Free Essays on Socrates And The Immortality Of The Soul

Most people grow up in the shadow of at least one of the major religions, all of which suppose some kind of survival beyond death. They therefore usually take it for granted that we can "know what we are talking about" when we speak of immortality or less grandiosely of survival after death. We assume sense has been given to talk of the soul as something correlative with the body, as Plato does when the discussion starts and death is characterized as the beginning of the separate existence of the soul and of the separate existence of the body. Although Socrates has no proof that the soul does exist after the body dies, his arguments can be convincing to many by using the dialectic. The dialogue between Socrates and the others begins with a longer statement of the type of defense Socrates gave in the Apology for thinking that death would be preferable to life for one with his interests: the desire for wisdom is frustrated by the body in various ways, so one can hope to get much further without the body's impediments. The philosopher's life is then a practicing to die [67-68, 80e-81]. The real argument starts when Cebes objects that the position depends on the assumption that the soul, or we might say, our mental activity aimed at understanding does actually hang together after the death of the body. The main arguments concerning the immortality of the soul come from the Phaedo. Socrates believed that when his body ceased to exist anymore, that his soul would leave and join that of the forms, where he would be eternally. Socrates believed so strongly in this, that not only did he not fear his death, he welcomed it. He believed that only when the soul separated from the body, is a person able to be truly enlightened and gain all knowledge. This enlightenment has been Socrates’ life long goal of discovering the truth. Even at his hour of death, Socrates showed no hesitation. However, Socrates’ friends did not believe so strongly, an... Free Essays on Socrates And The Immortality Of The Soul Free Essays on Socrates And The Immortality Of The Soul Most people grow up in the shadow of at least one of the major religions, all of which suppose some kind of survival beyond death. They therefore usually take it for granted that we can "know what we are talking about" when we speak of immortality or less grandiosely of survival after death. We assume sense has been given to talk of the soul as something correlative with the body, as Plato does when the discussion starts and death is characterized as the beginning of the separate existence of the soul and of the separate existence of the body. Although Socrates has no proof that the soul does exist after the body dies, his arguments can be convincing to many by using the dialectic. The dialogue between Socrates and the others begins with a longer statement of the type of defense Socrates gave in the Apology for thinking that death would be preferable to life for one with his interests: the desire for wisdom is frustrated by the body in various ways, so one can hope to get much further without the body's impediments. The philosopher's life is then a practicing to die [67-68, 80e-81]. The real argument starts when Cebes objects that the position depends on the assumption that the soul, or we might say, our mental activity aimed at understanding does actually hang together after the death of the body. The main arguments concerning the immortality of the soul come from the Phaedo. Socrates believed that when his body ceased to exist anymore, that his soul would leave and join that of the forms, where he would be eternally. Socrates believed so strongly in this, that not only did he not fear his death, he welcomed it. He believed that only when the soul separated from the body, is a person able to be truly enlightened and gain all knowledge. This enlightenment has been Socrates’ life long goal of discovering the truth. Even at his hour of death, Socrates showed no hesitation. However, Socrates’ friends did not believe so strongly, an...

Beginning Level Curriculum for ESL Classes

Beginning Level Curriculum for ESL Classes This curriculum summary is designed for false beginners. False beginners are typically learners who have had a few years training at some point in time and are now returning to start learning English again for a variety of reasons, such as for work, travel, or as a hobby. Most of these learners are familiar with English and can move pretty quickly to more advanced language learning concepts. This curriculum summary is written for a course of approximately 60 hours of instruction and takes students from the verb To be through present, past, and future forms, as well as other basic structures such as the comparative and superlative forms, the use of some and any, have got, etc. This course is geared towards adult learners who need English for work and, as such, concentrates on vocabulary and forms that are useful for the working world. Each group of eight lessons is followed by a planned review lesson which allows students a chance to review what they have learned. This syllabus can be adapted to fit students needs and is presented as a basis on which to build an elementary level ESL EFL English course. Listening Skills Beginning English learners often find listening skills the most challenging. Its a good idea to follow some of these tips when working on listening skills: To begin with, try to use only one voice for listening comprehension activities. A variety of accents can be added later.Exercises should begin with short form understanding such as spelling, numbers, understanding word form differences, etc.  Gap fill exercises work well for the next step in listening comprehension. Begin with sentence level understanding and move on to paragraph length listening selections.  Once students understand the basics, begin work on understanding gist by providing longer conversations with a focus on understanding the main idea. Teaching Grammar Teaching grammar is a big part of effectively teaching beginners. While full immersion is ideal, the reality is that students expect to learn grammar. Rote grammar learning is very effective in this environment.   At this level, rote activities can help learners understand intuitively. Dont worry too much about grammar explanations.  To help focus on sound rather than rules, repetitive activities can help establish a strong base.Take it in small bites. Pare things down to their essentials once you begin to teach. For example, if you were introducing the present simple dont begin with an example that includes an adverb of frequency such as He usually has lunch at work.  For tenses, stress the importance of time expressions tied to tense. Continually ask students to first identify the time expression or context before making a decision on tense usage.  Correct only those mistakes made in a current objective. In other words, if a student misuses in rather than at but the focus is on the past simple, dont make a point of correcting the mistake in preposition use. Speaking Skills Encourage students to make mistakes, many, many mistakes. Adult learners are often concerned about making too many mistakes and can be hesitant. Do your best to relieve them of this fear!Focus on function for beginning level activities. Set a goal such as ordering food in a restaurant. Help students learn how to functionally succeed in each situation.Switch groups up often. Some students tend to dominate conversations. Nip this in the bud, and change group composition up early and often.   Writing Skills Follow the language: begin with letters, create words, build words into sentences and let those sentences blossom into paragraphs.  Prohibit certain words when writing! Unfortunately, students often fall into the bad habit of using the same words over and over (go, drive, eat, work, come to school, etc.) Brainstorm word lists together as a class and then challenge students to only use certain words or phrases  in their writing.Use symbols to correct. Get students used to the idea that youll use symbols to help them edit their writing. The onus is on the students to correct their own writing.

Anlysis in Biochmeistry Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Anlysis in Biochmeistry - Lab Report Example The risk can be minimsed by using reliable controls for background fluorescence check as is used in the current study. The average percentage inhibition of the cytochrome P450 3A4 by ketaconazole was determined using a fluorescence based enzyme assay. The readings were obtained as per procedure and is recorded and calculated in Tables 1, 2, 3 and 4. Ketaconazole samples in varying concentrations showed lower fluorescence than the sample without the test compound indicating the inhibitory activity of the drug on the enzyme cytochrome P450. Saple with 10 M concentration showed the least fluorescence and therefore the highest % inhibition of 95.274.7 and even a lower concentration of 0.1 M also shows a percentage inhibition of about 75.616.12. The fluorescence reading shows the inhibition of the enzyme to be directly proportional to the concentration of the test compound ketaconazole. The present study a fluorescence based assay to illustrate and evaluate the interaction of ketaconazole with the liver cytochrome P450 A4 using microsomes prepared from insect cells that express both human P450 isozyme and rabbit NADPH-P450 reductase and a substrate th

Mr. Smiths case in an ethical, legal and moral perspective Essay

Mr. Smiths case in an ethical, legal and moral perspective - Essay Example From this paper, it is clear that the mental health act allows that the service provider can make decisions on behalf of the patient provided that it is proven that the patient is mentally incapable to make choices. For this reason, a discussion between the involved parties resulted to an agreed decision.To conclude the task, it is clear that there are situations where the legal and ethical guidelines interact to help an individual to make a decision. At the same point, there are similarly clear variances between law and ethics that results to dilemmas. The practitioner, therefore, needs to be aware of the resemblances and the variances and in what way they affect the decisions made. It is necessary to remember the theories and moral principles that guide the moral obligations to be taken. Law is a key consideration when effecting any decision and must be considered in all ways. Law is different from the moral principles because it is enforceable in a law court while moral decisions are not backed by any enforcement authority (Benbassat&Baumal, 2012).It is also necessary to set up methods that guide the decision-making process to hasten the process and save time which is key when it comes to saving a life. Having mentioned all the above, I believe that if all health practitioners have diverse information concerning the different case they are faced with in their daily practice as a dilemma, they will be in a better position to deliver quality services to the patients at any time.

