Native Americans- Minority Role Essay Example for Free

Native Americans- Minority Role Essay Power and Minority Group Position: The Case of Native Americans Majority/Minority group relations can be illustrated by studying the role of power and how it is distributed between groups. The majority, or group that wields the most power, directly affects the circumstances for the minority. In most cases power struggle leads to racial and ethnic inequality. This scenario describes the case of the Native Americans. Since the arrival of the Europeans in 1492 the Native American has systematically been dehumanized, decivilized and redefined into terms that typify a subordinate or minority role, restricted life opportunities persist today as a result (Farley, 2000). When European settlers arrived on American shores to settle a New World, around 7 million Native Americans had been settled in the wilderness north of present-day Mexico for some time. It is believed that the first Native Americans arrived during the last Ice Age, approximately 20,000 30,000 years ago, by crossing the Bering Strait from northeastern Siberia into Alaska. Over thousands of years, spiritual kin-based communities had survived by living off the land and bartering goods. Their diversity was reflected by their societies, which ranged from small, mobile bands of hunter-gatherers in the Great Basin to temple-mound builders in the Southeast (DiBacco, 1995). The encounter of early explorers with the people of the Americas would ultimately set in motion the destruction of long existing Native American life and culture. Engrained into the minds of the Europeans were prejudiced images and stereotypes of the Native Americans, which we struggle still today to eradicate. From the 1490s to the 1590s, Europeans pushed inward across America from both coasts. Encounters with these settlers attracted many Native Americans toward European goods, but their attitudes toward the newcomers themselves depended greatly on previous experiences (Farley, 2000). In most cases, the early explorers found the Native American peoples to be friendly and generous. Columbus was immediately struck by the peaceful, generous nature of the Taino. The Taino society was highly organized around a patriarchal hierarchy and distinguished by happiness and friendliness. Columbus frankly stated how surprised he had been to make friends with the Indians. He wrote, They are gentle and comely people. They are so naive and free with their possessions that no one who has not witnessed them would never believe it. When you ask for something they have, they never say no. To the contrary, they offer to share with anyone They willingly traded everything they owned (DiBacco, 1995) When the Europeans settlers started to arrive in the 16th- and 17th-centurys they too were met by Native Americans. The Natives regarded their white-complexioned visitors as something of a marvel, not only for their outlandish dress and beards and winged ships, but even more for their wonderful technology steel knives and swords, fire-belching arquebus and cannons, mirrors, hawkbells and earrings, copper and brass kettles, etc. (Jordan, 1991). Increased interaction led to the Indians becoming less self-sufficient and economically dependent on the whites. As the years went on, however, the natives began to realize that the Europeans had much more in mind than a few settlements. They began to realize that their entire way of life was under siege. By the time the truth occurred to them, however, it was probably already too late. Their bows and arrows were no match for the Europeans firearms, and their bodies could not defend against the foreign diseases (DiBacco, 1995). As the encroachment of settlers on Indian lands continued, so did the inevitable conflicts. To the Indians, the arriving Europeans seemed attuned to another world; they appeared oblivious to the rhythms and spirits of nature (Jordan, 1991). Nature to the Europeans was something of an obstacle, even an enemy, and these disrespectful attitudes were quite apparent to the Indians. The wilderness was also a commodity however: a forest was so many board feet of timber, a beaver colony so many pelts, a herd of buffalo so many hides (Jordan, 1991). The Europeans cultural arrogance and ethnocentrism, and their materialistic view of the land and its inhabitants were repulsive to the Indians. Europeans, overall, were regarded as something mechanical soulless creatures wielding diabolically ingenious tools and weapons to accomplish selfish ends (Jordan, 1991). Initial European impressions of the Native American population were formed by the descriptions of Columbus and other explorers. Although Columbus initially praised the Taino, crediting them with a very acute intelligence , he also provided an unfavorable view of Native Americans when he discussed the Carib Indians, who were said to be very fierce cannibals. This description set the stage for the long-enduring image of the hostile, savage Indian (Berkhofer, 1978). Another New World explorer, Amerigo Vespucci further established this imagery in his writings about the natives stating, The nations wage war upon one another without art or order. The elders by means of certain harangues of theirs bend the youths to their will and inflame them to wars in which they cruelly kill one another, and those whom they bring home captives from war they preserve, not to spare their lives, but that they may be slain for food; for they eat one another, the victors the vanquished, and among other kinds of meat human flesh is a common article of diet with them. Nay be the more assured of this fact because the father has already been seen to eat children and wife (Burkhofer, 1978). The recently developed printing press rapidly dispersed such images through both print and picture, and these representations became firmly etched in the minds of the Europeans (Bataille, 1980). Eventually, the Native Americans were considered subhuman and evil. The hope of civilizing the Indian was often expressed, but ultimately religion required the eventual submission of the Indians to white domination (Burkhofer, 1978) When colonies began to form in North America, the colonists wanted to create a world similar to the one they had left. The Indians were a major barrier to this progress and civilization. The colonists hoped the natives would embrace Christianity and become assimilated