Biological and Psychological Explanations of Crime.

Biological and Psychological Explanations of Crime. Free Online Research Papers The purpose of this assignment is to examine the biological and psychological explanations of crime. It will primarily focus on Cesare Lombroso’s theory in that he believed that criminals could be determined and identified by their physical appearance and attributes. It will cover Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation and how childhood violence and trauma can affect a person’s behaviour and personality. It will further explain the strengths and weaknesses and how criminals are perceived in contemporary Britain today. Cesare Lombroso was an Italian criminologist born in Venice, Italy in 1836. He went on to become a university professor who became renowned worldwide for his studies and theories. Lombroso worked in the field of Characterology, which meant he studied the difference between mental and physical characteristics. Lombroso was also a physician, psychiatrist and a coroner he worked at various mental institutions therefore allowing him the opportunity to examine people from all aspects of life, he knew that by doing so he would be able to collect the relevant information that was needed and which would be essential to base his research on (www.Britannica.com). Lombroso carried out investigations on the post mortem bodies of criminals, when opened up it went on to reveal that they were physically different from non criminals. He maintained that criminals have stigmata (signs) and that these stigmata’s consisted of abnormal dimensions of the skull and jaw, asymmetries in the face and other parts of the body, he even claimed that different criminals have different physical characteristics which he could distinguish (www.brocku.com). Lombroso argued that criminality is inherited, his theory was biological determinism which means that people don’t have any choice in which way they turn out. There is no free will involved the way they turn out is genetic so if the parents are criminal then they are more likely to be criminal. He believed that the born criminal could be identified by physiognomic defects as this confirmed a criminal as savage or atavistic (what he sees as a throwback to an earlier stage of evolution) (www.Newworldencyclopedia.org). He looked at defects such as a sloping brow, which symbolises low intellect he also suggested that a renowned jaw, symbolised strong passion. Lombroso believes that people bearing such defects behaved in a different way to the rest of society and have a low ability to show any kind of guilt or remorse. The weakness that was established in this theory found that these associations were later shown to be highly inconsistent or inexistent, and Lombroso had not used a control group therefore having nothing of any substantial nature to compare his results to. This became Lombroso’s biggest flaw in his research and theory. Due to this weakness the theories that were based on the environment causation of criminality that then became dominant meant that he believes the environment makes criminals and that then became his only theory. (www.Newworldencyclopedia.org) Lombroso’s theory proposed that criminality was innate, and this could be distinguished by their physical atavist stigmata, their physiognomic attributes or deformities. He believed the human race evolved, whereas those who are criminal or have the violent tendencies are the ones that devolve. So to Lombroso the criminal would have the attributes of high cheekbones, low sloping forehead, handle shaped ears, hard shifty eyes, scanty beard or baldness, insensitivity to pain. A weakness in Lombroso’s theory about physical appearances determining criminals cannot be a hundred percent accurate as people who have disfigurements to their face could be down to an accident they had in the early years of their life. (www.ezineartic.com) However, there is not sufficient psychological evidence to show that these behaviours were only applied to criminals this is seen as a weakness towards his theory, as not everybody who has an abnormality is a criminal. Victoria Wright was born with a rare genetic disorder called Cherubism, which causes an over growth of fibrous tissue in the face. Victoria is twenty nine years old and is currently studying law part time as she is planning to become a solicitor, and by becoming one she could represent people who have experienced discrimination. (www.nhs.uk) Charles Goring (1913) was Lombroso’s main critic he decided to take a much closer look at Lombroso’s conclusion, not only did he study a group of criminals he also looked at members of the military so he had something to compare against (Dwyer, D 2001). He wanted to see if they showed any differences in behaviour and he found no significant difference between them so this was a weakness against his theory. The only difference between Goring’s studies to Lombroso’s was that criminals were on average two inches shorter and between three and seven pounds lighter but poor diet could have been the main factor to that theory (www.trutv.com) Lombroso theory has a strength which reflects in contemporary society. When criminals are sentenced for crimes, the less attractive individual was more likely to be considered