Lady Macbeth Essay Example for Free

Lady Macbeth Essay Macbeth was a play written by William Shakespeare in 1608. It is a very intriguing play. This essay will concentrate on Macbeths wife, Lady Macbeth and how her character undergoes extreme changes from Act 1 Scene 5 and Act 5 Scene 1. Lady Macbeth is an extremely dominant character, a principal catalyst for Macbeths rein, but towards the concluding part of the remarkable play, Lady Macbeth feels, and is relatively unimportant to Macbeth due to his ego and the confidence the three witches bestow him. Macbeth then had no specific reason to rely on Lady Macbeth for her strength and determination. Lady Macbeth then became overwhelmed with guilt and grew to be increasingly unstable. Part 1 Act 1 Scene 5 Act 1 Scene 5 is an extremely important scene because it is the preliminary time that the audience perceive Lady Macbeth. In this captivating scene Lady Macbeth receives a letter from Macbeth informing her of his new title, Thane of Cawdor and of the three witches prophecies. Lady Macbeth fears that Macbeth is not malicious enough to fulfil his ambitions of becoming King. Thus I may pour my spirits in thine ear, And chastise with the valour of my tongue This illustrates that she knows that if she was going to be the Queen of Scotland then she would have to persuade Macbeth to kill King Duncan. She is incredibly determined to be a powerful queen. Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be what thou art promisd This implies that Lady Macbeth is indomitable and will not give up her cause until she has won. Lady Macbeth is also unbelievably manipulative. She realized that if she wanted to have her status as Queen then she would have to persuade Macbeth to carry out the unlawful deed. She knew she was a very powerful woman and that she had power over Macbeth, so the task set ahead of her, she thought, was not going to be excessively challenging. Thou which cries, Thus must do, if thou have it; This shows us Lady Macbeths manipulative side. She says that the crown cries out for it to be taken from the throne. This is someone who obviously desires something desperately. The extent of her ambition turns her to the supernatural world. Her ambition has overthrown her body and she calls upon the spirits to turn her into the opposite sex. She wants to cross over to the darker, masculine side so she could have the power and the strength to carry out the murder she has so carefully planned out. This gives the feel of unnaturalness. Come you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts! Unsex me here, this implies that Lady Macbeth is rather unbalanced from her entrance to the play, but as the play continues she gradually becomes worse. Lady Macbeth is an extremely evil person. She calls upon the spirits to assist her in the unlawful death of King Duncan. fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty This helps us understand how Lady Macbeth feels about the plan to murder. She is ruthless and has no compassion. She wants to ignore any goodness there is left in her body. She plans the killing of King Duncan with no remorse. This scene, presumably, shocked many audiences in the 17th century, this is mainly because Lady Macbeth is the dominant person in the marriage. This was extremely rare in the sixteen-hundreds because the male sex was labelled the stronger sex. The planning of King Duncan could have also stunned the audience because the planning was so merciful. Over the next few acts Lady Macbeth slowly looses her sanity. Though after the slaughter of King Duncan, Lady Macbeth takes control and places the murder weapon by the guards. She also orders Macbeth to wash the blood off his hand. And wash this filthy witness from your hand. This shows that she does not want any piece of evidence to link them to the murder. Lady Macbeth faints after Macbeth admits to killing the guards. Lady Macbeths use of language is extremely powerful and persuasive. Stop up the access and passage to remorse, this is just a fragment of Lady Macbeth strong language but it implies that she is a very strong, powerful young women. Part 2 Act 5 Scene 1 This scene is the last scene that the audience will observe Lady Macbeth. This scene is especially significant as the last time the audience saw Lady Macbeth was in the banquet scene, where Macbeth seemed to be unstable. Although Lady Macbeth is noticeably weaker she was still in control. In Act 5 Scene 1 she looses control on her life and has lost her sanity. Lady Macbeth has now lost her sanity completely. In the night she sleepwalks acting out the murder of King Duncan she repeatedly did this until she awoke. Concerned maids of Lady Macbeth brought in a doctor to examine her. The doctor soon discovered Macbeth and Lady Macbeth shameful secret. But the secret did not arise to the public due to a maid convincing the doctor otherwise. This is her very guise; and, upon my life, fast asleep. This is the gentlewomen trying to tell the doctor that Lady Macbeth is asleep. Lady Macbeth is extremely scared by this point, she can not be taken any where at night without a candle, she was terrified of darkness, a complete contrast from Act 1 Scene 5 where she called upon darkness block out any light coming through from the good side. she has a light by her continually; this implies that she is even too scared in her sleep to walk without a candle. Lady Macbeth is overwhelmed with guilt, you can see because throughout the scene she is constantly washing the blood of her hands, the same blood that she told Macbeth to wash off in Act 1 Scene 5. She told him to wash his hands so she could leave the guilt behind in the dirty bowl. Out damned spot! Out this show her desperation and it also implies that she wants to dispose of the guilt she has rapped up inside her body, but her mind will not let her. Her behaviour now shows that she was naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve to think she could have disposed of the guilt so easily. The language Lady Macbeth uses now is extremely different. Now, towards the end of her malicious life she is no longer a strong speaker. She speaks in riddles, this shows her mental state. The Thane of Fife had a wife: where is she now? She is talking in riddles, which do not make much sense; her life at that time did not make much sense; her speech is reflecting her life. The audience, at this part of the play are intended to feel sorry for Lady Macbeth because of her mental state and her health. In a way Lady Macbeth deserved what happened to her because she was a very evil person, but nobody deserves to be mentally unstable.

Escaping the Cage of Marriage in Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House Essays

Escaping the Cage of Marriage in A Doll House      Ã‚  Ã‚   A bird may have beautiful wings, but within a cage, the beautiful wings are useless. Within the cage, the bird is not fulfilling the potential for which it was created - it is merely a household decoration.   In Ibsen's symbolic play A Doll House, Nora is the bird, and her marriage is the cage. Externally, Nora is a beautiful creature entertaining her husband with the beautiful images of a docile wife, but internally, she is a desperate creature longing to explore her potential outside the cage of her marriage. In a society dominated by the expectations of men, Nora must choose between the obligations determined by her role as wife in opposition to the obligations of self, in determining her true identity. Within the context of love, she commits forgery, and through this deception, discovers her marriage is nothing more than an illusion, and she nothing more than a doll within Torvald's house. In Act I, the Christmas tree symbolizes the Helmer's marriage. Externally, the tree is beautifully decorated, but internally it is dying because the tree has no roots to feed it. Nora and Helmer are playing the roles that society has taught them. He is the strong provider and protector; Nora is the helpless little woman who depends on him. Like the Christmas tree, the Helmer's marriage is just an image of beauty, dying on the inside. After Krogstad informs Nora that he intends to blackmail her, she tells the maid to bring her the tree and set it in the middle of the floor (center stage) (1581). Nora begins to decorate the tree:    [I'll put c]andles here [and] flowers here. That terrible creature! Talk, talk, talk! There's nothing to it at all. The tree [is] going to be lo... ...ond the cage, the beautiful wings carry the bird into a life worth living. A life where the birds have the opportunity to accomplish the obligations of their creation is the only life worth living.    Works Cited Baruch, Elaine Hoffman. "Ibsen's Doll House: A Myth for Our Time." The Yale Review 69 (1980): 374-387. Gray, Ronald, ed. Ibsen-A Dissenting View: A Study of the Last Twelve Plays. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1961. Ibsen, Henrick. A Doll House. The Bedford Introduction to Literature: Reading, Thinking, Writing. 5th   ed. Ed. Michael Meyer. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 1999. 1564-1612. Northram, John. "Ibsen's Search for the Hero." Ibsen: A Collection of Critical Essays. Ed. Rolf Fjelde. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1965. 107-113. Templeton, Joan. "The Doll House Backlash: Criticism, Feminism, and Ibsen. PMLA   104.1(1989): 28-40. Escaping the Cage of Marriage in Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House Essays Escaping the Cage of Marriage in A Doll House      Ã‚  Ã‚   A bird may have beautiful wings, but within a cage, the beautiful wings are useless. Within the cage, the bird is not fulfilling the potential for which it was created - it is merely a household decoration.   In Ibsen's symbolic play A Doll House, Nora is the bird, and her marriage is the cage. Externally, Nora is a beautiful creature entertaining her husband with the beautiful images of a docile wife, but internally, she is a desperate creature longing to explore her potential outside the cage of her marriage. In a society dominated by the expectations of men, Nora must choose between the obligations determined by her role as wife in opposition to the obligations of self, in determining her true identity. Within the context of love, she commits forgery, and through this deception, discovers her marriage is nothing more than an illusion, and she nothing more than a doll within Torvald's house. In Act I, the Christmas tree symbolizes the Helmer's marriage. Externally, the tree is beautifully decorated, but internally it is dying because the tree has no roots to feed it. Nora and Helmer are playing the roles that society has taught them. He is the strong provider and protector; Nora is the helpless little woman who depends on him. Like the Christmas tree, the Helmer's marriage is just an image of beauty, dying on the inside. After Krogstad informs Nora that he intends to blackmail her, she tells the maid to bring her the tree and set it in the middle of the floor (center stage) (1581). Nora begins to decorate the tree:    [I'll put c]andles here [and] flowers here. That terrible creature! Talk, talk, talk! There's nothing to it at all. The tree [is] going to be lo... ...ond the cage, the beautiful wings carry the bird into a life worth living. A life where the birds have the opportunity to accomplish the obligations of their creation is the only life worth living.    Works Cited Baruch, Elaine Hoffman. "Ibsen's Doll House: A Myth for Our Time." The Yale Review 69 (1980): 374-387. Gray, Ronald, ed. Ibsen-A Dissenting View: A Study of the Last Twelve Plays. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1961. Ibsen, Henrick. A Doll House. The Bedford Introduction to Literature: Reading, Thinking, Writing. 5th   ed. Ed. Michael Meyer. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 1999. 1564-1612. Northram, John. "Ibsen's Search for the Hero." Ibsen: A Collection of Critical Essays. Ed. Rolf Fjelde. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1965. 107-113. Templeton, Joan. "The Doll House Backlash: Criticism, Feminism, and Ibsen. PMLA   104.1(1989): 28-40.