within the colonist society. When the Native Americans resisted, they, like the wilderness, became merely an obstacle in the colonists path. Because they would not conform to the European way of life, their destruction was inevitable. Because some justification was needed in order to wipe out the entire race, the stereotype of the bloodthirsty savage was solidified (Bataille, 1980). The Europeans were accustomed to owning land and claimed ownership of the new territory, justifying their actions with the fact that the Indians were nomads with no interest in owning any land. The conflicts led to many wars and various actions instituted by the Europeans in order to accomplish their objectives. The Indian tribes were at a great disadvantage during these wars because of their modest numbers, nomadic life, lack of advanced weapons, and unwillingness to cooperate, even in their own defense (Jordan, 1991). During the nineteenth century, the American Indians, by tradition a communal people, were forcibly separated from their native cultures and lands. By the mid-1840s most of the Native Americans east of the Mississippi River had been relocated to Indian Territory, as a result of President Andrew Jacksons Indian Removal Act of 1830. This act gave territory to Native Americans who agreed to reject their ancestral holdings. This act allowed the Indians to live on the declared territory indefinitely. Many refused to leave their homelands, however, engaging in battles destined to end in death and destruction. These Native Americans were subjected to numerous forms of violence, such as raping, scalping and lynching, among other acts (Zinn, 1980). The Europeans eventually stripped the Native Americans of most of their lands, and as the settlers pushed further west, the boundaries of the Indian Territory continued to shrink. As the wandering Indians encountered existing tribes and the designated Indian Territory became more crowded, conflicts over land and hunting rights ensued. The relocated Indians were often struck by famine, as buffalo and other game became scarce. The reduction of the overcrowded Indian reservations was continued as more white settlers arrived in America (Zinn, 1980). The building of the transcontinental railroad allowed for thousands of white setters to make their way across Indian Territory. Native Americans forced off their lands often starved on the poor land or died of diseases brought with the settlers from Europe. Indians were often pressured to sign treaties giving up land and agreeing to live on reservations. In return, the government vowed to provide the Indians with services and supplies (Todd, 1986). The white men did not uphold this promise, however. Most of the Native Americans were nomadic and nonagricultural, and all depended for survival on hunting the buffalo (Jordan, 1991). The settlers realized the usefulness of the buffalo hides and killed an estimated three million buffalo each year over a three-year period. The devastation of the buffalo was also devastating to the Indians (Jordan, 1991). Tensions were increased as Indians traveled outside reservation lines to hunt buffalo for survival. When government attempts at concentrating the Native Americans in reservations proved ineffective, many battles ensued between Indians and Americans. Because their designated land was insufficient, the Indians were forced to revolt in order to survive (Todd, 1986). Terribly disadvantaged, however, the Native Americans were not able to defend themselves against the settlers. Most American Indians saw themselves as citizens of sovereign Indian nations. In fact, during the first half of the 1800s, the U. S. government treated Indians who lived in tribes as members of separate nations. The federal government even negotiated formal treaties with them. All that changed in the latter half of the 1800s. The U. S.government began to look at Indians as wards or dependents instead of citizens of their own sovereign nations or citizens of the United States. In 1870, the Senate declared that the Fourteenth Amendment, which granted citizenship to African Americans, did not apply to American Indians who lived in tribes. In 1871, Congress stated that hereafter no Indian nation or tribe within the territory of the United States shall be recognized as an independent nation (DiBacco, 1995). In 1887, congress passed the Dawes Act, dividing both reservations and families. Indian families who agreed to live separate and apart from any tribe were given their own land to cultivate. After 25 years, the family would be granted both land and U. S. citizenship. This U. S. policy stressed Indian assimilation of the habits of civilized life through citizenship, education, and individual land ownership (DiBacco, 1995). Traditionally, Native Americans owned land through tribes and communities, as opposed to individually. The effort to individualize Indians and force them to forgo their tribal and traditional ways caused strife among tribal communities and provoked a growing Indian opposition (Zinn, 1980). Once again, however, the Indians suffered because the quality of their land was very poor, they were untrained at farming, and they lacked proper tools. Additionally, disease and malnutrition increased as common causes of death. Between 1887 and 1934, American Indian nations lost more than sixty percent of their land to the American federal government (Jordan, 1991). The end of the 19th century marked the end of the Indian Wars with an unprovoked massacre in 1890 during which Indian warriors, women, and children were slaughtered by U. S. cavalry at Wounded Knee (Jordan, 1991). In the end approximately 200 Native American men, women, and children had been killed (DiBacco, 1995). In the early twentieth century Indians continued to be the target of civilized assimilation efforts. In accordance with these efforts, the government funded Native American churches and schools. Education has been regarded as a primary tool in the cultural genocide, or assimilation, of Native Americans throughout history. Its overall effect severely diluted Native American culture with Christian European values and beliefs, but taught no Native American history (Keohane, 2003). The Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania, the Haskell Institute in Kansas, and the Chilocco Indian School in Oklahoma all sought to eradicate Indian languages and lifestyles. Native