guilty fifty percent more than attractive people (www.Telegraph.co.uk). A study had been carried out between two black defendants one was attractive and the other was unattractive, who were both in court it had shown that they were more likely to be found guilty and giving longer sentences (www.newsvote.bbc.co.uk). This study supports this while Irrespective of the ethnicity of the juror; unattractive black dependents were ultimately giving the harshest sentences. Research has also found that woman jurors tend to treat attractive female suspects more ruthlessly than they would with the male suspects, as they think they are trying to capitalise on their looks, while men tend to give attractive woman the benefit of the doubt and receive more lenient sentences. However, it is positive findings that neither black nor white participants showed a prejudice towards their own ethnic group. . (www.Dailymail.co.uk) Having looked at Cesare Lombroso this essay will now move on to look at Bowlby’s theory on attachment. John Bowlby was born in London 1907 he was the fourth of six children. His parents were of upper class origin where it was custom for children to have a nanny or nursemaid. When he turned four the nanny left the effect on him was never known. At eleven his brother and himself was sent to a boarding school and when he reached seventeen he decided that navy life was not for him. He decided to follow his father’s footsteps by going into medicine and decided to do psychology in his final year. When Bowlby graduated he went on to teach in two boarding schools. One of them just catered for disturbed children, they had encountered an early disrupted childhood experience which Bowlby was fascinated with, that’s when he decided to combine his medical training with psychoanalytic training. (Psychology.Jrank.org) Bowlby was really interested towards the theory of maternal deprivation and was fascinated with what happens regarding separation. Maybe this interest festered from his own childhood experiences, it was through working with maladjusted children who repeatedly went out to thieve, that led him to publicise a book on the forty four juvenile thieves focussing on their characters and home life (Bowlby, J. 1946). While Bowlby was working he and a colleague started to notice how anxious children became when their parents did not visit them, it was also noted that when they had home visits the relationship between the child and their mother then became very disturbed for up to a few weeks after. (Burke Hopkins R 2005) After careful observation Bowlby started to identify different patterns of attachment, which enabled the theory and research into the consequences of security versus insecurity (www.nytimes.com). He firmly believes that mothers and their babies form an automatic attachment towards each other by using genetically inherited skills such as smiling, crying and facial expressions. (Hale, C. et-al 2005). â€Å"Mother love in infancy is as important for mental health as vitamins and proteins are for physical health.† John Bowlby (1951) Bowlby is convinced that the bond with the mother would be irreversibly broken if a separation occurs within the first few years of the child’s life which could lead to severe emotional problems in later life, Holmes (2005) focused on early maternal deprivation and also found the results similar as being the cause of criminality (Williams, S, K 2008) For Bowlby maternal deprivation has the following consequences aggression, depression, delinquency, dependency anxiety (being clingy), intellectual retardation, affectionless psychopath and social maladjustment (Coleman, C. Norris, C 2000). .Things were a lot different in the 1900’s the norm would have been a husband, wife and 2.4 children. Mothers were expected to stay at home more while the husbands went out to work. Over time society has become a lot more diverse for example same sex couples are able to adopt children and there are far more single parents within society today and nowadays a majority of both parents go out to work (Croall, H.1998). This is seen as a weakness in Bowlby’s theory. A good strength for his theory however is that prisons now allocate mother and babies to stay together in special units so they can care for their babies up to the age of two, the government feel that this is the right thing to do as it gives the babies and mother the chance to bond (Hale, C. et-al 2005). The strength for Bowlby’s theory is based on the case study given below, where it does show some of the problems that has been discussed above. The case study of Robert Napper who murdered Rachel Nickell, revealed that the first ten years of Nappers life he and his siblings witnessed his mother become the victim of his father’s brutal violence. The children were so traumatised that they had to be placed in foster homes and undergo psychiatric treatment (Guardian.co.uk). He descended into black dark moods, had a behaviour disorder, suffered with serious mental illness and became a paranoid schizophrenic who suffered with Aspergers syndrome (Dailymail.co.uk). In school he did not have any friends and he was teased a lot, Robert was found to have had only average intelligence Robert Napper began to bully his brothers to an extreme degree even shooting one in