A historical perspective on the Western civilization Essay Example for Free

A historical perspective on the Western civilization Essay In our day, we instinctively associate Western Civilization with liberty, individualism and reason. However, liberal democracy is more recent phenomena. Many crucial aspects of the civilization of Western countries of today developed from the time of French and American revolutions. The nineteenth century laid a strong foundation to the twentieth century Western civilization. Before 1800 CE, however, the modern Western civilization was in many ways in formative stages. For example, the radical belief in human equality, under the premise that all men are born equal, was framed in the American constitution only in the last quarter of the eighteenth century. From its origins in the aftermath of the fall of Roman Empire to the beginning of the nineteenth century, Western Civilization had experienced two radically different phases, the one preceding Renaissance, and the one during and following Renaissance. The beginnings of the age of Renaissance mark a clear break from the Dark Ages in the thinking, attitudes and world-view of the people. The gradual emergence of logical and analytical thought, the blossoming of rational and a rigorously scientific world-view is a most unique phenomenon in the whole history of humanity. It is this most fundamental characteristic of the Western vivilization that has paved the way for technology and progress, creating the modern world. The outburst of rational thinking in Europe during the four hundred years from 1400–1800 CE is chiefly responsible for taking humanity to the next stage of evolution. It was the most defining period not only of Western vivilization, but of human civilization as such. Although there is a tremendous contrast between the Medieval Ages and the Age of Renaissance, it has come to the light of modern scholarship that the cultural achievements of the so-called Dark Ages in Europe, lasting for roughly thousand years between 400 1400 CE, have been many and varied. This period, particularly during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, has witnessed great cultural flourishing in its own right. Those times were not lacking in significant events and meaningful and though-enriching contributions to Western civilization. It is nevertheless justifiable to call them the Dark Ages, because, despite an interesting measure of cultural efflorescence, those periods were not marked by the freedom of the human mind, something that has become the quintessential characteristic of the Western civilization in more recent centuries. Most civilizations all the world over have witnessed an outburst of art and creativity at some period or other. However, except for Athens in the 5th century BC, Alexandria just before the commencement of Dark Ages, and Baghdad during 8th and 9th centuries A. D. , all of which had been stifled enterprises, no civilization in history of mankind launched a systematic and sustained quest into the reality of man and the natural world. It is this Socratic quest for knowledge, truth and meaning of human life that lies at the heart of the precious and unique phenomenon that the Western civilization is.

An Ethnographic Study of Social Change in Amish Society :: Religion Culture Heritage Papers