Grand Alliance 1945

?Why did the foundations for mistrust and suspicion between the members of the Grand Alliance already exist by 1945? In 1945 the war had been fought on one side by the nations of Great Britain, USA and USSR, the members of the Grand Alliance achieved victory in WW2. It was more important than ever the victorious powers remained united as they faced the enormous task of reconstructing war torn Europe. However, as they sought to do this, their unity was already weakened by the existence of mistrust and suspicions between them.Despite the outward appearance of unity, these nations were fundamentally divided by their ideological rivalry which had already existed between them since 1917: the disagreements and strains they experienced; and their competing aims and ambitions for the future of post-war Europe on which their societies were based. The fundamental struggle between the communist system of USSR and capitalist ideas of USA and Great Britain ideological rivalry is evident to be the most significant explanation for the existence of mistrust and suspicion between them.Due to the fact, it lies at the basis of the other casual factors. The long term issues of their ideological rivalry which was present between the USSR and the West since the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 was a significant contributory factor in the development of a hostile relationship between them. The great power rivalry was evident during the years of 1917 to 1941; the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 saw the rise of Lenin which meant a rise in Communism. It can be said the Soviet foreign policy was driven by communist ideology rather than national security.This was a threat of a totalitarian state. Ideology of Marxism was alien to the USA as left wing politics were unheard of; this was especially threatening as Marxist ideology saw the destruction of capitalist societies such as the USA. Its egalitarian values and its attacks on the freedoms held to be so important in a Liberal Democracy. Truman a dopted a strident policy to combat spread of communism towards the Soviet Union; in 1945 he upbraided USSR’s foreign minister Molotov, over Soviet occupation of Poland.A greater source of fear in the West was the communist belief in the inevitable conflict between capitalism and communism views. The idea of communism succeeding to worldwide revolution and this meant the downfall of capitalism. In addition, Europe faced the growing threat from Nazi Germany. In the years of 1939 saw the introduction of a non-aggression pact between Russia and Germany. Seen by many as what gave Hitler the confidence to invade Poland which sparked WW2.Stalin feared Germany would go against them in war and were not ready arms wise in the battle to fight against them. It can be said Hitler didn’t want to fight war on both East and West fronts, that’s why he wanted to attack Poland, already achieving taking over Czechoslovakia. These approaches were rejected by the British government w hose ideological opposition to Fascist Germany. Their differences in ideology created British suspicions to rise, as Stalin appeared to be confirmed in August, in the view of the British making the outbreak of war in Europe inevitable.1941, when the Grand Alliance was formed, it was out of a mutual need to defeat a common enemy (Hitler. ) Not a natural alliance of allies but an alliance of ideological enemies. The suspicion and mistrust relationship between them continued to exist below the surface. This helps to explain why despite the superficial show of unity, there were extensive dissimilarities and strains in their wartime relationship which further served to fuel the latent hostility between them. The strands in the Grand Alliance were due to the ideological suspicions that arose between them.The disagreements that they experienced in the years building up to 1945, was due to the fact their key personalities and how they dealt with situations. The constraints and pressure they were put in as national leaders, added to their layer of mistrust and suspicion between them. Despite improved relations there were also cracks in the Soviet-American Alliance during the years of 1942 to 1944. Two sides argued about the opening of a second war front against Germany; as Stalin wanted the USA and Great Britain to invade Western Europe in order to relieve pressure on the Red Army in the east.Knowing that Stalin approached a different aspect of leadership, with his dysfunctional personality and suspicious nature, he remained wary of capitalist West authority, actions that the USA choose to take only proved his xenophic style of leadership to be expressed in his government. As early as 1942, Roosevelt promised to this however his following actions contributed to the suspicions. In the end the D Day landings didn’t occur until June 1944; in the meantime millions of Russians had died. The preoccupation with Stains obsession with Soviet security, USA wasn’t i n a position to appreciate USSR deep sense of insecurity in 1945.This delay drove Stalin’s suspicions that USA and Britain were hoping that Germany and the USSR would ‘kill each other off. ’ This theory was viewed by many people; the revisionist. They asserted the USA’s policies of capitalist expansionist such as not helping USSR, was primarily responsible for the onset of the Cold War. The war never saw Russia and the USA fight alongside each other. Also, Soviet spies infiltrated the Manhattan Project in Los Alamos, New Mexico where US scientists were attempting to build the first atomic bomb; this soviet operation was on a massive scale.The residual mutual suspicion and disagreement on specific issues, (the second front) suggests the two sides had already mistrusted each other by 1945; due to their unprecedented cooperation. Considering all the factors, only when you get the opportunity to get them into a close contact that’s when ideology rivalry becomes the most significant factor in the foundations for mistrust and suspicion between the members of the Grand Alliance. The strains caused between them in the build up by 1945, may have been an ultimate trigger to anguish the mistrust and suspicion.Never the less, ideological rivalry is a catalyst in terms of in accelerating a difference between them. Therefore, leading the members to have completely different competing aims and ambitions in post-war Europe. Growing tensions and suspicions between the members of Grand Alliance which already existed through their ideological rivalry and strains steered them to having opposite aims and ambitions in post-war Europe. The reality of Soviet Union and the West having different competing aims and ambitions only put the final layer of the mistrust and suspicion to become an alarming problem.Despite having won the war together, the USA and USSR faced the post-war world with more differences than similarities. Stalin demands regarding Ge rmany where that the future of the Soviet Union was to be secured, to prevent repercussions of the effects of WW2 happen again; such as 2,700,000 of its citizens being killed. Also, the opportunity of friendly governments and he wanted to seek revenge as the whole of Russia was destroyed; 70,000 villages were destroyed. The chances of USSR achieving these aims regarding Germany were unlikely as the West would be against them.The mistrust and suspicions which had already been implanted in the leaders’ minds caused the USA not to contribute, because of the threat of impact in ideological differences. However, they did agree in the principle of dividing and occupying Germany among the victory and have a shared goal of continued cooperation after war; this could re-kindle the trust between them. In 1944, they had different ideology which was based on their different economic and political ideas within their government. This was evident in their communist and capitalist ideas.USA had a very fixed idea about the shape of the world economy after the war. USA had become strong advocates of free trade, the unrestricted exchange of goods between nations based on their capitalist ideas. Individual countries should operate in Open Door policies, having production and distribution of goods should be on responsibility of a private sector and not the state. However, USA aims and ambitions for a free market were completely different to those of USSR government, they saw the preference of the command economy and state control necessary.The economy of the government was organised along the communist financial principles, a command economy. In addition, their aims and ambitions also differed in political ideology. Where the USA was in favour of (liberal democracy) democracy and right, a system where by freedom of speech was apparent which formed the basis of the post-war Europe. These rights were unheard of in the USSR and were not seen as fundamental or important; as the y were in contrast to the ideas of USA.The fear of capitalist ideas spreading towards the East added to the mistrust and suspicion of Stalin; as his role was an expansionist communist. They believed in (one-party state) freedom of speech and dissents were not tolerated in any basis, within a party or society at large. Along with that, the recent devastating effects of WW2 for Russia, Stalin pursued in creating a belt of friendly states on Russia’s western border. USSR had experience mistrust and twice in Stalin’s lifetime Russia had been invaded by Germany through these eastern neighbours, he longed for a sense of security.But, Roosevelt wanted no empires or sphere of influence in the world. He believed that all states had no right to self-determination. Their differences in post-war agreements added tension in their fragile relationship. These events would sow the seeds for the eventual collapse of the Grand Alliance; these can be detected in the agreements made at Ya lta even though ironically these marked the highpoint of allied unity. Ideological rivalry and a history of mistrust and suspicions made the potential for the continuation of Grand Alliance to deteriorate.Contrasting post-war visions held by the USA and USSR reflected their different value systems, different historical experience and different security needs. The chances of them working together in a complacent way were stacked against them as they were expected to cooperate in the reconstruction of post-war Europe. Ideological rivalry was extremely important in whether the members of Grand Alliance trusted or grew intense suspicions on each other by 1945, as it was an inner-deep layer of foundation which hidden their capitalism and communism ideology differences.The long term effect of mistrust and suspicion had only been waiting underneath the layer of the foundations to be exposed, through their close proximity of being allies with one another. That’s when their difference s and strains come to light. Dissimilarities in the Grand Alliance were fundamentally being reflected on their ideological differences in their economic and political state. Therefore, creating a complete contrast in competing aims and ambitions in post-war Europe; between capitalist West and communist Soviet Union.