the face with an air pistol. (www.telegraph.co.uk) Robert Napper deliberately went out and raped woman for a number of years before the level of his violence escalated to murder, he had a profound hatred of woman which was expressed in his violent attacks. Bowlby called this condition affectionate psychopathy meaning that the individual feels no remorse for their victims or guilt for the crime they have committed (Dwyer, D 2001). Whilst In the woods near his home Robert was raped, and perhaps it was significant as the woman he attacked was around the actual place where he was raped and that seemed to be the trigger for this brutal encounter, which would later be echoed by his crimes (Dailymail.co.uk) In conclusion to Lombroso’s and Bowlby’s studies new research is now showing that genetic and biological factors play an equal, if not greater, role than social factors in crime causation. The biological and genetic findings are now unquestionable the evidence is too strong to ignore this new breakthrough has new implications towards crime prevention. The next decade will reveal new discoveries regarding specific genes that cause violent behaviour. These findings could result in new drugs being used to correct the neurotransmitter brain abnormalities that cause violence. (www.news.bbc.co.uk). The theories that Lombroso and Bowlby concluded in what makes a criminal still stand in the 21st century. Having looked at the case study above it can give an insight into criminals looking and acting alike, although they may not have all the characteristics of Lombroso’s theory, they do have some of the attributes as Lombroso suggests. In society today it is thought that children who are not close to their mothers do tend to go out and commit crimes (Williams, S, K 2008). Research Papers on Biological and Psychological Explanations of Crime.Capital PunishmentEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseThree Concepts of PsychodynamicGenetic EngineeringThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationArguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)Analysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfThe Project Managment Office System

Sophocles Oedipus Summary

Sophocles Oedipus Summary Originally performed at the ​City Dionysia, probably in the second year of the Athenian Plague 429 B.C., Sophocles Oedipus Tyrannos (frequently Latinized as Oedipus Rex) won second prize. We dont have the play that won first to compare, but Oedipus Tyrannos is considered by many to be the best Greek tragedy. Overview The city of Thebes wants its rulers to fix its current problem, an outbreak of divinely-sent pestilence. Prophecies reveal the means to the end, but Oedipus the ruler, who is committed to the cause of Thebes, doesnt realize he is at the root of the problem. The tragedy shows his gradual awakening. Structure of Oedipus Tyrannos Prologue (1-150)Parodos (151-215)First Episode (216-462)First Stasimon (463-512)Second Episode (513-862) Kommos (649-697)Second Stasimon (863-910)Third Episode (911-1085)Third Stasimon (1086-1109)Fourth Episode (1110-1185)Fourth Stasimon (1186-1222)Exodus (1223-1530) Source: Oedipus Tyrannos edited by by R.C. Jebb The divisions of ancient plays were marked by interludes of choral odes. For this reason, the first song of the chorus is called the parodos (or eisodos because the chorus enters at this time), although the subsequent ones are called stasima, standing songs. The episodes, like acts, follow the parados and stasima. The exodus is the final, leaving-the-stage choral ode. The kommos is an interchange between chorus and actors. See List of the Components of Greek Tragedy Prologue 1-150.(Priest, Oedipus, Creon) The priest summarizes the dismal plight of Thebes. Creon says the oracle of Apollo says the defiler responsible for the pestilence will have to be banished or pay with blood, since the crime was one of blood the killing of Oedipus predecessor, Laius. Oedipus promises to work for the revenge, which satisfies the priest. Parodos 151-215.The chorus summarizes the plight of Thebes and says it is fearful of what is to come. First Episode 216-462.(Oedipus, Tiresias) Oedipus says he will support the cause of finding the killer just as if Laius had been his own father. He curses those who will hinder the investigation. The chorus suggests he call on the soothsayer Tiresias. Tiresias enters led by a boy. Tiresias asks what hes been summoned for and when he hears he makes enigmatic statements about his wisdom not helping. The comments anger Oedipus. Tiresias tells Oedipus that he, Oedipus, is the defiler. Oedipus suggests that Tiresias is in cahoots with Creon, but Tiresias insists Oedipus is all to blame. Oedipus says that he didnt ask for the crown, it was given him as a result of solving the riddle of the sphinx and so ridding the city of its problems. Oedipus wonders why Tiresias didnt solve the sphinxs riddle if hes such a good soothsayer and says theyre scapegoating him. He then taunts the blind seer. Tiresias says Oedipus taunts about his blindness will come back to haunt him. When Oedipus orders Tiresias to leave, Tiresias reminds him he didnt want to come, but only came because Oedipus insisted. Oedipus asks Tiresias who his parents were. Tiresias replies that hell learn soon enough. Tiresias riddles that the defiler appears to be an alien, but is a native Theban, brother and father to his own children, and will leave Thebes as a beggar. Oedipus and Tiresias exit. First Stasimon 463-512.