An Ethnographic Study of Social Change in Amish Society On March 23, 1998, I carried out an interview and field observation to confirm a previous hypothesis on Amish social change and survival. I hypothesized, based on library research and personal experience, that Amish society was not static but dynamic and affected by many factors such as economics and cultural survival. In order to check the validity of my hypothesis I arranged to spend a full Sunday (March 23, 1998), with an Amish family. I attended church services at the Westhaven Amish-Mennonite Church in New Holland, Pennsylvania, and afterward spent the day observing and interviewing with an Amish dairy farmer named Aaron and his wife Anna. They have six children and live on a dairy farm in Lancaster County Pennsylvania, which is a large farming community. I met Aaron and his family roughly four years ago while in Lancaster County with my family and since then our families have remained in close contact. Thus, to do an ethnography on the Amish, my primary informant was Aaron, som eone I was already comfortable speaking with. What I found in the process of my observation and interview was that my hypothesis on social change and survival was greatly influenced by my own secular and scientific world view. I had also underplayed the importance of certain key ideas which help to explain Amish cultural ideologies, Amish survival, Amish social change, and dynamics. I found that religion, more than I had assumed, played a crucial role in Amish survival in America. The Amish family, I also found, contributed to the rate of Social Change. Prosperity, to my surprise, played a greater part in social change than I had previously thought. In addition, I was able to establish the accuracy of other research information on Amish society that I had collected and observed. Realizing that vast cultural cleavages exist between Amish society and my own, I am not surprised, in retrospect, to find communications, as is probably common in most anthropological studies, was the most difficult aspect of my interview. The educational barrier that existed between myself and Aaron during the interview was one of the complications that I experienced. What I had not thought about before carrying out my interview with Aaron, was that he would not be familiar with Sociological, Anthropological, and Economic concepts, terms, and theories which I had learned through my college education. An Ethnographic Study of Social Change in Amish Society :: Religion Culture Heritage Papers An Ethnographic Study of Social Change in Amish Society On March 23, 1998, I carried out an interview and field observation to confirm a previous hypothesis on Amish social change and survival. I hypothesized, based on library research and personal experience, that Amish society was not static but dynamic and affected by many factors such as economics and cultural survival. In order to check the validity of my hypothesis I arranged to spend a full Sunday (March 23, 1998), with an Amish family. I attended church services at the Westhaven Amish-Mennonite Church in New Holland, Pennsylvania, and afterward spent the day observing and interviewing with an Amish dairy farmer named Aaron and his wife Anna. They have six children and live on a dairy farm in Lancaster County Pennsylvania, which is a large farming community. I met Aaron and his family roughly four years ago while in Lancaster County with my family and since then our families have remained in close contact. Thus, to do an ethnography on the Amish, my primary informant was Aaron, som eone I was already comfortable speaking with. What I found in the process of my observation and interview was that my hypothesis on social change and survival was greatly influenced by my own secular and scientific world view. I had also underplayed the importance of certain key ideas which help to explain Amish cultural ideologies, Amish survival, Amish social change, and dynamics. I found that religion, more than I had assumed, played a crucial role in Amish survival in America. The Amish family, I also found, contributed to the rate of Social Change. Prosperity, to my surprise, played a greater part in social change than I had previously thought. In addition, I was able to establish the accuracy of other research information on Amish society that I had collected and observed. Realizing that vast cultural cleavages exist between Amish society and my own, I am not surprised, in retrospect, to find communications, as is probably common in most anthropological studies, was the most difficult aspect of my interview. The educational barrier that existed between myself and Aaron during the interview was one of the complications that I experienced. What I had not thought about before carrying out my interview with Aaron, was that he would not be familiar with Sociological, Anthropological, and Economic concepts, terms, and theories which I had learned through my college education.