Americans from various areas were forced to send their children to such schools. Most were boarding schools where students would have no contact with their tribal homeland. Students were forced to adapt themselves to the culture of the colonists under a militarized system that enforced the use of the English language, English names, and Christian religion, while dismissing Native American cultures as uncivilized. Many of the students were even kept from their families during breaks as they were sent off to work under white families, still furthering their cultural immersion and strengthening the American economy. Kill the Indian and save the man was the Carlisle Schools motto (Keohane, 2003). During the first few decades of the 20th century, the gap between Indians and whites widened as Native Americans continued to find the thinking of white Americans illogical, and Federal officials continued to outlaw Indian religious practices. As assimilation efforts began to succeed, American Indians were reduced in the public eye to the status of ancient relics. For example, most citizens were unaware that ten thousand Indian men were serving in World War I or that educated Indians were becoming teachers, farmers, and ministers (Zinn, 1980). Many of the stereotypes of Native Americans originally created in Columbus time have carried over to contemporary society. This only solidified white attitudes about manifest destiny and the role of the Indian in North America. The bloodthirsty savage had become a staple of the popular dime novel and Wild West shows (Bataille,1980). By the time of World War I, the image of the ignorant, savage Native American was firmly established in popular film, which was greatly profitable though historically inaccurate. The generic Indian was portrayed in fringed clothing, communicating through grunts and simple language (Bataille, 1980). Even today, many people overgeneralize about Native Americans, seeing them as one people even though the tribes have always differed in many ways. In 1924, Native Americans were finally given some recognition as a federal law pushed U. S.citizenship upon the remaining Indian population, BE IT ENACTED , THAT ALL NON-CITIZEN INDIANS BORN WITHIN THE TERRITORIAL LIMITS OF THE UNITED STATES BE AND THEY ARE HEREBY, DECLARED TO BE CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES: PROVIDED, THAT THE GRANTING OF SUCH CITIZENSHIP SHALL NOT IN ANY MANNER IMPAIR OR OTHERWISE AFFECT THE RIGHT OF ANY INDIAN TO TRIBAL OR OTHER PROPERTY. THE INDIAN CITIZENSHIP ACT, APPROVED JUNE 2, 1924 Despite their newly gained citizenship, Native Americans were blocked from voting for the next twenty years in Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico. As a result, The Indian Rights Association and The American Indian Defense Association were formed to protect Indian rights, but the two organizations had limited power or impact (DiBacco, 1995). The plight of American Indians attracted little attention until 1928, when a shocking study, the Meriam Report, exposed the frequency of Indian poverty and the failure of government to fulfill allotted promises. The result of this new interest in reform was called the Indian New Deal, a new law that would restructure tribal governments and the administration of federal policies. The bill became the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. It introduced federal programs to support Indian agriculture, vocational education, and economic development. It included a provision that allowed reservation communities to set up tribal governments patterned after local units of the American government. Despite criticisms of the law being too paternalistic and undermining tribal traditions, the authority of Indian communities actually did expand during this time. The new Indian governments began to assert their rights in order to reverse the loss of tribal sovereignty (Jordan, 1991). Even though American Indians sent twenty-five thousand men and women to World War II, ten thousand to the Korean conflict, and forty-three thousand to Vietnam, their efforts did little to erase negative images of Indians (Zinn, 1980). Such images have also persisted in federal policy. Following World War II the Bureau of Indian Affairs instituted a program to terminate the federal governments trust relations with many tribes. In 1953 government officials passed a bill reducing federal expenditures and shrinking the federal bureaucracy by getting out of the Indian business and setting Indians free from federal support and protection. Poverty and homelessness quickly produced frustration and anger, and these, in turn, produced additional problems: alcoholism, joblessness, and poverty (Zinn, 1980). In the late 1960s, the Civil Rights Movement kicked off a wave of political activism by Native Americans, successfully changing negative policies and views. A new voice began to be heard in 1961 when the American Indian Chicago Conference gathered to present an Indian agenda for the new Kennedy administration. As American Indian youth became more involved in national Indian issues, the National Indian Youth Council formed (DiBacco, 1995). Additional examples of this new activism and militancy would include the founding of the American Indian Movement in 1968, the occupation of Alcatraz Island in 1969, the Trail of Broken Treaties march of 1972, and the armed occupation of Wounded Knee, South Dakota, in 1973 (Farley, 2000). These and other actions produced a national and highly visible call for Native American self-determination. This new campaign also emphasized individual tribal culture and practices. Pro-Indian legislation emerged during the 1970s as a result of activism and self-determination. The Indian Self-Determination and Educational Assistance Act, was passed in 1975 and stipulated that tribes could enter into contracts with the Indian Bureau to administer their own programs, from education to health care to housing. Other new laws included a settlement of land claims in Maine in 1978 and two pieces of landmark legislation passed the same year. The Indian Child Welfare Act established a role for tribes in the adoption of Indian children and the American Indian Religious Freedom Act declared constitutional support for Native American religious freedom (DiBacco, 1995). Despite growing efforts at self-determination, exploitation still plagues the Native Americans. Recent