(Consisting of two strophes and the responsive antistrophes) The chorus describes the dilemmas, a man was named who is now trying to escape his fate. While Tiresias is mortal and can have made a mistake, the gods cant have done so. Second Episode 513-862.(Creon, Oedipus, Jocasta) Creon argues with Oedipus about whether or not he is trying to steal the throne. Jocasta comes in and tells the men to stop fighting and go home. The chorus urges Oedipus not to condemn a man who has always been honorable solely on the basis of a rumor. Creon exits. Jocasta wants to know what the men were arguing about. Oedipus says Creon accused him of shedding Laius blood. Jocasta says seers arent infallible. She relates a story: Seers told Laius that he would be killed by a son, but they pinned the babys feet together and left him to die on a mountain, so Apollo didnt make the son kill his father. Oedipus begins to see the light, asks for confirming details and says he thinks he has condemned himself with his curses. He asks who told Jocasta about Laius death at the junction of three roads. She replies it was a slave who is no longer at Thebes. Oedipus asks Jocasta to summon him. Oedipus tells his story, as he knows it: He was the son of Polybus of Corinth and Merope, or so he thought until a drunk told him he was illegitimate. He went to Delphi to learn the truth, and there heard that he would kill his father and sleep with his mother, so he left Corinth for good, coming to Thebes, where he has been since. Oedipus wants to know one thing from the slave whether it was true that Laius men were beset by a band of robbers or was it by a single man, since if it was a band, Oedipus will be in the clear. Jocasta says thats not the only point that should clear Oedipus her son had been killed in infancy, but she sends for the witness, anyway. Iocasta and Oedipus exit. Second Stasimon 863-910. The chorus sings of pride coming before a fall. It also says that the oracles must come true or he will never believe them again. Third Episode 911-1085.(Jocasta, Shepherd Messenger from Corinth, Oedipus) Recommended reading: Undoing in Sophoclean Drama: Lusis and the Analysis of Irony, by Simon Goldhill; Transactions of the American Philological Association (2009) Jocasta enters. She says she wants permission to go as a suppliant to a shrine because Oedipus fear has been contagious. A Corinthian Shepherd messenger enters. The messenger asks for the house of Oedipus and is told by the chorus which mentions that the woman standing there is the mother of Oedipus children. The messenger says the king of Corinth has died and Oedipus is to be made king. Oedipus enters. Oedipus learns that his father died of old age without Oedipus help. Oedipus tells Jocasta he must still fear the part of the prophecy about sharing his mothers bed. The Corinthian messenger tries to persuade Oedipus to return home to Corinth with him, but Oedipus declines, so the messenger assures Oedipus he has nothing to fear from the oracle, since the Corinthian king was not his father by blood. The Corinthian messenger was the shepherd who had presented the infant Oedipus to King Polybus. He had received the infant Oedipus from a Theban herdsman in the woods of Mt. Cithaeron. The Corinthian messenger-shepherd claims to have been Oedipus savior since he had taken out the pin that held the babys ankles together. Oedipus asks if anyone knows whether the Theban herdsman is around. The chorus tells him Jocasta would know best, but Jocasta asks him to give it up. When Oedipus insists, she says her last words to Oedipus (part of Oedipus curse was that no one should talk with those who brought the pestilence on Thebes, but as well soon see, its not just that curse shes responding to). Jocasta exits. Oedipus says Jocasta may be worried that Oedipus is base born. Third Stasimon 1086-1109. The chorus sings that Oedipus will acknowledge Thebes as his home. This short stasimon is called the cheerful chorus. For interpretation, see: The Third Stasimon of the Oedipus TyrannosDavid SansoneClassical Philology (1975). Fourth Episode 1110-1185.(Oedipus, Corinthian Shepherd, former Theban shepherd) Oedipus says he sees a man old enough to be the Theban herdsman. The former Theban herdsman enters. Oedipus asks the Corinthian herdsman if the man who has just entered is the man he referred to. The Corinthian herdsman says he is. Oedipus asks the newcomer if he was once in the employ of Laius. He says he was, as a shepherd, who led his sheep on Mt. Cithaeron, but he doesnt recognize the Corinthian. The Corinthian asks the Theban if he remembers having given him a baby. He then says the baby is now King Oedipus. The Theban curses him. Oedipus scolds the old Theban man and orders his hands tied, at which point the Theban agrees to answer the question, which is whether he had given the Corinthian herdsman a baby. When he agrees, Oedipus asks where he got the baby, to which the Theban reluctantly says the house of Laius. Further pressed, he says it was probably Laius son, but Jocasta would know better, since it was Jocasta who gave the child to him to dispose of because the prophecies told that that child would kill its father. Oedipus says hes been accursed and will see no more. Fourth Stasimon 1186-1222. The chorus comments on how no man should be counted blessed because bad fortune may be just around the corner. Exodos 1223-1530.