Placement Reflection Essay

Pembroke Residential Home, Saltburn 10/02/14 Today was my first day on placement at Pembroke Residential home in Saltburn. When I first arrived I was a little nervous as I didn’t know anybody and I wasn’t sure on what to do because I didn’t know their routine. The pressure eased off a bit after the first hour because another student came in as she was doing her block placement and I was told to just follow what she did as she had been before and knew what she was doing. Firstly, I observed the other student as she fed a resident, this made me feel a lot more at ease as I knew I would be doing this another tine and I was given the opportunity to observe first so I knew exactly what to do and how to act when I was asked to fees in the future this was a positive experience for me. I also had a one to one conversation with a resident about a programme that was on the television in the lounge. We talked for about 30 minutes and he seemed pleased that I had taken the time to sit a listen to him and have a convers ation with him. This was a positive experience for me and made me feel great as I felt I had made him feel happier. It also gave me a chance to get to know the resident and use my communication skills using one to one interactions. Pembroke Residential Home, Saltburn 03/03/14 Today I was quite excited as I had been asked to feed a resident and this was an opportunity for me to get some experience of my own for the future. The resident is unable to get out of bed as she only has use of her upper half of her body so I took her breakfast upstairs (golden syrup porridge and a cup of tea which had to be drank through a straw) and fed her as well as having a one to one interaction with her. This was a positive experience for me and once I had finished I had to record everything that I had given her as every meal has to be recorded in her book. I felt good because the resident had a smile on her face and seemed happy, also it was the first time on placement that I had interacted with a resident like this. I hope to be able to feed this resident in the future as I really enjoyed it. Pembroke Residential Home, Saltburn 10/03/14 I was a bit disappointed today as I felt like I didn’t learn anything new and found it wasn’t very beneficial for me. All I have done today is take the tea/coffee trolley round all of the residents numerous times, washed the pots numerous times and picked up some sample pots for the residents at Huntcliffe Surgery, Saltburn. I felt like I was just being used as a run about and being given the jobs that none of the staff particularly wanted to do. Although this was a negative experience for me, I didn’t complain and I just got on with it, I feel like I haven’t achieved any experience today. Pembroke Residential Home, Saltburn 17/03/14 It was quite busy today on placement so I was on my feet a lot and helped out as much as I could. I fed the same resident that I have previously fed another time. I fed her both her breakfast (apple and cherry ready break and a glass of milk) and her lunch (chicken stew, mash, carrots and a cup of tea). I also had several one to one conversations with various residents throughout the day. Communicating with the residents made me feel as though they enjoyed it and I got to know a little bit about each of their personalities which will help me to interact with them more in the future. I am going to continue communicating with the residents as much as I can so that I can get to know them better. I observed the staff ordering new medication for the residents and filling in care plans, progress sheets etc. This was a positive experience for me as I got to see the non-practical side of working in a residential home and had an insight on the types of paperwork involved. Today made me feel t hat my placement was becoming a little more beneficial for me as I am slowly learning new things again rather than doing nothing health and social care related. Pembroke Residential Home, Saltburn 31/03/14 The home was very busy today I was on my feet a lot but I enjoyed it because I always had something to do. I fed the usual resident I feed regularly this morning (original ready break and a cup of tea) and her lunch and then recorded how much she had ate and drank on her sheets so that the other staff new how well she was eating. I also did the same for her lunch (beef casserole, mash and veg, a yoghurt and a glass of juice). This was a positive experience for me and I found it easier to interact with the resident today because we had more to talk about. I also feel that the resident enjoyed my company because on both occasions we has one to one communication. As this residential home is small and only has 10 residents they don’t usually get a choice of meals unless they don’t like what is on the menu then they will be given an alternative. Today, the cook made two different meals for lunch and I went round the residents to ask which they would prefer. This was also a p ositive experience for both me and the residents as they felt a lot happier about the fact that they were given a choice of meals rather than just what was on the menu. I felt that I had cheered the residents up by doing this. Every week since I have been on placement at this residential home I have taken the tea/coffee trolley round the residents and visitors and washed lots of pots. I was told to do the same today which was a negative experience for me as I don’t feel that this helps me to achieve anything and get an idea of what it is like to work in health and social care with the elderly. I felt annoyed that I had been asked again to do these things as I get asked do to these every week. Activities are offered to the residents every day so that they feel they have something to do rather than just sit about and watch the TV, read the newspaper etc. I was asked to offer the residents a choice of activities today but unfortunately none of them felt up to participating in anything that I offered. Although no activities were carried out, this was a positive experience for me as I then had to record that what I had done in the activities booklet to show that even though the residents had chosen not participate in various activities they were still given the choice. I felt that the staff had trust in me to be able to start filling in this sheet as even though it is only a small step it gave me more experience on what type of paperwork is involved in working in a residential home. As I have  previously been shown how to work the stair lift one of the staff member asked me to take a resident upstairs to their room. I was trusted to do this myself, using the stair lift. This was a positive experience for me as although I had observed the stair lift being used I had never actually used it myself to get residents up to their rooms. The resident seemed rather happy with how I placed her on the stair lift and how I used it. This made me feel great as I knew I had achieved another skill for working with the elderly/disabled in health and social care. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed attending placement this week as I was never left with nothing to do and felt I learnt a lot of new skills even if they are just small steps to working in helath and social care in the future.