water and energy needs have led to government and industrial encroachment on Native American Land. Native Americans have even seen their reservations recommended as toxic-waste dumping grounds in exchange for much needed money. Discrimination still continues, especially in cities near the reservations. Tribal governments have enormous responsibilities that include the protection of hunting and fishing rights, water rights, religious traditions, and cultural heritage. At the same time, they struggle to develop successful gaming operations, profitable industrial factories, and effective educational and social-welfare programs. The systematic disorganization and dehumanization of their societies have restricted life opportunities. Poor education, low income, bad housing, poor health, alchoholism, and suicides are serious problems facing Native Americans today. They suffer the highest rates of poverty and unemployment among racial minority groups in the United States. Conditions are worse on Native American reservations, where an estimated 1/3 of them still live. According to goventment statistics on income, Native Americans are the poorest of the poor. (Farley, 2000) Today, many people in the United States ignore or are unaware of the problems Native Americans face. Many of those who are aware often stereotype them as backward, drunk, or unmotivated. Relations between Indians and non-Indians in the United States have been marked by an unfortunate series of blunders caused by prejudice and negative stereotypes. Even still, todays 2. 1 million Native Americans have proved their resilience by surviving oppression in a world dominated by other races and cultures. Unlike other minorities who have fought for equal rights in American society, Native Americans have fought to retain their land and cultures and have avoided assimilation, at a hefty cost. Works Cited Bataille, Gretchen. The Pretend Indians: Images of Native Americans in the Movies. Iowa State University, Ames: 1980 Berkhofer, Robert F. The White Mans Indian. Alfred A. Knopf Publishers, New York, 1978. DiBacco, Thomas V. , Lorna C. Mason, and Christian G. Appy. History of The United States. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1995. Keohane, Sonja. The Reservation Boarding School System in the United States, 1870-1928. http://www. twofrog. com. 3/19/2005 Jordan,Winthrop D. and Leon F. Litwack. The United States. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall, 1991. Todd, Lewis Paul and Merta Curti. Triumph of the American Nation. Orlando: Harcourt Brace Joranovich, Inc. , 1986. Zinn, Howard. A Peoples History of the United States. New York: Harper-Collins, 1980. Farley, John. Majority-Minority Relations. New Jersey: Prentice Hall,2000.

Determination of the Focal Length of a Convex Lens

Determination of the Focal Length of a Convex Lens Shaikh Ilyas AIM: To determine the focal length of converging lens and it’s radius of curvature. HYPOTHESIS: The relationship between u and v and the focal length f for a convex lens is given by . Where f is the focal length, u is the distance between the object and the lens v is the distance between the image and the lens. Real and Virtual Images: Lenses produce images by refraction that are said to be either real or virtual. Real images are created by the convergence of rays and can be projected onto a screen; real images form on the side of the lens that is opposite to the object and by convention have a positive image distance value; Virtual images are formed by the apparent extrapolation of diverging rays and cannot be formed on a screen, whereas virtual images form on the same side of the lens as the object and have a negative image distance value.[1] [2] BACKGROUND: For a thin double convex lens,refractionacts to focus all parallel rays to a point referred to as the principal focal point. The distance from the lens to that point is the principal focal length f of the lens. Below is the derivation of the lens formula Following graphic illustrates a simple lens model: [3] where, h= height of the object h’= height of the object projected in an image G and C = focal points f= focal distance u= Distance between the object and the focal point O= Centre of the lens v= Distance between the centre of the lens and image plane Assumptions Lens is very thin Optical axis is perpendicular to image plane Proving is true. Proof In ΔAHO, In ΔEDO, ∠´ (1) In ΔBOC, In ΔEDC, ∠´ (2) Equating equations (1) and (2), Dividing both sides by v, Hence the formula is proved. VARIABLES: Independent: Distance between the candle and the lens Dependent: Distance (v) from the image to the lens Control: This experiment was conducted in an almost dark room. Same sheet of paper used as the screen. A stable candle flame The time taken for a sharp and focused image to settle The size of the candle. METHOD FOR CONTROLLING VARIABLES: Made sure that the room was sufficiently dark enough to carry out this experiment as smoothly as possible without any entrance of light from the outside. So I pulled down the blinds of the windows and also made sure that there was no draught present in the room that can make the candle flame unstable. Moreover, I waited for around 6-7 seconds for the image to be seen as sharp and focused. And throughout this experiment I used candles of the same make and size. APPARATUS REQUIRED: 2 meter rules A white screen Candle Convex lens PROCEDURE: I divided this experiment in to 2 parts, A and B. In part A, I experimented using a single lens at a time, while in part B, I used 2 lens in contact at a time. Part A: Firstly I set up the apparatus as shown in Figure 1 above by making the distances v and u the same. So the image observed on a plain white screen was focused and clear Recorded the value of the lengths u and v and thereby marking these original points using a chalk on the bench. Then I adjusted the length of u by moving it away from the lens by 5cm. Consequently, I adjusted the length of v until a sharp and focused image was seen. Recorded this distance of u and v Repeated step 3 4 for 7 different values of u by increasing the distance by 5 cm in each step. And recorded the values of u and v for every increment. Then I placed the candle and the screen back in their original marked positions. Finally, repeated the steps 1-8 by using different convex lenses A, B, C, D and E. Figure 1: Setup of the apparatus for Part A Part