(2nd Messenger, Oedipus, Creon) Messenger enters. He says Jocasta has killed herself. Oedipus finds her hanging, takes one of her brooches and pokes out his own eyes. Now he is having trouble because he needs assistance, yet wants to leave Thebes. The chorus wants to know why he blinded himself. Oedipus says it was Apollos he and his family suffer, but it was his own hand that did the blinding. He calls himself thrice cursed. He says if he could make himself deaf, too, he would. The chorus tells Oedipus that Creon approaches. Since Oedipus had falsely accused Creon, he asks what he should say. Creon enters. Creon tells Oedipus he isnt there to scold him. Creon tells the attendants to take Oedipus out of sight. Oedipus asks Creon to do him a favor that will help Creon to banish him. Creon says he could have done that, but hes not sure its the gods will. Oedipus asks to live on Mt. Cithaeron where he was supposed to have been cast. He asks Creon to look after his children. Attendants bring in Oedipus daughters Antigone and Ismene. Oedipus tells his daughters they have the same mother. He says no one is likely to want to marry them. He asks Creon to pity them, especially since they are kin. Although Oedipus wants to be banished, he doesnt want to leave his children. Creon tells him not to try to continue to be master. The chorus reiterates that no man should be counted happy until the end of his life. The End.

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 264

Assignment Example ones used to solve daily problems in the real world such as calculate the probability of a risk happening or calculating interest rates or premiums for insurance. This is why I chose pharmacology as a career path because studying the drugs involves also doing a lot of mathematical calculation, thus my love for math would make it easier for me to carry out these complex calculations. What I plan to achieve in my pharmacology career is ensure that every drug that passes by me is safe for the population and persuade my senior to carry out research in drugs that leave side effects on people, which end up affecting their general health instead of treating them. The three measures and there conversion factors that might assist me in converting the US system to SI in medical practice include (1) Alkaline phosphatase (U/L-SI Unit) (IU/L- Conventional (USA) Units) with as conversion factor of 1.0, (2) Bilirubin (mg/dL-Conventional (USA) Units) (ÃŽ ¼mol/L-SI Unit) with as conversion factor of 17.10 and (3) Cholesterol (mg/dL-Conventional (USA) Units) (mmol/L-SI Unit) with as conversion factor of 0.026 (Thompson

Business Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Ethics - Essay Example A virtue encourages the maintenance of the world as well as meeting one’s needs and the need of others. Virtue ethics is a principle that encourages moral character. It encourages one to do to others, as he / she  would wish it done unto (Cuillla 17). These moral principles, however, do not apply. People have turned unto unrestricted profit seeking and immorality, thus breaching the business ethics and moral principles. This discussed in the industrial food system, consumer culture (story of the stuff), and in global warming (an inconvenient truth) (Cuillla 117). Q1. Unrestrained profit seeking and immortality The industrial food system has turned out to be the county’s food supply. Fast foods have taken the central parts of the highly consumed foods. Fast foods have gone a step ahead to alter the way chicken raised and their living conditions breaching the rights of animals. The various forms in which corn processed into, the various products of eggs and other fast f ood s as hamburger all constitute fast foods. In fact, a child reported of dying from Escherichia coli after eating hamburger as 325,000 Americans hospitalized where 5000 from food-borne illness. The food currently produced directly or indirectly affects the personal or community health, the natural resources, the environmental quality, and natural and human-induced hazards (Cuillla 341). It goes further to affecting science and technology locally, nationally and globally. The unrestricted profit seeking and immortality have lead to the breach of all moral principles and virtues. The consumer culture in the story of stuff shows the process goods undergo extraction, production, distribution, consumption, and disposa

Poststructuralism Paper Essay Example for Free

