to express her theme. This play was written in the early 20th century in a man dominated society. Women did not have a say when it came to important decisions. When Mr. Hale is telling the sheriff and the county attorney why he had stopped by that morning he states, â€Å"†¦I said to Harry that I didn’t know as what his wife wanted made much difference to John† (1367). Men made all the decisions and women were to be seen and not heard. Mrs. Hale found the bird in a box that was hidden in Mrs. Wright’s quilting basket.When they opened the box and found the bird, they noticed the bird’s neck was wrung. Mrs. Hale tells Mrs. Peters, â€Å" I wonder how it would seem never to have had children around. No, Wright wouldn’ t like the bird- a thing that sand. She used to sing. He killed that, too† (1373). Mrs. Hale came to the conclusion that Mr. Wright was abusive to his wife and that’s why she changed; this is the reason why she killed him. The county attorney tells Mrs. Peters, â€Å"For the matter a sheriff’s wife is married to the law. Every think of it that way†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (! 374). Mrs.Hale protects Mrs. Wright by taking the pretty box with the pretty bird inside. Mrs. Hale knows the difference between the law and justice. She gave justice to Mrs. Wright when no one else was going to. The title Trifles is an appropriate name for this play, because it’s the small, simple details that are the evidence for solving this murder. Susan Glaspell uses this play to show how women were treated in the early 20th century, and how the husbands took their wives for granted. She wanted justice for the women, and she makes an incredible argument in this play.

Poems

English Coursework Compare how strong human emotion Is conveyed in three poems from Section C of the Anthology and three other poems you have studied. Poetry engages readers with different forms of emotion; these emotions can be conveyed through stylish and subtle use of extraordinary language, form, structure and context, all of which provide an additional dimension to the literature. Emotion Is defined as a â€Å"strong feeling† and this will be explored in the paired poems: ‘Having' and ‘Remember'; ‘A Mother In A Refugee Camp' and ‘Mother Any Distance'; ‘Sonnet 1 16' and ‘If.The key themes in these passages are the universal feelings which we all experience, such as love and resentment. The poems In each pair share similar subject matter and messages. Poetry Is a thought-provoking way to explore the challenges encountered throughout our lives. These are demonstrated by the look and shape of a poem, the sophisticated vocabulary and emotion which can be depicted. Looking at the poems, I will explore how emotion is displayed and communicated to the reader. A Mother In a Refugee Camp' by China Achebe Is about the sadness of a mother who prepares o have her dear son take from her due to an unfortunate illness in the midst of a civil war refugee camp. The poem goes through four changing stages of emotion: reflection, sickness, pride and subsequently yet unfortunately ending in death. These emotions are universal experiences. Meaningful language Is used In the first line, â€Å"No Madonna and child could touch†, a religious reference used to describe the epitome of a mother and son relationship.The poem vividly describes the horrors taking place in the civil war, in lines such as, â€Å"heavy odors of diarrhea† and unwashed children with washed-out ribs† which graphically depict the experiences of disgust, as Intense pathos Is created at the expense of the children. Strong language is used so the reader can detect the stench of the odors and conceptualize the unwashed ribs of the children, as they're so desperate and in need of care. Huge pity Is Invoked In the reader as they can vividly picture what is happening In the camp.The â€Å"ghost-smile†, Is a false, fake smile displayed as the mother tries to behave with courage and strength at the most emotional time of her life, also provoking the reader as it did for me into feeling condolence and sympathy awards her. She is there in the present yet her mind is completely taken away from the camp Into reflecting upon memories. Comparatively ‘Mother Any Distance' by Simon Remarriage is a more thought-provoking poem as it delves into the ordeal of a young man leaving home and breaking free from his mother.It is thought-provoking because it allows the reader to reflect on one's own thoughts of this whether it is yet to come or a previous encounter. Loss and separation are two emotions felt In the paired poems but in contras ting contexts. ‘Mother Any Distance' focuses more on restoration whilst ‘A Mother in a Refugee Camp' on total heartbreak. ‘Mother Any Distance' is written in free verse allowing flexibility in structure and vocabulary.Likewise, words invariably used to portray distance are used to create a sense of the loss that Is soon to take place, â€Å"acres†, â€Å"years† and â€Å"zero-end†, these Impact the reader leading them to understand that the distance between the mother and son in this 1 OFF created through such lines as â€Å"she soon would have to forget† and â€Å"other mothers there had long ceased to care†. However, in both poems there is a feeling of not being able to deny something that looms large.The repetition of the word ‘mother' shows us the maternal love she feels and the inability to let go of her son as he moves into adulthood. Fantastic imagery is used such as the metaphors â€Å"Anchor†, safe foundation s and â€Å"Kite†, this represents the process of flight. The â€Å"endless sky to fall or fly', the son is preparing to fly, to leave safety, knowing not what lies ahead. In ‘Mother Any Distance' the stanza size seems to increase as the distance between them grows. As in ‘A Mother in a Refugee Camp' the mothers are devoted until the end.I feel that ‘Mother Any Distance' captivates me more as it has made me think owe my own experience will be and also because this is a more universal event. By contrast, ‘A