Hinduism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 8

Hinduism - Essay Example Although I have always been interested in this subject but never had the time to learn more about it from books. This visit gave me a short course on the history of Hinduism. My expectations were met, and I had a fun learning time. I want to find out more through this interactive way about every topic. I took notes while I was there. They will surely help me in my studies. The hierarchical structure of Hindu Gods surprised me. I was aware that there are many Gods in Hinduism, but ranks and power structures came to me as a surprise. In addition, I was also interested in the use of colors in pictures and statues of Hindu Gods. For instance, blue color is extensively used. Hindus paint their idols (statues) blue or make their paintings and images. Their Gods also transform into other creatures or appear in some other manner than the regular ones. For instance, the Eugene Fuller Memorial Collection has a painting by Catherine Roche (see figure 1) where Vishnu, is painted blue, in the form of a boar and holding Lakshmi on his tusks. The sounds of temple bells and chanting of religious heads were the most prominent sounds. The mood of the gathering was very serious. Some people seemed to be meditating while some were whispering prayers. It was clearly visible how much they believed that their Gods were listening to their prayers. It was evident to see that their religion meant so much to them. They seemed to find comfort in their chanting. My personal reaction to Hindu practices and rituals is very objective. Religions, belief systems, self-esteem, and opinions are very sensitive subjects. They hold very high values for their followers. I observed Hindu practices and paintings as if I am discovering a new culture. Their philosophy of life and their Gods stand different from the Greek mythology. For instance, Hindus worship many idols. There are Gods with different powers and appearances but in the end they are all part

Diversity in the Hiring Practices of LoneStar Landscaping Essay

Diversity in the Hiring Practices of LoneStar Landscaping - Essay Example There should be a variety of questions to ensure the evaluation of the candidate with respect to various criteria pertinent to various aspects of the job. Diversity among judges should be encouraged because it ensures rational judgment of the candidates’ skills. â€Å"Sometimes what we consider to be appropriate or desirable qualities in a candidate may reflect more about our personal preferences than about the skills needed to perform the job† (UCSF, n.d.). Diversity management are the â€Å"organizational goals, policies, and practices that are put into place in order to help such benefits be realized† (Pizam, 2005, p. 280). Erica and Andrew should ensure maximum provision and display of the ad in the location which is abundant in the desired pool of applicants (â€Å"Advertising TAMU Jobs†, 2010). Erica and Andrew should first do a preliminary study on the requirements of various communities and conduct an in-depth analysis of their linguistic needs. Erica and Andrew should get the ad published in many languages. It should be clearly stipulated in the ad that the company strictly prohibits any kind of racism against any sect, religion, gender, language or sexual inclination of the candidates. The ad should clearly indicate that individualistic needs of employees from different ethnic and religious backgrounds will be addressed as per the need of hour. What an ad projects plays a fundamental role in fulfilling its purpos e. Erica and Andrew should customize their ad so as to make it favorable to attract a diverse pool of applicants in terms of culture, language and religion. This can be achieved by making use of images that show unity among people from different backgrounds. One such image can be of members from different races holding hand in hand. Erica and Andrew should make the workplace modified so as to accommodate culturally diverse employees.