Poststructuralism Paper Essay What is post-structuralism? How did come about and who started it? How can it be used as a strategy? It cannot be defined without a reference to Ferdinand de Saussere.   He is considered as the â€Å"creator of the modern theory of structuralism (UXL Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2003, p.1).†Ã‚   He was responsible for what was said to have started the entire post-structuralist movement, A Course in General Linguistics.   He did not actually write it; his students, Charles Bally and Albert Sechehaye simply compiled and edited it for publication (UXL Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2003, p.1). Saussere considers language as a â€Å"system of signs that evolves constantly, in which particular words hold no meaning (UXL Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2003, p.2).† Words do not have definition on their own; they need to be involved in a kind of structure wherein together with other words, they begin to make sense.   Moreover, he believes that every idea or object has a sign (UXL Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2003, p.2.), which in turn, has two other parts.   A sign has a signifier, which refers to what a word originally looks or sounds like, while the signified refers to what is represented.   The connection of the two is unpredictable; it is always fluctuating.   This premise is basically the foundation of what is known as post-structuralism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Post-structuralism actually started in the 1960s in France (James, n.d., p.1).   It is considered both as a critical theory (Henderson and Brown, 1997, p.1), and an interdisciplinary movement (Jones, n.d., p.1) which includes other fields as well like the â€Å"deconstruction of Jacques Derrida, the late criticism of Roland Barthes, and the psychoanalytic revisionism of Jacques Lacan (Henderson and Brown, 1997, p.1)† just to name a few.   Post-structuralism has been discussed alongside postmodernism, but Peters (1999) was quick to differentiate the two: â€Å"Poststructuralism takes as it theoretical object structuralism, whereas postmodernism takes as its theoretical object modernism(p.1). The key word in determining its definition is structure.   Post-structuralism develops a new body of knowledge apart from the pre-established structures.   It claims that the formation of knowledge then may no longer hold now.   There is no such thing as an established truth; what was considered true then, might be dubious now.   Peters (1999) adds, â€Å"Poststructuralism, then, can be interpreted as a specifically philosophical response to the alleged scientific status of structuralism to its status as a mega-paradigm for the social sciences and as a movement which, under the inspiration of Friedrich Nietzsche, Martin Heidegger, and others, sought to decenter the structures, systematicity and scientific status of structuralism, to critique its underlying metaphysics and to extend it a number of different directions, while at the same time preserving central elements of structuralism’s critique of the humanist subject (p.1).† One of the people famous for their contribution in post-structuralism is Frenchman Michel Foucault.   Although he is considered as a philosopher, his work is not confined to a particular body of knowledge.   Throughout his career, his works covered a range of topics, which included â€Å"sexuality, madness, illness and knowledge (UXL Newsmakers, 2005, p.1).†Ã‚   He is also associated with new historicism, which Henderson and Brown (1997) considers as â€Å"history as a species of narrative with gaps or ruptures between epistemes modes of thought and ways of knowing that characterize a given historical moment (p.1).†    He is not interested with history per se; rather, he is more interested in how events become part of history and what made it possible for them to be part of history.   Needham (1995) writes, â€Å"he believes that human nature, instinct, and other intrinsic underpinnings of mankind are not fixed; humans are conditioned through discourse: how we talk, how we formulate knowledge, and who we look to for knowledge. No universal certainties exist; justice, sexuality, insanity, morality all knowledge is a construction of discourse (p.1).†Ã‚   Overall, Foucault forces us to think out of the box.   For him there is no such thing as truth; the structure which developed our notion of truth should be analyzed. Because there is no one stable structure that holds, all that we know is influx all the time and it is better to focus on how these ideas are formed rather than being preoccupied with the ideas themselves.   Because of his post-structuralist ideals, many feminists are turning to him to further their cause.   His ideals help them challenge what was then regarded as true about women in patriarchal discourses.   One of the women who have been regarded for her feminist efforts is Mary McLeod Bethune.   Unlike Foucault, she is not an intellectual.   Smith (1996) calls her â€Å"essentially an activist (p.1),† and rightfully so. Her works is not even limited to women, though she pushes for their opportunities to.   All her life she has fought for the rights of her fellow African-Americans, and released the literary work My Last Will and Testament which is one of the most influential African-American literature out there.   She dared to push the envelope for her race, and defied the odds to help her race â€Å"maintain racial dignity (Smith, 1996, p.105).†Ã‚   S he made sure African-American girls can also be educated like their fair-skinned counterparts.   She opened a school for girls in 1904, which became the Bethune-Cookman College (Smith, 1996, p.106).   At first glance, she may not seem to be a post-structuralist, but she is.   