Postpartum: Childbirth and Marie Wilson Marie Essay

Marie Wilson, a 34-year-old female client who is gravida 4, para 3, is transferred to the postpartum unit two hours after a prolonged 14-hour labor and forceps delivery of a male infant weighing 9 lb, 2 oz. The placenta was intact upon delivery. The labor and delivery nurse reports that Marie was catheterized for 600 ml of yellow urine just before delivery. Her record indicates that she had a repair of a 4th degree laceration. A postpartum assessment reveals that her vital signs are stable: blood pressure 120/80, pulse 84, respirations 20, temperature 98.9Â ° F. Additional assessment indicates that her fundus is firm and located 1 cm above the umbilicus, and the perineal sutures are intact with edges well-approximated. The client describes herself as exhausted and without pain, since she has had no sensation below her waist since receiving epidural anesthesia. A 1,000 ml bag of Lactated Ringer’s solution containing 10 units of Pitocin (oxytocin) is infusing via an 18 g peripheral IV in the left forearm at 125 ml per hour, with 300 ml remaining in the bag. The IV is patent, without redness or swelling, and can be discontinued when this bag’s infusion is complete. 1. Prior to discontinuing the IV Pitocin (oxytocin), which assessment is most important for the nurse to obtain? A) Vital signs. B) Vaginal discharge. C) Uterine firmness. D) Oral intake. Correct answer(s): C 2. What is the priority nursing diagnosis for Marie, who is experiencing residual effects of epidural anesthesia? A) Risk for injury. B) Impaired physical mobility. C) Altered urinary elimination. D) Risk for infection. Correct answer(s): A 3. What is the priority nursing action to address Marie’s needs related to the repair of her 4th degree perineal laceration? A) Provide prescribed oral pain medication and stool softener. B) Encourage warm sitz baths 2 to 3 times daily. C) Apply perineal ice packs consistently for the first 24 to 48 hours. D) Teach proper and frequent use of the peri-bottle. Correct answer(s): C

An Afghan Wife Essay Example

An Afghan Wife Essay Example An Afghan Wife Essay An Afghan Wife Essay Most of Afghanistan is a backward place with the old of traditional tribal leaders. Afghanistan saw steps being taken towards the emancipation of women after the Russian occupation. Traditionalists disliked the government installed in the socialist period and with US support, Russians were evicted from Russia by traditionalist leaders such as Taliban. The fundamentalist Taliban government put the clock back by a thousand year confining the women to their homes. Blaming Taliban for the plight of women would be wrong, as the traditional Afghan society has always suppressed women.The women role as wife is confined to house hold work and rearing children. The situation after American invasion of Afghanistan has not changed at all and the society has reverted to the practices of pre-Russian control period. Afghanistan is a symbol of repression for women and the situation is unlikely to improve until the hold of tribal leaders is liquidated. Unfortunately, after the US invasion of Afghanistan the role of these tribal leaders has become even stronger. There is a clear need to improve the status of women in South Asia and Middle East. Women in Muslim countries have a lot of ground to make up to reach gender equality.A World Bank Report shows that through out the world women have not achieved equal status with men. Figure-1 shows the comparison given in this report [World Bank, 2000]. Developed countries of Europe, America and Eastern Europe are well ahead of the rest of the world in achieving gender equality but women have not achieved equality with men anywhere in the world [World Bank, 2000]. This may appear to be rather suffocating but family is an important component of life in the subcontinent. The values taught form early childhood and reinforced by practical example of the parents and extended family.Even if the family leaves the restrictive cultural environment of Indian subcontinent and moves to a developed country where these social and economic compulsions are not present, most women of Indian Muslim families respect the traditions of strong families and with the financial security of the developed country still maintain strong family bonds and traditional values. The high rate of divorces, the psychological effects on children of broken families and loosening of the family bond in developed world is often presented as a negative impact of gender equality in traditional societies. Discussion ConclusionsRole of a wife in various cultures has been changing continuously. In the old days when education was not common or compulsory, the society was male dominated even in the western society. Compulsory education of women was the first step towards demand for decent right for women. The hold of religion also became weak and women increasingly became more independent in expressing her views in the family matters. As the desire to improve standard of living made it necessary for both men and women to work, the economic independence brought a western wife mush more say in managing family affairs.There is no doubt that with improved education among women and availability of employment opportunities will give women more say in managing their family. The campaign for gender equality in the world and 500-channel visual world of television will only accelerate the pace of this change. This change is necessary but the challenge for women is to assert their right in managing family affair without the arrogance of breaking the family unit apart.Bibliography1. Aboriginal Women, (2007), [Online] retrieved from Internet on 27 January 2007, http://abcnews.go.com/International.

Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes

Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes Arthur Conan Doyle (May 22, 1859 - July 7, 1930) created one of the worlds most famous characters, Sherlock Holmes. But in some ways, the Scottish-born author felt trapped by the runaway popularity of the fictional detective. Over the course of a long writing career, Conan Doyle wrote other stories and books he believed to be superior to the tales and novels about Holmes. But the great detective turned into a sensation on both sides of the Atlantic, with the reading public clamoring for more plots involving Holmes, his sidekick Watson, and the deductive method. As a result Conan Doyle, offered great sums of money by publishers, felt compelled to keep turning out stories about the great detective. Fast Facts: Arthur Conan Doyle Known For: British writer best known for his detective fiction featuring the character Sherlock Holmes.  Born: May 22, 1859Died: July 7, 1930Published Works: More than 50 titles featuring Sherlock Holmes, The Lost WorldSpouse(s): Louisa Hawkins (m.  1885; died  1906), Jean Leckie (m.  1907)Children: Mary Louise, Arthur Alleyne Kingsley, Denis Percy Stewart, Adrian Malcolm, Jean Lena AnnetteNotable Quote: When the impossible has been eliminated, all that remains no matter how improbable is possible. Early Life of Arthur Conan Doyle Arthur Conan Doyle was born May 22, 1859, in Edinburgh, Scotland. The familys roots were in Ireland, which Arthurs father had left as a young man. The family surname had been Doyle, but as an adult Arthur preferred to use Conan Doyle as his surname. Growing up as an avid reader, young Arthur, a Roman Catholic, attended Jesuit schools and a Jesuit university. He attended medical school at Edinburgh University where he met a professor and surgeon, Dr. Joseph Bell, who was a model for Sherlock Holmes. Conan Doyle noticed how Dr. Bell was able to determine a great many facts about patients by asking seemingly simple questions, and the author later wrote about how Bells manner had inspired the fictional detective. Medical Career In the late 1870s, Conan Doyle began writing magazine stories, and while pursuing his medical studies he had a yearning for adventure. At the age of 20, in 1880, he signed on to be the ships surgeon of a whaling vessel headed to Antarctica. After a seven-month voyage, he returned to Edinburgh, finished his medical studies, and began the practice of medicine. Conan Doyle continued to pursue writing and published in various London literary magazines throughout the 1880s. Influenced by a character of Edgar Allan Poe, the French detective M. Dupin, Conan Doyle wished to create his own detective character. Sherlock Holmes The character of Sherlock Holmes first appeared in a story, A Study in Scarlet, which Conan Doyle published at the end of 1887 in a magazine, Beetons Christmas Annual. It was reprinted as a book in 1888. At the same time, Conan Doyle was conducting research for a historical novel, Micah Clarke, which was set in the 17th century. He seemed to consider that his serious work, and the Sherlock Holmes character merely a challenging diversion to see if he could write a convincing detective story. At some point, it occurred to Conan Doyle that the growing British magazine market was the perfect place to try an experiment in which a recurring character would turn up in new stories. He approached The Strand magazine with his idea, and in 1891 he began publishing new Sherlock Holmes stories. The magazine stories became an enormous hit in England. The character of the detective who uses reasoning became a sensation. And the reading public eagerly awaited his newest adventures. Illustrations for the stories were drawn by an artist, Sidney Paget, who actually added much to the publics conception of the character. It was Paget who drew Holmes wearing a deerstalker cap and a cape, details not mentioned in the original stories. Arthur Conan Doyle Became Famous With the success of the Holmes stories in The Strand magazine, Conan Doyle was suddenly an extremely famous writer. The magazine wanted more stories. But as the author didnt want to be overly associated with the now-famous detective, he demanded an outrageous sum of money. Expecting to be relieved of the obligation to write more stories, Conan Doyle asked for 50 pounds per story. He was stunned when the magazine accepted, and he went on to keep writing about Sherlock Holmes. While the public was crazy for Sherlock Holmes, Conan Doyle devised a way to be finished with writing the stories. He killed off the character by having him, and his nemesis Professor Moriarity, die while going over Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland. Conan Doyles own mother, when told of the planned story, begged her son not to finish off Sherlock Holmes. When the story in which Holmes died was published in December 1893, the British reading public was outraged. More than 20,000 people canceled their magazine subscriptions. And in London, it was reported that businessmen wore mourning crepe on their top hats. Sherlock Holmes Was Revived Arthur Conan Doyle, freed from Sherlock Holmes, wrote other stories and invented a character named Etienne Gerard, a soldier in Napoleons army. The Gerard stories were popular, but not nearly as popular as Sherlock Holmes. In 1897 Conan Doyle wrote a play about Holmes, and an actor, William Gillette, became a sensation playing the detective on Broadway in New York City. Gillette added another facet to the character, the famous meerschaum pipe. A novel about Holmes, The Hound of the Baskervilles, was serialized in The Strand in 1901-02. Conan Doyle got around the death of Holmes by setting the story five years before his demise. However, the demand for Holmes stories was so great that Conan Doyle essentially brought the great detective back to life by explaining that no one had actually seen Holmes go over the falls. The public, happy to have new tales, accepted the explanation. Arthur Conan Doyle wrote about Sherlock Holmes until the 1920s. In 1912 he published an adventure novel, The Lost World, about characters who find dinosaurs still living in a remote area of South America. The story of The Lost World has been adapted for film and television a number of times, and also served as an inspiration for such films as King Kong and Jurassic Park. Conan Doyle served as a doctor in a military hospital in South Africa during the Boer War in 1900 and wrote a book defending Britains actions in the war. For his services he was knighted in 1902, becoming Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The author died on July 7, 1930. His death was newsworthy enough to be reported on the front page of the next days New York Times. A headline referred to him as Spiritist, Novelist, and Creator of Famous Fiction Detective. As Conan Doyle believed in an afterlife, his family said they were awaiting a message from him after death. The character of Sherlock Holmes, of course, lives on and appears in films right up to the present day.