The Significance Of Nationalism And Liberalism History Essay

The Significance Of Nationalism And Liberalism History Essay It can be debated as to when the sense of nationalism and liberalism arise in Germany. Historians like Andrina Stiles have turned the focus onto the War of Liberation against Napoleon I, where collective German states participated in driving Napoleon from Central Europe. After the Battle of Leipzig, a large number of young middle and upper class Germans hoped for a united Germany. However, the resistance never became a national uprising, and German seemed divided afterwards. The North tended to look to Prussian for political leadership whilst the South look towards Austria. With these two powerful states, the future and unification of Germany depended greatly upon their interests. The revolutions of 1848 were also another focal point in the rise of nationalism and liberalism. The constitutional changes from the revolt indicated the ability of the groups, where they were able to overthrow their monarchs and establish a liberal parliament. The introduction of the Frankfurt Parliament w as also a success as a liberal parliament was introduced and all of the states contributed, sparking an achievement for nationalists to unite German states. These victories did not last long, as Prussian and Austrian counter-revolutions forced parliaments to dissolve and re-establish the old system. Yet, the ideology and force of these two groups are significant in the unification of Germany as they brought the sense of unity and freedom to the people at times of crisis or unrest. Nationalism arose in Germany due to the resentment of French rule, which quickly declined after their occupation. From the view of Stiles point, the strength of nationalism remained positive as middle classes displayed their sense from cultural similarities. There were a remarkable number of festivals and associations portraying a sense of German identity. However, these groups are a small sector of the German Confederation. Nationalism had little support at the time, and unification of Germany seemed impossible. In 1830s, a number of republican groups planned for German unification. Metternich was certainly thrown into panic and soon the Diet passed the Six articles. This help establish the young Germany movement dedicating to establishing a united Germany. From these developments, nationalism was seen progressing from a small group with wild ideas to a force that can unsettle monarchs in states like Prussia and Austria. From these events, there is a clear indication of liberalism a nd nationalism gaining supports and achieving some of their aims. The formation of Zollverein provided Prussia to lead other states economically. However, it was also a significant focus point for nationalism. The economic unity triggered nationalists to push for political unity. With Prussian dominance of the organisation, the members agreed that Prussia would be a natural leader if there were a unified Germany. In the 1848 revolutions, nationalism supported the Frankfurt Parliament as it unified Germany politically. However, the failure of the Parliament was due to the division of the liberals and the lack of support for them when the counter-revolutions happened. This is significant in the unification of Germany, as it showed a unified Germany was possible, but lacking the support from the people to stop the counter-revolutions. This lack of support was soon solved when the relations with France worsened, and nationalism rallied the people to fight as a single Germany against the ir old enemy. Liberalism is the belief in liberty and equal rights, but with the majority of states consisted of rulers holding onto absolute power, they would certainly refuse the idea of liberalism. Metternich of Austria opposed the constitutional reforms proposed in 1819, which included the freedom of speech, press and allowing the formation of political parties. From this situation, it was clear that liberalism was unable to progress as the fixed constitutional system gave them little influential power. The results in Prussia were the same. However, in 1830, the July Revolution in Paris sparked an indication across Europe that liberal ideas can be achieve through force. This led to movements to force grants of a liberal constitution in states like Saxony. Many monarchs simply gave in to the demands, fearing the same fate as King Charles X of France. This gradual growth of liberal support suggests people agree to the idea of freedom. These certainly appealed to the middle classes, but alarmed t he aristocrats as their influential powers have declined. The initial success of the 1848 revolutions in Austria, Prussia and other German states made possible an attempt to win German unity through one central representative body, which met in May 1848, was known as the Frankfurt Parliament. Elected respectively from the German states by universal manhood suffrage, the eight hundred-odd delegates included mostly middle class and professional elements. They wanted to establish, through discussions and recommendations, a liberal, constitutional, federal and united German State. In fact, they did not possess any executive authority, as they could not give order to any of the German rulers. Apart from this major weakness, they were split on two main programs of German unity. The decision of including Austria in the proposed new Germany (Grossdeutschland and Kleindeutschland) split the members. While the Frankfurt Assembly was debating and arguing, Austria and Prussia had gradually won the upper hand against revolutions. As conservative counter-revolution advanced, the days of the Parliament were numbered. This attempt to unify Germany and form a constitutional parliament ended, but remained a thought in peopleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s mind. In conclusion, liberalism and nationalism was a significant factor in the unification of Germany by giving the people a sense of national identity and pride.

A Thousand Plateaus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia by Deleuze and Guatta

The Rhizome A significant work in theology used to address one of the many concepts it encompasses, A Thousand Plateaus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia by Deleuze and Guattari focuses on the idea of the Rhizome. Throughout the writing, the authors demonstrate a disapproval of the idea that identity can be finalized or â€Å"fixed† and use the concept of the rhizome to describe a person’s continual â€Å"becoming†. Unlike syncretism, another concept commonly used to help evaluate identity, the rhizome is much more complex than binary opposing forces competing until one is dominant over the other. The rhizome is an endless, root-like tangle of all parts of an organism, constantly creating identity. In this summary of â€Å"Introduction: Rhizome† in A Thousand Plateaus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia, I address the central idea of the piece, which is the idea that rhizomatic ways of thinking are more inclusive than dialectic and should be used as a map for determining identi ty. I will use examples from the text to clarify the meaning of the term â€Å"rhizome† and how it functions. Also, by incorporating parts from Syncretism in Religion by Anita M. Leopold and Jeppe S. Jensen into this summary, I will help shed light on the concept of syncretism and how it has led to the creation of the rhizome. To begin describing the rhizome, Deleuze and Guattari first explain it in contrast to the typical mode of thought in American culture. Generally, when deciphering the meaning of something, or anything for that matter, human beings tend to use an arboreal model. In this model, the tree starts as a seed and continues to grow vertically, producing a trunk, then branches. With this method of thinking, all objects, concepts, claimed identities, etc. can be traced back... ...y say, â€Å"Make rhizomes, not roots, never plant! ... Don’t be one or multiple, be multiplicities! ... Make maps, not photos or drawings.† These words bluntly restate their main purpose in writing the article, which is to encourage an unprecedented kind of thought. In choosing to condense the work through the use of clarifying examples of rhizomatic structures and by giving a definition of syncretism and how it relates to the rhizome, I was able to easily restate the overall purpose of â€Å"Introduction: Rhizome†. Word Count: 1,308 â€Æ' Works Cited 1. Deleuze, Gilles, and FeÃŒ lix Guattari. "Introduction: Rhizome." In A thousand plateaus: capitalism and schizophrenia. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1987. 3-25. 2. Leopold, Anita M., and Jeppe Sinding Jensen. "Part 1: General Introduction." In Syncretism in religion: a reader. New York: Routledge, 2005. ix-11.