Instead of conforming to the existing structures available to her race that operate in society, she tried to create new possibilities.   That is a move that is post-structuralist, indeed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Post-structuralism as a strategy is simple; all that needs to be done is to challenge the existing premises by trying to get to the root of the very same premises.   In a post-structuralist sense, the normative condition is taken as such, but not considered stable or fixed.   It is like one of the possible scenarios, not the only one.   In essence, post-structuralism defines the possibility of many other structures, any of which are neither true or false.   From the examples established by Michel Foucault and Mary McLeod Bethune, one must not be satisfied with what is out there.   There should always be a need to ask important questions and look for other solutions.   The status quo is no longer; the possibilities are endless. References Henderson, G. E., Brown, C. (1997). Glossary of Literary Theory. University of Toronto English Library. Jones, R. (n.d). Post-structuralism. Retrieved November 16, 2007, from www.philosopher.org.uk/poststr.htm. Needham, A. (1995). Foucaltphobia-philosopher Michel Foucault. Whole Earth Review, n.v.,1. Peters, M. (1999). Post-structuralism and education. Retrieved November 16, 2007, from www.ffst.hr/ENCYCLOPAEDIA/poststructuralism.htm. Smith, E. M. (1996). Mary McLeod Bethune’s â€Å"Last Will and Testament:† A Legacy for Race Vindication. The Journal of Negro History, 81 (1/4), 105-122. UXL Encyclopedia of World Biography (2003). UXL Newsmakers (2005).

20th Century Essay -- essays research papers

Music written since 1900 is called twentieth century music. There have been more types and styles of music written in the twentieth century then ever before. In the twentieth century, the only limit is the composer's imagination. This great variety of musical styles reflected the diversity of life during the early twentieth century. More people were free to choose where to live, how to earn a living, and how to spend their time. The car, airplane, telephone, phonograph, movies, and radio all made the world more accessible and expanded the range of experiences. Technological developments have also had an influence on the twentieth century music, especially electronic music. Like all people, musicians have been affected by the political, economic, and social problems of twentieth century. Hitler’s rise to power in Germany in 1933 had an especially dramatic impact on the lives and careers of musicians. Many composers left Europe for the United States. These refugees made huge contributions to musical culture. One of the most significant changes in components of music that formed twentieth century music is rhythm. The modern music is full of complex rhythms and time signatures. The major reason for the increase of rhythms in twentieth century music is the development of the ballet. The second component of twentieth century music is melody. This new music moves away from the traditional melodic line that previous musical styles had developed. Modern composers have also rejected...

Priorless tale

Prioress Tale and Christian Anti-Semitic In the story â€Å"Prioress Tale† by Geoffrey Chaucer had some ways where it was anti- semitic. The Catholic Church had a hatred of Jews. Jews did not believe Jesus was their savior. Christians hated and blamed Jews for the death of Jesus calling them Satan's agents. â€Å"The boy is â€Å"little†, â€Å"young†, â€Å"tender† etc. The Villains are â€Å"cursed†, â€Å"a wasp's nest of satan† who â€Å"conspire† to murder the little boy' (3).The school where the young boy had gone to was described as a good kid taught young children how o pray and praise Mary the mother of Jesus. â€Å"O mother maid, O maiden mother free! O bush unburnt, burning in Moses' sight, that ravishedest down from the deity†¦. Conceiv ©d was the Father's Sapience† (7). The Jews were killed as a penalty for the death of a young boy with no proof that they were the ones involved in this crime. â€Å"The Prio ress Tale† and â€Å"Christian anti-Semitism† both show how far a person will go to torment others to invent to be an activist of god.Christians had set up heir own policy in the name of god but there was no similarity to Jesus because Jesus represents of love and forgiveness. During the middle ages the tale reflects anti-Semitic in different ways. The Christians had blamed the Jews responsible for Jesus death. The church had discussions about how the Christians should not affiliate themselves with any Jewish people. Jews were not allowed to do a lot of things such as were not allowed to buy any property from the Christians. Jews were accused of a lot of things but they wasn't even involved with.For this reason Jews were burnt alive. One of the reasons Jews were blamed for doing malicious things because they planned for the death of Christ. Another reason why they were blamed for doing malicious things was when Jews had claimed the blood of Jesus for them and their chil dren. The medieval anti- Semitism had trust in the Jewish faith that they were in lower place to Christianity and they had an alliance with Satan. Jews were also cursed and would remain curse even if they had converted themselves to Christianity.