Employment Experiece Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Employment Experiece Journal - Essay Example of backlog in terms of my course works and assignments and made it more challenging for me especially in internalizing the various theories in the module. The things that I learnt about in this module will help in working in a global business environment. This will also be useful because modern firms, even those which don’t operate globally, have to work in a global arena and apply the tools that are necessary to operate in a global business environment. I was able to understand the various issues that are revenant in a modern business environment and how the global business environment came to be. Regardless of the many challenges that I had during the module, I was able to actually enjoy the module and I believe most of the things I learnt in the module will be useful in my future, either in employment or in operating my own business. Specifically, it is necessary to me because intent to start a web based business and operating a website is like operating a global business. Through this module and the personal research that I carried out, I am now able to help a business to identify the high volume area that it can used to access across worldwide market and use this as the basis if it is expanding to the international busine ss (Blyth & Zimmerman, 2005). This module was one of the most intriguing modules to study. I was able to learn a lot of things about modern marketing. Again, this module provided me with knowledge that wills be useful both in an employment environment as well as an entrepreneurial environment. While taking this module, I was able to have a few brainstorming with friends of mine and we were able to brainstorm on the various issues which were raised in the module and how valuable they are. This module provided me, and hopefully most of the other students, with a good foundation to roll out a successful career in marketing, especially with regard to modern business environment and global competitiveness. It was probably my deep interests in