B: Firstly I set up the apparatus as shown in Figure 2 by making the distances v and u the same. So the image observed on a plain white screen was focused and clear Recorded the value of the lengths u and v and thereby marking these original points using a chalk on the bench. Then I adjusted the length of u by moving it away from the lens by 5cm. Consequently, I adjusted the length of v until a sharp and focused image was seen. Recorded this distance of u and v Repeated step 3 4 for 4 different values of u by increasing the distance by 5 cm in each step. And recorded the values of u and v for every increment. Repeated the above steps 1-5, thrice. Figure 2: Setup of the apparatus for Part B DATA COLLECTION AND PROCESSING: Part A: Table 1: Data collected for convex lens A Table 2: Data collected for convex lens B Table 3: Data collected for convex lens C Table 4: Data collected for convex lens D Table 5: Data collected for convex lens E Part B: Table 6: Data collected for Trial 1 Table 7: Data collected for Trial 2 Table 8: Data collected for Trial 3 Using the formula, R = 2f I can calculate the value for the radius of curvature. The value of f can be found using the equation. Part A: Table 9:Data processing for convex lens A Standard deviation: ÃŽ ´m = = = 0.30967 Therefore, the focal length is 10.01+ 0.31 cm The % error = = 3.1% Table 10:Data processing for convex lens B Standard deviation: ÃŽ ´m = = = 0.47044 Therefore, the focal length is 10.26+ 0.47 cm The % error = = 4.6% Table 11:Data processing for convex lens C Standard deviation: ÃŽ ´m = = = 0.30500 Therefore, the focal length is 9.89+ 0.31 cm The % error = = 3.1% Table 12:Data processing for convex lens D Standard deviation: ÃŽ ´m = = = 0.32524 Therefore, the focal length is 10.15+ 0.33 cm The % error = = 3.2% Table 13:Data processing for convex lens E Standard deviation: ÃŽ ´m = = = 0.20508 Therefore, the focal length is 9.76 + 0.20508 cm The % error = = 2.1% Part B: Table 14: Data processing for Trial 1 Standard deviation: ÃŽ ´m = = = 0.43905 Therefore, the focal length is 19.85 + 0.44cm The % error = = 2.2% Table 15: Data processing for Trial 2 Standard deviation: ÃŽ ´m = = = 0.16976 Therefore, the focal length is 19.76 + 0.17 cm The % error = = 0.9% Table 16: Data processing for Trial 3 Standard deviation: ÃŽ ´m = = = 0.14809 Therefore, the focal length is 19.90 + 0.15 cm The % error = = 2.2% CALCULATIONS AND DATA PRESENTATION: Table 17: Data presentation for Convex lens A (cm)-1 (cm)-1 (cm)-1 <

Circumcision Essay -- Health, Neonatal Circumcision

Neonatal circumcision is one of the most often executed surgeries in the United States. (1:130) In my clinical practice thus far, the question whether to circumcise male neonates or not is frequently asked in the postpartum period. Midwives play an important role in providing informed choice discussions for their clients, it is thus our role to present the research evidence available in order to help women make the right choice for them and their families. This paper aims to describe the different incentives of male circumcision and the benefits and risks involved. Male circumcision involves the process of amputating the foreskin so that the glans of the penis is exposed. (2:602) Nontherapeutic male circumcision has been performed over many centuries and it is an integral part of some religions and cultures. The World Health Organization reports that 30% of males globally are circumcised, with 70% of these being Muslim. (3:1) The prophet Muhammad proclaimed that all followers must circumcise their sons on day seven postpartum. Although not all Muslims follow this exactly, males are circumcised within the first 10 years of age and it is one of the factors of the customs in Islam that allow for personal hygiene. (4:76) Judaism also values circumcision as an important part of the religion. As is described in the Old Testament it is one of the prerequisites to becoming a great nation that Abraham undergoes circumcision, and that every male be circumcised on the eight day of life. (4:76) Although Jesus Christ himself was circumcised, his disciple Pa ul proclaimed that this act is no longer necessary, thus circumcision is no longer a part of Christianity. (4:76) In addition to religious incentives for nontherapeutic circumcision, cultur... ...nformed choice. Since male circumcision is a surgery there are certain risks involved. There is a 2-10% occurrence rate of key complications that involve hemorrhage, sepsis, fistula, meatal stenosis, removal of excessive skin and penile loss (5:2239), of which parents should be made aware. As midwives we can play an integral role in helping our clients make crucial decisions about their children’s lives. Although some parents may not hesitate with their decision to circumcise due to cultural or religious practices, it is our jobs as primary health care providers to present research evidence in a way to allow our clients to make informed choices. Along with presenting the scientific evidence outlined in this paper, being able to refer our client to competent health care providers that perform circumcisions is part of our critical role in the postpartum period. Circumcision Essay -- Health, Neonatal Circumcision Neonatal circumcision is one of the most often executed surgeries in the United States. (1:130) In my clinical practice thus far, the question whether to circumcise male neonates or not is frequently asked in the postpartum period. Midwives play an important role in providing informed choice discussions for their clients, it is thus our role to present the research evidence available in order to help women make the right choice for them and their families. This paper aims to describe the different incentives of male circumcision and the benefits and risks involved. Male circumcision involves the process of amputating the foreskin so that the glans of the penis is exposed. (2:602) Nontherapeutic male circumcision has been performed over many centuries and it is an integral part of some religions and cultures. The World Health Organization reports that 30% of males globally are circumcised, with 70% of these being Muslim. (3:1) The prophet Muhammad proclaimed that all followers must circumcise their sons on day seven postpartum. Although not all Muslims follow this exactly, males are circumcised within the first 10 years of age and it is one of the factors of the customs in Islam that