Social Structure of the Society

?MINISTERY OF EDUCATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF BELARUS Belarus State Economic University REFERAT: â€Å"SOCIAL STRUCTURE OF THE SOCIETY† Minsk 2008 What is social structure of the society? Any object has its structure. As the noun â€Å"structure† is rendered as â€Å", , †, structure is defined as functional interdependence of elements constituting the carcass of an object. The society has social structure. The concept of social structure was pioneered by G. Simmel, then developed by K. Marx, E. Durkheim but became most known due to T. Parsons who created structural functionalism. There are various approaches to studying social structure of the society but they didn’t avoid influence of structural functionalism in any way. Due to the functionalist perspective, social structure is the carcass of a social whole (society or its part) the elements of which are invariable in time, interdependent of each other and largely determine the functioning of the whole in general and its members in particular. The focus is made on both interdependence – it’s like a house: take some brick off the wall and the whole building may ruin, and function – take a log: it can be burnt to get warm or used as construction material to build a house. In other words, structural functionalism analyzes parts of the society in terms of their purpose within the whole. It’s clear that social structures of ancient and modern societies differ from each other. This difference is caused by diachronic changes taking place in the society: although the structure presents a stable carcass, it is stable or invariable only for a definite period of time, and historically it changes. Social structure is qualitative certainty of the society which means that change in structure leads to radical, qualitative change in the society. Structure ensures stability required for the functioning of associated social elements which accumulate quantitative changes up till the moment when they turn to quality, and a need for structural changes in the social object rises. For instance, development of the bourgeoisie and proletariat as classes and formation of new relations of production lead to a bourgeoisie revolution and change of the socio-economic system. Social structure is characterized by the following main attributes: hierarchy – vertical and horizontal arrangement of structural elements which is based on their unequal access to authority, income, social prestige etc. interconnection of structural elements which is realized through exchange of resources, information, sharing values etc. ; differentiation into the smallest elements and their integration into the whole; flexibility, capacity to change so it is an important part of the management. Traditionally, theorists identify the following types of social structure: socio-demographic, socio-class, socio-ethnic, socio-professional, socio-confessional etc. No doubt, any social object has its structure. For instance, at analyzing a labour collective we may consider employees within the socio-professional structure: those who got secondary, vocational and higher education, scientific qualifications, representatives of various professions, specializations, their levels of qualification. The socio-demographic structure suggests analysis of employees according to the age and gender: the young up to 30, middle-aged, those of pre-pension and pension age, males and females. There are different types of social structure. A famous Russian theorist M. N. Rutkevich identifies three basic types. The first one characterizes the process of historical development of mankind, i. e. a global structure of human society consisting of nations, states and their various associations. The second type comprises relations between various spheres or subsystems of social life. The third type comprises relations between social groups and other communities of people. The last two types reflect some settled approaches to consider social structure. In social structures of the second type their elements are viewed as relatively independent subsystems or spheres of social life (politics, economy etc). Their number is a point for debate. For instance, G. Hegel and F. Engels spoke of politics, economy and family; modern theorists perceive four spheres: culture, politics, legislation and economy although they don’t deny that other spheres can also be seen in religion, science or in family. Anyway, less debated is a position of the Russian researcher A. I. Kravchenko who divides the society into economic, political, social and spiritual spheres. Economic sphere includes four types of activities – production, distribution, exchange and consumption. It provides eans for increasing the material welfare of the society: enterprises, banks, markets, money flows and the like that enables the society to use available resources (land, labour, capital and management) in order to produce the amount of goods and services sufficient enough to satisfy people’s essential needs in food, shelter and leisure. About 50% of the economically active population take part in the economic sphere as the young, old, disabled do not produce material wealth. But indirectly 100% of the population participate in the economic sphere as consumers of created goods and services. Political sphere includes the head of the state and the state bodies such as government and parliament, local bodies of power, the army, the police, taxation and customs bodies which together constitute the state and political parties which are not part of the state. Its objective is to realize the goals of the society: to ensure the social order, settle conflicts arisen between partners (employers, employees and trade unions), defend the state frontiers and sovereignty, impose new laws, collect taxes etc. But its main objective is to legalize ways of struggle for power and defend the power obtained by a particular class or group. The objective of political parties is to legally defend the diversified political interests of different, very often opposite, groups of the population. Spiritual sphere includes culture, science, religion and education and their artifacts such as monuments and establishments of culture, pieces of arts, research and learning institutions, temples and cathedrals, mass media etc. If science is aimed at discovering new knowledge in various spheres, education should translate this knowledge to the future generations in a most effective way, for schools and universities are built, new programs and teaching methods are worked out, qualified teachers are trained. Culture is designed to create values of arts, exhibit them in museums, galleries, libraries etc. Culture also comprises religion which is considered the pivot of spiritual culture in any society as it gives sense to human life and determines basic moral norms. Social sphere embraces classes, social layers, nations associated by their relations and interactions. The given sphere of the society is understood as narrow and wide. In its wide meaning the social sphere is a totality of organizations and establishments that are in charge of the population’s wealth; they are shops, transport means, communal and consumer services, establishments of catering, medicine, communication, leisure and recreation. Thus, as such the social sphere covers almost all classes and layers – the rich, the poor and the middle class. In its narrow meaning the social sphere is designed for the members of the society who are regarded as socially unprotected (pensioners, unemployed, with low incomes or with many children etc) and the establishments that provide their service, namely, the bodies of social security (including social insurance) of both local and national subordination. In this case, the social sphere is designed for the poorer layers of the population. There are other approaches as to the number of parts or spheres of the society but they are all united by a view that social subsystems cannot exist as isolated. They are arranged in a pattern of relationships that, together, make the system. The social naturally penetrates into the productive and managerial spheres since people of different nationalities, ages, sexes and confessions can work together at an enterprise, on the one hand. On the other hand, if the country’s economy doesn’t perform its main objective to satisfy the population with the sufficient amount of goods and services, the number of jobs doesn’t increase, there may arise negative consequences in the society. For instance, the money is short to pay wages and pensions, unemployment appears, the living standards of the socially unprotected layers are decreasing, crimes are increasing etc. In other words, success or recession in one sphere has a great influence on prosperity in the other one. The third type of social structure is best developed by structural functionalists who assert that structure arises out of face-to-face interactions of people. Interactions make up patterns which are independent of the particular individual, because patterns are determined by social norms and values of the given society. For instance, somebody needs money. He can earn it, but if in some society robbery or burglary is not disapproved of, he may rob someone to reach the purpose. So patterns exert a force which shapes behaviour and identity. That’s why T. Parsons and his supporters define social structure as the way in which the society is organized into predictable relationships, or invariable patterns of social interaction called institutions. Social structure does not concern itself with the people forming the society or their social organizations, neither does it study who are the people or organizations forming it, or what is the ultimate goal of their relations. Social structure deals rather with the very structure of their relations – how they are organized in a pattern of relationships, or institution. So due to structural functionlism, structural elements of the society are social institutions and social groupings; structural units are social norms and values. Social groupings and communities Social groupings are social groups, social classes and layers, communities, social organizations, social statuses and roles. A group is a number of people or things which we class together, so that they form a whole. In our minds we could group any assortment of people together. For instance, you could group together Phillip Kirkorov, your nearest relative, the person who sat opposite you last time you were on a bus, Santa Clause and a shop-assistant from the Hippo market in Serebryanka. But a social group, however, means more than just an assortment of people. There must be something to hold them together as a whole. To be a social group, people must: interact with one another, perceive themselves as a group. Social group is an assortment of people associated by a socially significant distinction, people who interact together in an orderly way and perceive themselves or perceived by others as a group. Any social group is characterized by a number of attributes: interaction within a group is realized on the basis of shared norms, values and expectations about one another’s behaviour; groups develop their own internal structure: kernel and periphery, norms, value, statuses and roles; they can be rigid and formal or loose and flexible; there is a sense of belonging, individuals identify with the group; outsiders are distinguished from members and treated differently; groups are formed for a purpose – specific or diffuse; eople in a group tend to be similar, and the more they participate, the more similar they become. There are a lot of classifications of social groups. The first one embraces statistical and real groups. A statistical group is an assortment of people differentiated by a definite characteristic that can be measured. For instance, citizens are people living in formal settlements called cities. A real group possesses a number of characteristics describing i ts immanent essence. So, citizens are people living in cities, who live an urban way of life with highly diversified labour (mainly industrial and information kinds) and leisure activities, with high professional and social mobility, high frequency of human contacts in formal communication etc. According to this definition, only a part of the statistical group of citizens comply with the criterion of being urbanites, or not everyone who lives in city can belong to the real group of citizens. Another type is a reference group as any group we use to evaluate ourselves, but it doesn’t necessarily mean we must belong to it. It is like a target group in the market: a target group of black BMW cars is composed of people with high income, of a certain age, males etc. David is a person with such characteristics but he doesn’t like BMWs. He prefers Volvos. The normative function of the reference group is to set and enforce standards of conduct and belief. Its comparison function is viewed as a standard by which people can measure themselves or others. For instance, we compare confessional groups to examine some features, let’s say, Jews and Protestants, and find out that Jews display 20% greater tolerance. So if you are a Jew, you’re perceived by others as a more tolerant person. Social groups can also be classified according to their size, character of