Sacrificial Action

In Bhagavad Gita 4. 31, Krishna said to Arjuna, â€Å"Those who eat the nectar of immortality left over from a sacrificial action, they go to the eternal Brahman† (Phillips 80). This passage is taken from the Bhagavad Gita where Krishna, a divine being, and Arjuna, the third of the five brothers fighting for their land. With Arjuna having a dilemma of fighting his own kinsmen, Krishna explained to him why the right thing to do is to fight (Phillips 80). In chapter three of the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna explained to Arjuna the meaning of the sacrificial action. It is said to be voluntary doing something or ‘sacrificing’ without thinking of the benefits you will earn after the work, will lead to the supreme good. This is called the yoga of action. Attaining this supreme good exempts you from the law of karma (action and reaction) and thus leads to nirvana (Phillips 81). In chapter four, Krishna pointed out how and why he took the form of a mortal being. According to him, he assumed a mortal personification in order to become a model for those people who would want to attain the supreme good. He also states that he had already turned to a mortal being to be able to tell other people the things the he is now sharing with Arjuna (Phillips 81). The Bhagavad Gita 4. 31 passage is the fourth chapter’s main point. In this passage, Krishna told Arjuna how to be like him or to go to eternal Brahman. The ‘nectar’ he mentioned pertains to the example that he or a doer of sacrificial action makes. And the meaning of ‘eating the nectar’ entails following the examples of doing a sacrificial action, in order to attain supreme good or to be like Krishna (Phillips 82).