allow for personal hygiene. (4:76) Judaism also values circumcision as an important part of the religion. As is described in the Old Testament it is one of the prerequisites to becoming a great nation that Abraham undergoes circumcision, and that every male be circumcised on the eight day of life. (4:76) Although Jesus Christ himself was circumcised, his disciple Pa ul proclaimed that this act is no longer necessary, thus circumcision is no longer a part of Christianity. (4:76) In addition to religious incentives for nontherapeutic circumcision, cultur... ...nformed choice. Since male circumcision is a surgery there are certain risks involved. There is a 2-10% occurrence rate of key complications that involve hemorrhage, sepsis, fistula, meatal stenosis, removal of excessive skin and penile loss (5:2239), of which parents should be made aware. As midwives we can play an integral role in helping our clients make crucial decisions about their children’s lives. Although some parents may not hesitate with their decision to circumcise due to cultural or religious practices, it is our jobs as primary health care providers to present research evidence in a way to allow our clients to make informed choices. Along with presenting the scientific evidence outlined in this paper, being able to refer our client to competent health care providers that perform circumcisions is part of our critical role in the postpartum period.

Abortion - Americas Answer to Hitler Essay -- abortion argumentative

Abortion - America's Answer to Hitler      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Who should live, and who should die? Who has the right to make these decisions? People have been asking these questions for years but can't seem to decide if abortion should really be considered murder. Is it right to kill a blessing from God when the baby is healthy and so is the mother who carries it? And is it acceptable to abort if imminent death is the only thing in store for the baby after its birth? As difficult as these questions may seem, I believe that we must protect all human lives at any stage of development whether it be puberty or the first trimester. However, if terminal diseases are to cut short the lives of these little ones, and pain and suffering will be all they know of this world, then I believe the parents have the right to abort and stop their child's suffering. With this exception, people should see that all children have the right to life, if they are able to live, because of their potential of becoming a person.    The taking of a human life is not justified when that human is not capable...

Rap Music Essay example -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Imagine an inner city kid having grown u in an environment where real life street violence is a way of life. His body, having survived personal experiences of violence, endured barely life sustained conditions, and many sleepless nights caused by the constant yet unpredictable call of death. His mind doubtful over where his next meal will come from, lost in search of some higher guidance, struggling through a world, not of innocent childish fantasies, but trapped in a forced reality. His only outlet is the loud blaring music coddling his already pent-up rage, an escape from these harsh realities, seducing him to a life of violence. In him is created a â€Å"me against the world† mentality that is manifested in the rap and hip-hop music that dominates his culture.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Among the most common subjects of rap and hip-hop is violence and misogyny. They emphasize these two as inevitable regularities of the life lived in the streets. Their music reflects this fact by promoting violence and misogyny, which poses adverse influences on not only children and teenagers in the ghettos and urban cities but also other people affected by them. Violence and misogyny is a very serious problem that the American people have to face in today’s society. It is rapidly growing and is more frequent in major cities and suburbs. Most random acts of violence are surprisingly committed in the streets by young teenagers and even young children, most of which are influenced by their favorite rap or hip-hop artists. The subject of violence and misogyny found in rap and hip-hop music promotes violent crimes in city streets as well as influencing our innocent youth to commit random acts of violence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The most common acts of violence committed are armed shootings and rape, many of which are commonly committed by teens and young children from urban cities living with poor family values. According o Senator Dole, â€Å"†¦ The loss of family values is caused by the moral corruption of popular culture, and therefore we should hold rap artists, Hollywood moguls, and record executives responsible for our moral chaos.† (Maker) Poor family values and influences from rap and hip-hop music may also tend to lead the young teen or child to commit acts of violence such as armed shooting and rape. â€Å"Our kids have adapted the gangs... ...an image that all women are just looking for sex.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If you though that song lyrics are bad, the song titles are just as worse. Most song titles are very extreme and have deeper meanings to it. For example Dr.Dre’s hit son â€Å"Let Me Ride,: has two connotations: the first refers to sexual encounter and the second refers to the sexual act of intercourse. Snoop Doggy Dog’s album â€Å"Doggystyle† refers to the sexual act of having sex through the â€Å"rear entry† position. Finally, K7’s â€Å"Come Baby Come,† incorporates a â€Å"catchy† chorus line saying â€Å"I come baby come, baby baby, come come†¦ if ya gotta give me loving then you’ve gottta give me some†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (qtd in Sexton 64) which basically refers to the sexual act.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is surprising that music can have such an impact on American society today. The truth is that rap and hip-hop music not only affects teenagers and children that commit violence, but also affects those victims who suffer from the violent acts, Violence and Misogyny is a very serious problem that Americans face today and in order to create peace in our city streets, we must set guidelines to what our children should or should not hear.