organization, emotional depth, accomplished objective etc. According to size, groups can be small, middle-sized and large ones. Small social groups, normally small in number, are characterized by human interactions in the form of direct contacts like in families. The smallest groups are stable and more constraining, but offer more intimacy and individuality. As size increases, freedom increases, but intimacy declines and the emerging group structure tends to limit individuality. Contacts are frequent and intensive; members take each other into account as they group together on the basis of shared norms, values and expectations about one another’s behaviour. As more people are added to the group (up to 20), complexity increases, subdivisions appear. Middle-sized social groups are relatively stable communities of people working at the same enterprise or organization, members of a social association or those sharing one limited but large enough territory, for example, people living in one district, city or region. The first type is called labour-organizational groups, the second one – territorial groups. People are united into labour-organizational groups to accomplish a certain purpose or objective that determines its composition, structure and type of activities, interpersonal interaction and relations. Large social groups are stable numerous collections of people, who act together in socially significant situations in the context of the country or state, or their unions. They are classes, social layers, professional groups, ethnic groupings (nationalities, nations and races), demographic groupings (the young, the old, males and females) etc. With regard to all of them, a social group is a patrimonial, collective concept. People’s affiliation to a large group is determined by a number of socially significant distinctions such as class affiliation, demographic factors, form and character of social activities etc. In large social groups, interaction bears both direct and indirect character. According to the character of organization, groups are distinguished as formal and informal ones. Formal groups are collections of people whose activities are regulated by formal documents such as legislative norms, charters, instructions, registered rules, bans or permissions sanctioned by the society, organization etc. At performing some activities members of the formal group are in terms of subordination, or hierarchically structured submission. Such groups are academic groups, labour organizations, military units etc. Informal groups don’t have formally registered grounds for their existence. They are formed on the basis of common interests or values, respect, personal affection etc. which cohere individuals into more or less stable entities such as a group of friends, a musical band, Internet chatters etc. Behaviour of their members is regulated by special non-written laws and rules. In such groups membership is voluntary, and members may resign at any time. Due to emotional depth of interrelations within the group, primary and secondary groups are differentiated. A primary group is, as a rule, a small social group whose members share personal and enduring emotional relations which are established on the basis of direct contacts reflecting the members’ personal characteristics. The examples are a family, a group of friends, a research group etc. A secondary group is a large and impersonal social group whose members pursue a special interest or activity. In such a group people’s ability to perform particular functions, not their personal qualities, is highlighted. This is the way that social organizations with their departments and job hierarchy are set up and function. The personality of any of its member is of very little significance for the organization. As roles in the secondary group are strictly fixed (John is a student, Mr. Brown is the dean), very often its members know too little about each other. Besides, in the social organization of an enterprise, both roles and ways of communication are fixed. If a student is in trouble, he can’t apply straight to the University rector but first to the tutor, dean or prorector, then to the rector. While studying human society sociologists are interested in larger groups of people at the meso – and macro-levels, or those ones called social communities. There are a lot of definitions of such a phenomenon but theorists agree that members of the community should possess a similar quality such as age, gender, job, nationality etc. and consider similarity as one of the main distinctions of the community. Examples are natural-historical communities like tribes, families, nationalities, nations and races; mass groups like crowds, TV audience etc. A more important distinction of the social community is social interaction between its members. Interactions may be more enduring that determines a long-term existence of communities such as nations, races, and less enduring that is typical for occasional communities such as crowds, lines, passengers etc. But even occasional community with weak ties has its patrimonial and specific distinctions, regulating collective behaviour. Besides similarity and social interaction, a social community also suggests that the actions undertaken by its members are oriented by expectations of behaviour of other individuals in the community. It encourages people’s deeper solidarity that forms a cohered group – a basic element of the society. Judging by it, a social community may be defined as natural or social grouping of people characterized by a common feature, more or less enduring social relations, goal attainment, common patterns of behaviour and speculation. A social class is also considered as a structural element of the society. Although approaches differ, in general the concept of a class is connected with people’s relation to the means of production and character of acquiring wealth under a market economy. The known examples of a class are the nobility, bourgeoisie and proletariat. In each class society there are fundamental and non-fundamental classes. Fundamental classes are distinguished by a dominating way to produce material wealth within the socio-economic system (feudal, capitalist etc), for instance, under capitalism its fundamental classes are the bourgeoisie and proletariat. Non-fundamental classes are available because the rests of the previous relations of production are still kept in the society or new ones are emerging. A social layer is an assortment of people who are distinguished by their social status and who perceive themselves cohered by this community. A social status is one’s position (place) in the social structure of the society connected with other positions by the system of rights and obligations. The status of a teacher has its meaning only with regard to a student, not to a passer-by or doctor. The teacher should translate knowledge to the student, check up how knowledge is learnt and assess it etc. The student should regularly attend lectures, prepare for seminars, pass credits and examinations in time etc. In other words, the teacher and the student enter into social relationships as representatives of two large social groups, as bearers of social statuses. Social status is often considered as the â€Å"standing†, the honour or prestige attached to one’s position in the society. In modern societies, occupation is usually thought of as the main dimension of status, but even in modern societies other memberships or affiliations (such as ethnic groups, religion, gender, voluntary associations, hobby) can have an influence. For instance, a doctor will have a higher status than a factory worker but in some societies a white Anglo-Saxon Protestant doctor will have a higher status than an immigrant doctor of minority religion. Every person can have several social positions, or statuses called by R. Merton a status set. Among them there must be the main status; it is a status used by the individual to identify himself or by other people to indentify a definite person. For males it is their occupation (a lawyer, banker, worker), for females it is a place of living (a housewife) but there exist other variants. It means that the main status is of relative character as it is not directly associated with gender, race or occupation. The main status is one that determines the person’s way and style of life, patterns of behaviour, friends etc. Sociologists differentiate between social and personal statuses: social status identifies the person’s position in the society which he occupies as a representative of a large social group (occupation, class, nationality, gender, age or religion); personal status is the person’s position in a small group identified by how the members of the group estimate and percieve him due to his personal qualities. Being a leader or outsider, winner or loser means to occupy a certain position in the system of interpersonal, not social relations. Statuses are also distinguished as ascribed and achieved ones. Ascribed status is a social status a person is given from birth or assumes involuntarily later in life. For example, a person born into a wealthy family has a high ascribed status. Achieved status is a sociological term denoting a social position that a person assumes voluntarily which reflects personal skills, abilities, and efforts. Examples of achieved status are being an Olympic athelete, a criminal, or a teacher. Achieved statuses are distinguished from ascribed statuses by virtue of being earned. Most positions are a mixture of achievement and ascribment; for instance, a person who has achieved the status of being a doctor or lawyer in Western societies is more likely to have the ascribed status of being born into a wealthy family. The mentioned statuses are considered basic statuses which include kinship, demographic, economic, political and occupational statuses. There are also a number of non-basic statuses such as those of a passer-by, driver, reader, TV-watcher, witness of a road casualty etc. They are temporal positions and their rights and obligations are not registered as they are hardly fixed. No doubt, the status of a professor determines much in life of a certain person; as for his status of a patient, it does not. If a social status identifies a particular position of an individual in a given social system, a social role represents the way that he is expected to behave in a particular social situation. Each individual plays many roles in the society; in one situation he is a boss, in another – a friend, in the third – father etc. All roles that a person plays are called a role set. Roles are identified as ascribed if we are forced to play and as achieved if we choose to play them. The first is a role of a son or daughter in relations with a parent, the second – a subordinate with a boss. Roles have two further dimensions: the prescribed aspect of a role, or role expectations, and role performance. The prescribed element in any role provides a norm-based framework governing the way people are generally supposed to interact. People expect one conduct from a banker and quite another – from an unemployed person. Role performance is what a person eally performs within this framework. Each time a person who performs a certain role builds his behaviour according to the expectations of the social milieu. If his actual behaviour differs from what is expected, it means that conformity to culturally appropriate roles and socially supported norms is not created. Behaviour, which doesn’t correspond to the status, is not considered an appropriate role. F or instance, if somebody came into the classroom, introduced himself as a teacher but then started painting the wall or washing the windows, his behaviour is a role but not that of a teacher. In the society various social control mechanisms exist to restore conformity or to segregate the nonconforming individuals from the rest of society. These social control mechanisms range from sanctions imposed informally – for example, sneering and gossip – to the activities of certain formal organizations, like schools, prisons, and mental institutions. Social institutions Another structural element of the society is social institutions. These are not buildings, but organizations, or mechanisms of social structure, governing the behaviour of two or more people. Institutions are identified with a social purpose and permanence, transcending individual human lives and intentions. For example, the institution of the family and marriage, of religion etc. American sociologist Erving Goffman (1922-1982) asserts that an institution is a place, like a building, in which activity of a particular kind regularly goes on. He uses this term for somewhere that embraces everything that its inhabitants do – where they live, work, play, sleep, day in day out. Members of the society have a similar mental concept of right and wrong, order and relationships, and patterns of good (positive values). As the broadest organizers of individuals’ beliefs, drives and behaviours, social institutions evolved to address separate needs of the society, for instance, the military institution evolved out of the need for defense. Each society has a number of needs but those of fundamental character are only five. Consequently, there are five fundamental social institutions ensuring social needs in: procreation of the population (that of the family and marriage); social order and defense (the state, political institutions); getting means for existence (the production, economic institutions); translating knowledge, socialization of the growing-up enerations, training personnel (education in its broad meaning including science and culture); solving spiritual problems, looking for sense of life (religion). So social institutions can be defined as organized patterns of beliefs and behaviours centered on basic social needs, adapting to specific segment of the society in question. American so ciologist T. Veblen is the founding father of institutionalization as he was a first to give a detailed description of social institutions in his book, The Theory of the Leisure Class (1899). He showed that evolution of the society is a process of natural selection of social institutions which by their nature present habitual ways to react to stimuli created by external changes. Early mankind is known for promiscuity or non-regulated sex relations that could result in genetic degeneration. Gradually such relations began to be limited by bans. The first ban was that of incest, forbidding sex between kinship relatives, such as mother and son, brother and sister etc. The given ban is the first social norm, considered the most important in history. Later, other norms regulating sex relations appeared. People learnt to survive and adapt to life by organizing their relations with norms. Norms of family and marriage behaviour translated from generation to generation became collective habits, customs, traditions that regulated people’s way of life and their thinking. Those who broke such traditions (deviants) were punished (sanctioned). This is the way how the most ancient social institution of the family and marriage might have emerged. And this is the way why norms and values have become structural units of the society. There are three terms to be differentiated in the related area such as â€Å"institute†, â€Å"institution† and â€Å"institutionalization†. To institute something is to bring it into use, set it up, or establish it by practice. A father might speak of instituting some changes in his family, perhaps forcing the children to be respectful, and not giggle at his words. An institute may be something that has been set up, for example, an association of women calls itself the â€Å"Women’s Institute†. If institution is spoken about, it is meant a totality of customs or practices that was established by the members of a particular society, by God, or just an established and respected practice (with no reference to its origin). Institutions are used about parts of the society, not the whole. As a society is created by the interaction of people, they establish ways of interacting that are acceptable or unacceptable. When a way of behaviour is both emotionally satisfying and leads to rewards from others, it becomes institutionalized. The way by which behaviour, custom or practice is institutionalized, is called institutionalization. For instance, institutionalization of any science means working out various standards, laws, setting up research institutes, laboratories, faculties, departments at universities, also publishing textbooks, monographs and journals, training specialists in the area etc. Thus, the concept of a social institution defines an aggregate of people whose activities in a certain area are regulated with inflexible systems of social, legal or other controls by organizations originally created for beneficial purposes and intents. As any structure, it is presented by its structural elements although some sociologists argue against, defining them as attributes. Structural elements of the society’s fundamental institutions Institutions Fundamental roles Physical features Symbolic features Family and marriage Mother Father Child House Plot of land Furniture Rings Engagement Marriage ceremony Economy Employer Employee Seller Buyer Enterprise Office Shop Bank Money Securities Trade mark Marketing Politics Head of the state Member of parliament Law-maker Subject of law Public buildings and places Flag Constitution Hymn Law Religion Priest Parishioner Bishop Cathedral Church Chapel Christ Bible Confirmation Education Teacher Student Professor School University Textbook Qualification Diploma Degree At the same time fundamental institutions are divided into smaller units called non-fundamental institutions. For instance, economy can’t operate without such practices as production, distribution, market, management, accounting, etc. ; the institution of the family and marriage includes such practices as martenity, vendetta, sworn brotherhood etc. So non-fundamental institutions are social practices or customs, for example, vendetta or celibacy can be identified either as a tradition or settled practice. Both are right as the fundamental institution includes both traditions and practices. If the purpose of fundamental institutions is to satisfy the basic needs of the society, non-fundamental institutions perform specialized objectives, serve particular traditions or satisfy non-fundamental needs. For instance, a higher school as a social institution meets the social need in training highly qualified specialists. By its character of organization, institutions are subdivided into formal and informal ones. The activities of formal institutions are regulated by strictly settled directions such as law, charter, instructions etc. Formal institutions are often bureaucracies in which the functions of bureaucrats are impersonal, i. e. that their functions are performed independently of their personal qualities. In informal institutions playing a very important role in interpersonal interaction, their aims, methods, means to achieve objectives are not settled formally and not fixed in the charter. For instance, organizing their leisure time, teenagers follow their rules of game, or norms which allow them to solve conflicts. But these norms are fixed in public opinion, traditions or customs, in other words, in informal sanctions. Very often public opinion or custom is a more efficient means to control an individual’s behaviour than legislative laws or other formal sanctions. For instance, people prefer being punished by their formal leaders than being blamed by colleagues or friends. Both formal and informal institutions have functions. To function means to bring benefit. So, the function of a social institution is the benefit that it contributes to the society. In other words, the outcomes or end-products of the system, institution and the like are referred to as its function. If besides benefit there is damage or harm, such actions are referred to as dysfunction. For instance, the function of a higher education is to train highly qualified specialists. If the institution functions badly due to some circumstances (lack of personnel, poor teaching, or methodical and material basis), the society will not get specialists of the required level. It means that the institution dysfunctions. Functions and dysfunctions can be manifest if they are formally declared, perceived by everybody and obvious, and latent which are hidden, or not declared. To manifest functions of a secondary school those of getting literacy, enough knowledge to enter university, vocational training, learning basic values of the society may be referred to. Its latent functions are getting a definite social status which enables to become ranked higher than those who are illiterate, making stable friends etc. Functions and dysfunctions are of relative, not of absolute character. Each of them can have two forms – manifest and latent. In one and the same time both a function and dysfunction may be manifest for some members of the society and latent – for the other ones. For instance, some people consider important to obtain fundamental knowledge at university, others – to establish necessary links and relations. Latent functions differ from dysfunctions by that they don’t bring harm. They only show that the benefit from any institution (system etc) can be larger than it is declared. To sum it up, each of the institutions reflects a different aspect of the society. Each of them performs a different role in the society fostering spiritual, social, or educational development. On a larger scale, these organizations exemplify the links that bind a society together. BASIC CONCEPTS Achieved status – a social position that a person assumes voluntarily which reflects personal skills, abilities, and efforts. Ascribed status – a social position a person is given from birth or assumes involuntarily later in life. Class – an assortment of people united by their relations to the means of production and character of acquiring wealth under a market economy. Dysfunction – bring harm. Flexibility – a capacity to change. Formal group – a collection of people whose activities are regulated by formal documents such as legislative norms, charters, instructions, egistered rules, bans or permissions sanctioned by the society, organization etc. Function – bring benefit. Informal group – a group formed on the basis of common interests or values, respect, personal affection etc. which cohere individuals into more or less stable entity. Institutionalization – the way by which behaviour, custom or practice is institutionalized. Large social group – a stable numerous collection of people who act together in socially significant situations in the context of the country or state, or their unions. Latent function – a function if it is not formally declared, perceived by people or obvious. Main status – a status used by an individual to identify himself or by other people to indentify a definite person. Manifest function – a function if it is formally declared, perceived by everybody and obvious. Middle-sized group – a relatively stable community of people who work at the same enterprise or organization, members of a social association or those sharing one limited but large enough territory. Personal status – a person’s position in a small group identified by how the members of the group estimate and percieve him due to his personal qualities. Prescribed element (role expectation) – what provides a norm-based framework governing the way people are generally supposed to interact. Primary group – a small social group whose members share personal and enduring emotional relationships which are established on the basis of direct contacts reflecting the members’ personal characteristics Real group – any group of people possessing a number of characteristics describing its immanent essence. Reference group – any group one can use to evaluate oneself, but it doesn’t necessarily mean one must belong to it. Role performance – what a person really performs within the norm-based framework. Role set – all roles that a person plays. Secondary group – a large and impersonal social group whose members pursue a special interest or activity. Social community – a natural or social grouping of people characterized by a common feature, more or less enduring social relationships, goal attainment, common patterns of behaviour and speculation. Small group – a group normally small in number, characterized by human interactions in the form of direct contacts like in families. Social group – an assortment of people cohered by a socially significant distinction, people who interact together in an orderly way and perceive themselves or perceived by others as a group. Social institution – organized patterns of beliefs and behaviours centered on basic social needs, adapting to specific segment of the society; an organization, or mechanism of social structure, governing the behaviour of two or more individuals; a totality of customs or practices that was established by the members of a particular society, by God, or just an established and respected practice. Social layer – an assortment of people who are distinguished by their status and who perceive themselves cohered by this community. Social role – the way that a person is expected to behave in a particular social situation. Social status –a person’s position in the society which he occupies as a representative of a large social group. Social structure – the carcass of a social whole (society or its part) the elements of which are invariable in time, interdependent of each other and largely determine the functioning of the whole in general and its members in particular (functionalist perspective); the way in which the society is organized into predictable relationships, patterns of social interaction. Statistical group – a group of people differentiated by a definite characteristic that can be measured. Status set – the number of statuses which a person has or acquired. Structure – functional interdependence of elements constituting the carcass of an object. Additional literature 1. Blau P. Exchange and Power in Social Life. (3rd edition). – New Brunswick and London: Transaction Publishers, 1992. – 354 p. 2. Bourdeiu P. Logic of Practice. – Cambridge: Polity Press, 1990. – 382 p. 3. Coser L. The Functions of Social Conflict. – Glencoe, Ill: Free Press, 1956. – 188 p. 4. Durkheim E. The Division of Labour in Society. – New York, NY: Free Press; 1997. – 272 p. 5. Durkheim E. Suicide. – New York, NY: Free Press; 1951. – 345 p. 6. Sztompka P. Sociology in Action: The Theory of Social Decoding. – Oxford: Polity Press, 2001. – 415 p.