Assess Functionalsu and New Right View of the Family Essay

Functionalists believe that the family have specific or traditional functions within the family. One function of the family would be reproduction or having children as this is imperative for the world as they will be the future workforce. For example family businesses will need to pass down the factories/shops to the next generation in the family for the continuing of the ancestors business. Other functions include economic maintenance this is where the family provides necessities for all the family members for example shelter, food and clothing. Another is that the family helps teach children how to socialise with others and also educate them with the correct norms. An important function of the family is that it gives a sense of identity and belonging for example the family allows people to be able to rely on because they are connected through family. Talcott Parsons is one of the key functionalists that strongly argued that the nuclear family fits the needs of the contemporary family and so believes that that extended family, which could involve divorce, will prevent the family from growing and being taken care of. He supported the traditional functions of the family and spoke about how the modern family is changing a lot of the former functions. Parsons identified two remaining functions within the family one being primary socialisation of young which is when the parents raise the children and educate them about the norms and values for example the rights and wrongs so they are able to pass them one. For example in abusive families negative norms are passed on. However how they act in other ways depend on their school life. The other main function is the stabilisations of adult personalities which is where children turn into adults and are forced to ‘grow up’ and get a job and buy a house etc. they are made to take things more seriously in the world so they are able to achieve a sense of belonging on their own and actually have a purpose. Overall Parson’s view of the family is centred around the middle and upper classes and focuses on the male’s purpose and ignores the female perspective. This suggests that parsons believes women are happy to be housewives and don’t aspire to be anything else but loyal to their husbands. A few positive functions of the family is that they are much more financially stable as the husband and father have a stable job and are able to earn enough money to support the whole family. The nuclear family also results in a much closer relationship between family members as they are with each other daily and so relationships are created. For example siblings are taught to share with each other and so form a bond of trust with each other. Children in the family are more likely to stay on a positive path if they are in a nuclear family as disruption could cause difficulties with school life and social life. Married parents are seen to be very good role models when they are part of a nuclear family. However a disadvantage of the nuclear family is that functionalist advertises it so it seems to be very isolated and private and therefore they are seen to have a poor social life because they keep to themselves and don’t concern themselves with wider groups of people. The family becomes attached to home leisure with TV the internet and games resulting in them becoming more home-centred. The family makes little contact with neighbours and is very self-contained. The family as a result of being private becomes reliant on support from the welfare state. Alternatively functionalists are said to idealise the family life too much. Therefore ignore the rising divorce rates. They refuse to acknowledge the negatives about the changing family life, and the growing family diversity. Another view would be those functionalists don’t take in account the abuse that can occur within any families. That is a reason as to why the modern family is changing, it’s due to the fact that the laws against domestic violence have become much stricter. This leads to the feminists who argued against this nuclear family as it portrayed women in a way that was very sexist. Ronald Fletcher a British sociologist who agreed with the functionalist’s perspective but argued that modern societies are changing and that there is an increase in modern functions in the family such as regulating sexual behaviour and the increase in parental involvement in their education. Other includes the being responsible in the rearing of children and caring for dependent people whether young or old. All these factors contribute to the changing family life and their morals. More and more people are starting to argue like Fletcher that the nuclear family is the dominant family structure but that its modifying over time for example mothers are now getting jobs as well as husbands so they both support the house hold and aren’t dependent on just one person for the whole family. Charles Murray a social scientist says ‘the traditional family life is under threat’. His main concern was with the welfare benefits that single women were being given. He thought that it was too easy for them to leave the nuclear family and live alone and just depend on benefits. Murray also argues that being or living with a single parent on benefits is giving the wrong role models to children as they are able to see that they can live alone and live off benefits so don’t strive to achieve any goals. There are fewer father figures to show discipline as the mother could lose control so the children go down a path of drug dealing vandalism and crime which gives a very positive look on the new right approach. Halsey and Dennis who agrees with what Murray argues saying that single parenthood and absent fathers is one of the key issues with the decrease in nuclear family lives. Due to the lack of jobs and rise in unemployment men are starting to struggle to maintain their title of bread winners and the industries are changing from heavy workloads so women are more likely to find a job in modern times. As a result men may be reject by the women as they can’t financially depend on them so would rather be given benefits than struggle to keep a roof over them and their children’s heads. Halsey debates that being in a one parent family with the factors of unemployment and poverty being high could inevitably lead to crime and vandalism by the younger members of the family. Against a nuclear family with a stable income and stable household would again lead to any crimes and vandalism by the offspring in the family. Abbott and Wallace’s critically judge the new right about how women are being exploited in the families and how a lot of frustration and unhappiness is able to be experienced by living in this environment. The new right also disagrees to acknowledge the violence that can be cause in a nuclear family life and the abuse a family can actually suffer from being forced to stay and live with them as it isn’t socially acceptable to be a one parent family. Some of the ideas that Abbott and Wallace criticised are that the new right are opposed to having an easy availability to a divorce; this again goes against women having the right to leave a violent family life and actually possibly saving theirs and their children’s lives by leaving. Again the new right disagrees with abortions as they say the foetuses have a right to life but Abbott and Wallace criticise this because bringing a baby into the world is a big thing and some people are unable to care for the baby correctly. The new right makes men have a very stressful life as they have a whole family dependent on them as a role model of a breadwinner and the same with women being role models for the girls and showing how much work goes into being involved in a family. Abbott and Wallace favour letting people take control of their own lives by living alone or being involved in a homosexual relationship or even women being the breadwinners while men are in charge of the household and children. Some of the traditional family values that the new right followers agree on bringing back involve that a woman’s place is in the home and shouldn’t be working as a bread winner as that’s the mans job as head of the household. This is associated with gender patriarchy as women are treated completely different to the way men are, and so it’s seen as unfair and sexist in the modern day. Gender patriarchy would be one of the main factors that feminists would argue about as they say women are oppressed by the nuclear family and its rules and values. Different feminist groups argue about different factors, liberal feminist argue about sex discrimination and want changes in the law to be made. However radical feminists argue against men patriarchy, where men are seen to have more power for example women are considered to be responsible for raising the children and choosing and cooking the food and keeping the home as welcoming as possible. Traditionally a man would never be seen do to the cooking or cleaning as it was seen as a wife’s job but in modern times it’s a much more equal task. There are however some positive aspects as to why many people agree with the new rights theory as Brigitte Berger, who defends the nuclear family by saying it’s a very positive feature of modern societies as it helps the youth of the world understand decency, common sense, politeness and respect for others. These values and morals will help make a better life for the person as common decency is seen as a norm and many people agree that in a single parent family the mother might find it s a struggle to teach the children all of that on her own due to the lack of help from the father figure.