Can We Talk

CAN WE TALK? RESEARCHER TALKS ABOUT THE ROLE OF COMMUNICATION IN HAPPY MARRIAGES JOSEPH BUTLER COM 200 INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION PAUL HUBBLE September 11, 2012 Yes I can relate to the article on the importance of self- disclosure in relationships, without revealing this sensitive information about one’s inner desires or should I say one’s personal feelings there will be limited knowledge of that person’s private feelings in the relationship.Terri Orbuch, a research scientist at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan wrote; â€Å"In 1987, a review in the journal of sex and Marital Therapy found that higher rates of self- disclosure were tied with higher rates of marital satisfaction. Expression of love and support was also linked to happy marriages. † Tribune News Service [Washington] 17Jan 2011. My spouse had this very hard way of expressing her inner feelings to me. We lived each day wandering or trying to figure out what to say to one another at times.Also we would live and sleep together as strangers without knowing what or if a problem exist in the relationship. It is hard to live with someone and not know that person in the relationship, intimately or sexually. Yes, I agree that self- disclosure is important to satisfaction in relationship. Yes, there are certain similarities in gender concerning the role played by each in a relationship. Terri Orbuch who wrote;† Affective Affirmation†Ã¢â‚¬â€Basically, behavior that makes your partner feel loved, cared for or special—plays a role in happy marriages and that men need it more than women. † Tribune News Service [Washington] 17 Jan 2011.Doris Wild Helmering, Happy Marriages, part two wrote; â€Å"People who have good marriages are not critical of each other. The spouses realize that their partners have flaws and no one is perfect. When they see shortcomings in their spouse, they smile and think, â€Å"So what†, or â€Å"W ho cares? † With flaws that they are not able to easily discount, they ask their spouse for help. † [St. Louis,Mo. ] 02 Oct. My spouse and I find a common ground, if one think there is a problem let the other know so that we do not have to live with the problem. No, I do not think I fit into the generalization regarding ender. I live open minded and flexible in my relationship with a spouse.Reference Doris, W. H. (1995, Oct 02), Happy Marriages, part- two. St. Louis Post- Dispatch (pre- 1997 Full text), pp. 04-04, E. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/305087665? accountid=32521Schoen Shoenberg, N. (2011Jan 17), Can We Talk? Researcher talks about the role of communication in happy marriages. McClatchy – Tribune News Service,pp. n/a. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/840600645? accountid=32521Schoen

How effectively does Stephenson create a sense of mystery and intrigue Essay

When Robert Louis Stevenson wrote the novella Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde at the time Victorian London was a terrible place to live in, for instance, London was riddled full of prostitution. Most of London was dilapidated because there was no sanitation system so London had a terrible stench to it. It was smoggy because of the factories and there was a great deal of of child cruelty. Children as young as five would have to work in appalling conditions just in order to eat. There was crime because back then the police were unreliable, drunk and they weren’t introduced until 1829, and there were major unsolved crimes like Jack the Ripper, but on the positive side etiquette was seen as important. We can see in this by the way Dr Utterson behaves, but unfortunately the lower class as you will discover later on in the novella tend to take etiquette less to account There is significant reference to Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution which in those days meant that people believed that there were two halves to the human character , the noble side and the criminal or animal side, the noble side being Dr Jekyll and the animal and criminal side being Mr. Hyde. Stevenson helps make this apparent by his description of Hyde making him look repulsive, ugly and having a terrible temper and an animal like behaviour. The Victorians had a belief that once you’re a criminal you stay a criminal because the criminals were naturally bad. We can see this by the way In which everyone who sees him describes him as â€Å"†Particularly small and particularly wicked-looking, is what the maid calls him,† said the officer.† The fact that this sort of reaction is natural to everyone who sees Mr Hyde implies to us that firstly Stevenson believed in the ‘criminal class’ theory, Mr Hyde is living proof of this. The atmosphere throughout the majority of the book is eerie and mysterious because of the darkness of the area and how slummy it is, with all of the dilapidation and crime rife. This also helps to give out a sense of mystery and intrigue at the same time. † Two doors from one corner, on the left hand going east the line was broken by the entry of a court; and just at that point a certain sinister block of building thrust forward its gable on the street.