Free Essays on Pope John XXIII

Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli or Pope John XXIII Was born in 1881, the third of thirteen children in a peasant family in Sotto il Monte, near Bergamo. yet due to his intelligence he was able to get out .He was sponsored for an education at the Bergamo seminary, which carried out a severe religious training. When Roncalli was ordained, in 1904, the Church was fearful and inward looking. In 1871, with the loss of the Papal States to the modern nation of Italy and the restriction of Vatican sovereignty to its current borders, Pope Pius IX was very concerned and in this state of mind, he had forbidden Italy's Catholics from taking any part in national politics. Roncalli's first assignment as a priest was as secretary to the new Bishop of Bergamo, Giacomo Radini-Tedeschi. Bishop Radini-Tedeschi was a reformer who sought to re-involve the Church in the world. In August of 1915 it was discovered that Radini-Tedeschi had cancer. Pope Pius XII died on October 9, 1958, and the conclave began two weeks later. Roncalli was elected on the twelfth ballot, taking the name John XXIII. It was rumored that the top choice was really Giovanni Battista Montini; but he was considered unelectable because he was not yet a cardinal . Many believed that John had been elected as a papa di passagio, a transitional pope. He was seventy-seven years old. The first session of the Council dealt with liturgical reform and voted to allow Mass to be said in the vernacular; and proposed a reactionary, divisive schema defining the sources of revelation. When the schema was rejected by slightly less than the needed two-thirds majority of the bishops, John intervened personally to order a new commission to redraft it. By the end of the first session, he was dying of stomach cancer. On November 27, 1961, he suffered a massive intestinal hemorrhage. The Vatican press office issued a report that he had a bad cold; rumors flew around Rome that he was already dead and that ... Free Essays on Pope John XXIII Free Essays on Pope John XXIII Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli or Pope John XXIII Was born in 1881, the third of thirteen children in a peasant family in Sotto il Monte, near Bergamo. yet due to his intelligence he was able to get out .He was sponsored for an education at the Bergamo seminary, which carried out a severe religious training. When Roncalli was ordained, in 1904, the Church was fearful and inward looking. In 1871, with the loss of the Papal States to the modern nation of Italy and the restriction of Vatican sovereignty to its current borders, Pope Pius IX was very concerned and in this state of mind, he had forbidden Italy's Catholics from taking any part in national politics. Roncalli's first assignment as a priest was as secretary to the new Bishop of Bergamo, Giacomo Radini-Tedeschi. Bishop Radini-Tedeschi was a reformer who sought to re-involve the Church in the world. In August of 1915 it was discovered that Radini-Tedeschi had cancer. Pope Pius XII died on October 9, 1958, and the conclave began two weeks later. Roncalli was elected on the twelfth ballot, taking the name John XXIII. It was rumored that the top choice was really Giovanni Battista Montini; but he was considered unelectable because he was not yet a cardinal . Many believed that John had been elected as a papa di passagio, a transitional pope. He was seventy-seven years old. The first session of the Council dealt with liturgical reform and voted to allow Mass to be said in the vernacular; and proposed a reactionary, divisive schema defining the sources of revelation. When the schema was rejected by slightly less than the needed two-thirds majority of the bishops, John intervened personally to order a new commission to redraft it. By the end of the first session, he was dying of stomach cancer. On November 27, 1961, he suffered a massive intestinal hemorrhage. The Vatican press office issued a report that he had a bad cold; rumors flew around Rome that he was already dead and that ...