Mother in a Refugee Camp' is something that many cannot relate to or cannot understand the pain and agony. Carol Ann Duffy ‘Having' focuses on the emotions of loss and separation. Having or Miss Having as she is known in Charles Dickens' ‘Great Expectations' is an elderly character who in her younger life was left at the altar and continues to obsess over this.The selection to not include the Miss at the start of her name is unknown; I f eel that it may be due to her coming creature-like and Duffy wishing to focus on her as person and not Just a spinster. Duffy self-consciously transforms this novel character from being depressed in ‘Great Expectations' to a more aggressive angry character in the poem ‘Having'. An interesting and controversial alliterative ‘B' oxymoron â€Å"Beloved sweetheart bastard. † is used in line one. This shows that possibly Having still has thoughts of love towards her ex-fiance ©e but still holds a grudge long after their parting.Duffy uses vivid colors as symbols, starting in line three, â€Å"dark green pebbles for eyes† Rene representing the emotion of envy, with her sinister thoughts. Also, â€Å"pebbles† demonstrate that her feelings are unhealthy as she wishes such hatred to another human being. From line three, this turns out to be a continuous theme throughout the rest of the poem. At the end of the poem, emphasis is used with â€Å"the hea rt that b-b-b-breaks. † Having is hiding from the outside world as she is old and trembling whilst she reflects on her younger years.The poem is written in free verse, allowing a flow through freedom of a variety of words and sentence structures as there are no constraints as in a sonnet. The stanzas are broken down into lines of four, called a quatrain; the stanzas go through four stages of emotion; hatred, horror, reflection and further hatred, finishing the way it started, returning to the emotion of hatred. ‘Remember' by Christiana Rosettes is written in first person as is ‘Having' thus the reader has a sense of a relationship with the protagonists in the poem, creating more pathos.Rosettes was bought up in the times of the Pre-Raphael movement, possibly explaining why her poems were controversial with formerly inaudible religious references such as â€Å"Pray'. In these paired poems protagonists are similar in hat they are soul-destroyed and are both going th rough or reminiscing on emotional break downs. Repetition of the personal pronouns â€Å"me†, â€Å"you†, â€Å"our† and â€Å"l† highlight the intimacy of the personal relationship and highlight loss between two people, also affecting the way we interpret the poem as it could be about anyone. Having' in its regular verses of four is much unlike ‘Remember' with a solid block of emotional her. â€Å"Remember me when I am gone away', a very melancholy line stating how sad she is and that soon she will be departing, setting the tone and atmosphere for the rest of the poem. Gone far away into the silent land† says that where she is going will not be dreadful, she can be calm and relaxed here but â€Å"far away'; she will not be able to return. However, this could be viewed as a euphemism for death and like Hafnium's â€Å"beloved sweetheart bastard† create an oxymoron feel. Remember' is a sonnet (a 14 lined poem), self-contradictory in it s paradoxical form in which the feel of the poem changes two lines from its conclusion from a demanding command at the start of each quatrain â€Å"remember me† to â€Å"better by far you should forget and smile† a happier and quite nostalgic quote. It follows the rhyme pattern, ABA and iambic pentameter, which are regular patterns; this gives the poem a flow and beat. Along with the precise use of punctuation, used in the middle of lines on clause emphasis, called a caesura, often incorporated to emphasis a point, â€Å"Nor I half turn to go, yet turning stay. Compared to Having which follows no rhyme scheme, this is due to the constant use of enjambment. The emotions conveyed in ‘Having' and ‘Remember' are those of confusion and love. ‘Sonnet 116' by William Shakespeare was published in 1609 in the form of a Shakespearean sonnet. The focal point is the emotion of love which is defined as â€Å"a strong feeling of affection†, which in Shakesp earean times perhaps had more meaning and more importance.Love is prominent throughout the poem through the use of poetic devices and fanciful language in the metaphors, â€Å"the star to every wandering bark† and â€Å"an ever-fixed mark', in an attempt to define the indefinable love. Shakespeare is trying to declare to us that love can't be altered by any means â€Å"love alters not with his brief hours and weeks. † Love is eternal, â€Å"bears it out even to the edge of doom†. To summaries what Shakespeare is attempting to say Where there is life there is love'. The poem has a rhetorical theme of love and what it is, which can be interpreted in many different ways.Comparably love, like the poem, has no real end or conclusion. After all, love is a philosophical perception. Rudyard Kipling ‘If like ‘1 16' explores the conflicting emotions of love and pride. ‘If is a didactic poem, meaning to give instruction. ‘If serves as an instructio n in this case to an exceptional leader, illustrating the actions a man should take throughout life, such as never giving up, â€Å"If you can wait and not be tired by waiting†. The creative use of an exclamation mark, manfully be a man, my son! † captivates the reader's attention and adds sudden enthusiasm to a rather serious poem.Writing to children, the rhyme scheme ABA assists coherence and comprehension. The paired poems are written in iambic pentameter, offering a regular pattern which also adds a ironically and infatuating quality to the poem. ‘If' is written in four stanzas of eight rhyming lines, in its order of ABA, whilst ‘1 16' is split into three quatrains and a couplet. The structure of the paired poems emphasizes the emotions depicted. The rhyme scheme in ‘If gives a sincere yet uplifting feel whilst ‘1 16' is more sophisticated.