† This quotation here also gives out a sense of imminent danger the word sinister shows this to us because it gives out a negative impression of the house and the area around the house You may have also noticed as you read through the whole book that if you read through it carefully enough you would discover several links to the first chapter for instance the murder of Sir Danvers Carew and the attack on the little girl. Both of these clues are linked due to the fact that they were both unprovoked and also because they are both examples of the fierce aggresion Mr Hyde displays all throughout the book. â€Å"Well, sir, the two ran into one another naturally enough at the corner; and then came the horrible part of the thing; for the man trampled calmly over the child’s body and left her screaming on the ground† This is also shows yet another reference to Charles Darwin’s Origin of the Species again, with Mr Hyde this time round, displaying his criminal side. This quotation shows Mr. Hyde’s potential for extreme violence and even potential murder Other people display their † animal side† to them during the book when The girl’s family and the girl’s doctor had â€Å"I knew what was in his mind, just as he knew what was in mine; and killing being out of the question,† this also shows how everyone has an â€Å"animal side† within themselves. Another recurring clue that appears and re- appears in this book is the theme of the key. For instance, the key and references to the key have been written throughout the book. â€Å"Mr. Utterson again walked some way in silence and obviously under a weight of consideration.†You are sure he used a key?† he inquired at last.† If you were to go through the book at any point you would discover how important this key was. And the fact that Mr Utterson is asking a question â€Å"Are you sure he used a key?† also raises the mystery surrounding the key, because his doubt makes you wonder about why he has his doubts about the key Furthermore is the matter of the Door which seems to be a complete mystery and just as the key is, it is mentioned several times throughout the book, this has a significance because firstly the door serves as a main clue you â€Å"Black Mail House is what I call the place with the door, â€Å" The name given to the place with the door, ( Blackmail house) helps bring in intrigue to the door and the secret behind it because of the negative association with the door, thus increasing our intrigue in this constantly mentioned door and the secret that lies behind it. The word â€Å"Blackmail† also suggests that there is surreptitious activity going on in that house. The other strange clue that is hinted at earlier on in chapter I is the whole matter of the cheque book’s signature which Utterson remarks upon. â€Å"drawn payable to bearer and signed with a name that I can’t mention, though it’s one of the points of my story, but it was a name at least very well known and often printed. â€Å" the handwriting of the signature has a significant link to a main character in the later chapters of the book and serves as a huge clue during the book, this also creates a feel of curiosity because by his teasing the information to you it hieghtens the feel of tension and intrigue. Furthermore there are plenty of comparisons to Mr Hyde and the devil which are used almost as frequently as Robert Louis Stevenson uses Mr Hyde and the animal like comparisons. † I could see that–but carrying it off, sir, really like Satan† This quotation highlights again Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, which also show’s how terrible a person Mr Hyde can possibly be. This is also significant because here we can see Mr. Hyde being personified as the devil Another important clue that Robert Stevenson introduces to us is Mr Hyde’s cheque and his unbelievable wealth, which is linked on to another part of the story where the mysterious will is brought along, as well as the handwriting of Mr Hyde where Mr Utterson takes the cheque as a comparison † I took the liberty of pointing out to my gentleman that the whole business looked apocryphal, and that a man does not, in real life, walk into a cellar door at four in the morning and come out with another man’s cheque for close upon a hundred pounds.† We can see from this that Mr Hyde is rich enough to throw money around and this also shows his shiftiness because of the way he had jus walked into his house and had then started to throw money all around the place in order to make himself look better. Stevenson uses the setting of the house and the house’s area already gives us a negative impression of the house, and also implies that the house is empty and neglected even though in reality it is quite opposite to our impression. â€Å"Discoloured wall on the upper; and bore in every in every feature the marks of prolonged and sordid negligence.† This quotation tells us how the house is in bad disrepair, and how it is almost rotting away due to the â€Å"negligence† Another example of this negligence which has just proceeded away is shown again later on in chapter I page 11, we can see this by his description of his house â€Å"For close on a generation no one had appeared to drive away these random visitors or to repair their ravages.† This links to a quotation which I had made earlier on during the essay about Mr. Utterson which adds to the mystery because it makes you wonder about how someone can have a key to a house that has been in disrepair for years and then have the ability to pay out 100 pounds, because of these illogical clues the reader will then be drawn into the book more in order to figure out these clues. In conclusion we can tell the Dr Louis Stephenson had effectively used the clues during the first chapter of this book because firstly there is a large amount of references to later clues scattered throughout the book, secondly most of the links to the clues we can see here are not vague and the links between them are strong and solid. We can also see from this that Stephenson had created an immense sense of intrigue because of firstly the setting he chose, which was the dark, late night when all the criminals are roaming. Also he had increased the sense of intrigue by having the main character have an illogical sudden fear of the streets. He also uses the typical setting of a crime scene, which is dark, early morning when few people which people see as dangerous, by doing this Stevenson had therefore managed to draw in more people into his novella.