Is AP Biology Hard An Expert Discussion

Is AP Biology Hard An Expert Discussion SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips AP Biology is a popular AP class, and many students are curious about the challenges it presents. Is AP Biology hard? Will you spend hours upon hours studying for the class? Are you likely to fail the exam? Or are AP tests much easier than they seem? In this article, I’ll look at statistics, course material, and student perceptions to present you with a clear picture of the difficulty level of the class and exam. I'll also give you some tips to help you figure out how challenging AP Biology will be for you based on your academic strengths and weaknesses. What Factors Go Into Determining the Difficulty of an AP Class? There are a few indicators we can look at to make judgments about how hard a particular AP class might be. Here's a list of key considerations that I'll explore in more detail for the AP Biology course later in this article. Factor #1: Passing Rate The passing rate for an AP class is the percentage of students who earn a 3 or above on the exam. If the passing rate is on the lower side, it may indicate a more difficult class. However, the passing rate can also be a deceptive statistic. Sometimes, passing rates in the most difficult subjects are very high because only the most dedicated students take the class. A smaller pool of more serious students will be a better-prepared group overall. Factor #2: 5 Rate The 5 rate is potentially a better metric for determining the difficulty of AP classes. The 5 rate is the percentage of students who earn 5s (the highest possible score) on the AP test for the class. If the 5 rate is on the lower side, it may indicate that the material is more difficult to master (or even to understand reasonably well, since the 5 cutoff is around 70 percent correct on many AP tests). A low 5 rate also sometimes happens with very popular classes because the proportion of students who are prepared for an AP test tends to decrease as the number of students taking it increases. Factor #3: Content Difficulty The complexity of the curriculum is one of the most important factors that goes into determining the difficulty of an AP class. This essentially boils down to the amount of material the course covers and how advanced that material is. Some courses have high 5 and passing rates because their content is extremely challenging and only very driven students will take them, not because they are easy classes. Factor #4: Student Testimonials What do students say about the class? This can change from high school to high school, but there should be some consistency based on the fact that everyone is supposed to be learning the same curriculum, and everyone ends up taking the same test. Student feedback can provide more information about the day to day challenges of the class and whether the workload is especially daunting. Factor #5: Timing of the Class A final factor to consider is which year of high school students tend to take the class. The classes that students take later in high school will be more difficult overall though some students may perceive them as being easier than other AP classes that they took when they had less experience. The reverse is true of classes that students take earlier in high school. If you are one of the lucky few to earn a 5, you should get one of these candles, put it in a cake, and eat the entire thing by yourself. Only then will you truly possess the top score. What Do Statistics Say About the AP Biology Exam? Let’s take a look at the passing rate and the 5 rate for the AP Biology exam. The passing rate for the AP Biology exam in 2018 was 61.5 percent. This is a middle-of-the-road passing rate as compared to other AP exams, so we would assume from it that the AP Biology exam has a medium level of difficulty. The 5 rate, however, was only 7.2 percent. This is one of the lowest 5 rates out of all the AP exams. From the 5 rate, we would assume AP Biology to be a very difficult test. What’s actually going on here? Based on these statistics, is the AP Biology exam medium-difficulty or very challenging? We have to keep in mind that AP Biology is one of the more popular AP classes. This means that a large number of students take the class, which tends to increase the proportion of students who are underprepared for the test. Still, the 5 rate is so low that it can’t be completely attributed to the volume of students. It's clearly very challenging to get a high score on the test even if most students pass, so from this we can assume that the exam is difficult. Behold, statistics. Is the AP Biology Content Difficult? There’s no question that the breadth of content covered in AP Biology is extensive. It requires memorization of complex processes along with a deep understanding of how biological concepts and themes connect with one another. There are also many lab assignments that teachers have to schedule around lectures, so it ends up being a heavy workload overall. The AP Biology exam could also be considered more challenging than other AP tests because of its format. The multiple choice section also includes six â€Å"grid-in† math problems related to biological concepts. The free response section has eight questions (two long response and six short response), which is more than most other AP exams. The test requires extensive knowledge of many different topics as well as a lot of stamina. Do Students Think AP Biology Is Hard? Personally, I found AP Biology to be one of the most difficult classes I took. There was just so much information to remember. Studying for tests took much longer than it did in any of my other classes, and I still forgot stuff. This coupled with lab assignments made the class extremely challenging. Then again, I didn’t take an introductory bio class before taking AP Biology, and it was my first-ever AP class. It’s a good idea to take a basic biology class beforehand if you have the opportunity so that you get a basic foundation for advanced concepts covered in the AP class. The most common way that students describe AP Biology (based on College Confidential threads) is that it’s very, very memorization-heavy. The test and curriculum were redesigned in 2012 to try and mitigate this a little, but it still covers a ton of conceptually difficult material. Most students take AP Biology their junior or senior year. This makes the claims about the difficulty of the class even more valid. Students have had a chance to adjust to the demands of high school academics and compare their experience in AP Biology to other high-level classes, and they still find it challenging. Since students see AP Biology as a hard class, it’s less likely that unmotivated or unprepared students will take it. This makes the low 5 rate on the test all the more daunting. Your lab assignment is to take this cutie for a walk! If only... Will AP Biology Be Hard for You? Since schools and students are different, I can’t say for sure whether AP Biology will be as hard for you as it might be for other students. To decide whether the class will be a challenge, you should: #1: Ask Reliable Sources About the Class The best way to learn what AP Biology is like at your school is to question people who are familiar with the class or have already taken it. If you know any older students or have siblings, you might ask them what they thought of the class. You can also speak with your current teachers (probably your science teacher is the best person to ask) and see what they say about AP Biology at your school. Since they know your academic abilities and have observed how similar students performed in the class, they might be able to give you a more accurate idea of how hard it will be for you. The same goes for your guidance counselor. He or she is probably very familiar with the grades that students earn in AP Biology and how people have performed on the exam in the past. Your guidance counselor may also be able to give you perspective on how challenging the class will be for you based on the grades you’ve earned in high school thus far. #2: Take Your Academic Strengths and Weaknesses Into Account As I’ve said, AP Biology is memorization-heavy, but it's also important to have a solid understanding of basic science and experimental design to succeed. There's a small mathematical component to the class as well, although it doesn’t go beyond algebra, geometry, and graphing skills. If math and science aren't typically your strong suits, AP Biology may be more difficult for you than it is for some other students. If, on the other hand, you've always done well in these types of classes, you might find AP Biology to be less challenging. Still, AP Biology incorporates skills from many different subject areas. Since there’s a lot of memorization involved, the actual study skills that you need to succeed are somewhat similar to those required in social studies classes. Well-rounded students may actually have the biggest advantage in the class because it draws on skills from a variety of subject areas but requires you to implement them in a scientific (and sometimes mathematical) context. #3: Consider Your Schedule If you have the opportunity to take an introductory biology class before you take AP Biology, you might find the AP class less challenging. You'll also be able to manage AP Biology better if your schedule isn’t loaded up with other difficult, memorization-heavy classes. For example, if you’re thinking about taking AP Biology and a class like AP US History at the same time, you should understand that both classes could end up being more stressful because of the time you’ll have to spend studying the material (which is extensive and complex in both cases). If you take too many intense classes, it can create a perfect storm of stress. Conclusion: So, Is AP Biology Hard? AP Biology is one of the more difficult APs based on its challenging curriculum, the low rate of students who earn 5s on the exam, and the consensus from students on the demanding nature of the class. Ideally, you should take an Intro to Biology class before you take AP Biology so that you’re fully prepared. It's a challenging class for most students, but it should be manageable if you’re aware of what you’re facing. What's Next? Want to get a taste of what you'll be learning in AP Biology? Find out what an enzyme is, what the differences between homologous and analogous structures are, and three tenets of cell theory. If you're already a biology pro, don't sweat- we have a few more in-depth articles for you, too. Review with our articles about the functions of the endoplasmic reticulum and cell membrane and what the photosynthesis equation is. Thinking about signing up for AP Biology? Read this article on how to register for AP classes and exams. You can also check out this article to learn which additional AP classes you should take in high school. Looking for an easier AP class than Biology? Learn which AP classes tend to be the least challenging for students. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

HM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

HM - Essay Example Grant F. Smith further declares that the money is used to military operations and keeping the incumbent officials in their positions. Grant F. Smith explains that the Israel government has manipulated the civil society so as the country influences the decisions that America makes regarding the Middle East. In this case, he claims in his response that many lobby groups in Israel are established with similar mission, vision, goals and objects. In this case, he doubts their authenticity and division of tasks in the organizations. However, he states that not all lobby groups are government puppets. He applauds some lobby groups, such as religious organization, for doing a wonderful job of educating people about Jewish lifestyle, (Scott Horton Show 17-21min). John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt agree with Grant F. Smith by defining the Israeli Lobby as an alliance of organizations and people working towards influencing the US foreign policies that favors the position of Israel in the Middle East. additionally, Glenn Frankel asserts that the this lobbying is just about campaigning to get funds to be channeled to other areas apart from the specific ones that donors intend to fund, (Dworkin, Ronald, 342) According to Glenn Frankel, defines the Israel Lobby as an organization of Jewish group and campaign contributors whose main goal is to take care of Israeli interests via the help of pro-Israeli supporters and which were formed in the second half of the 1900s (PP 211). He identifies the main groups behind the current state of affair. They include American Jewish Committee and the Anti-Defamation League among

A global look at quality managemenr in universities Research Paper

A global look at quality managemenr in universities - Research Paper Example Universities across the world have been positing themselves as â€Å"world-class† in view of the market opportunities presented by globalization (Xavier and Alsagoff, 2013). In a global scenario, quality and perception of quality of a university is defined and determined by many internal as well as external mechanisms. In this context, quality of education has become a decisive factor while determining the management strategy for any university (Dobrzanski and Roszak, 2007, p.223). Xavier and Alsagoff (2013) have observed how universities present themselves as â€Å"world-class† to the global markets through many strategies, thereby attracting students from all over the world. Any examination of the quality of universities in global context will have to start with addressing the questions, what is defined by quality, and whether there are global standards of quality in education (Paradeise and Thoenig, 2013, p.189). Quality in the context of university education is ofte n defined as: Expression of significant range of educational effectiveness and reflection of a new approach in which need of systematic evaluation of undertaken activities is taking essential meaning including improvement and making endeavors towards accreditation which aim to confirm that all the standards of educational effectiveness are provided† (Dobrzanski and Roszak, 2007, p.223-4). Quality of university education can also be defined in terms of financial effectiveness, academic standards, and public usefulness as well (Dobrzanski and Roszak, 2007, p.224). ... This is an approach that ensures participation, plans long-term, aims at â€Å"customer satisfaction†, and brings benefits to all the academic and social stakeholders (Becket and Brookes, n.d., p.43). Fotopoulos and Psomas (2008) have studied TQM in the context of Greece and observed that any TQM model must have a â€Å"soft† and â€Å"hard† side, the â€Å"soft† side being a plan to address long term issues and related to â€Å"leadership, employee empowerment and culture† (p.151). The â€Å"hard† side on the other hand refers to â€Å"quality improvement tools and techniques† (Fotopoulos and Psomas, 2008, p.151). It is pointed out by Fotopoulos and Psomas (2008) that â€Å"there is no unique model for a good TQM programme and TQM is a network of interdependent elements, namely, critical factors, practices, techniques and tools† (Fotopoulos and Psomas, 2008, p.151). Yet, there have been a number of â€Å"TQM elements† id entified through various research projects and they are, leadership, strategic quality planning, employee management and involvement, supplier management, customer focus, process management, continuous improvement, information and analysis, knowledge and education, and TQM tools such as â€Å"flow charts, relations diagram, scatter diagram, control charts, pareto analysis, quality function deployment, design of experiments and so on† (Fotopoulos and Psomas, 2008, p.152-3). There are widely accepted quality frame works for universities other than TQM such as European Framework for Quality Management (EFQM) and SERVQUAL that approaches the issue from the customers' â€Å"perspective† (Becket and Brookes, n.d., p.43). The dynamics of the process of attaining