Month: December 2021
The Debate: the Supporting Perspective
Abstract
The connection between geniuses and mental disorders is a debate that has covered years of research performed by scientists. The side who supports the connection provides anecdotal evidence, such as a family member who had a certain mental disorder is somehow inherited through the next generation. Research conducted showed desirable results. Tests given to those with creative-related jobs were more likely to have mental disorders. The opposing side claims that there is not enough concise scientific research and that creativity is not limited to the mentally ill. There are suggestions that are proposed to find a consensus between the two sides, one of the suggestions being further research into the issue. With further study, there is a possibility that there will be enough research to bridge this conflict and unlocked discoveries of genetics and the human mind.
Global Issues: Is Depression, or Mental Illness, More Prevalent in Geniuses?
The “tortured genius” trope has been around for as long as one can remember. Television shows and theatrical films display tortured geniuses through fictional characters like Sherlock Holmes. The idea of the tortured genius in fiction has perhaps come from real-life figures, such as artists Frida Kahlo and Jackson Pollock and authors Charles Dickens and Leo Tolstoy. These people used their sorrows to create beautiful works of art. Even today, there are celebrities who struggle with depression, such as late comedian Robin Williams. The supposed link between depression (or mental illnesses) and geniuses is a topic that has been researched by many scientists no matter the era, and it has been argued ever since. The connection between geniuses and depression will be discussed in this paper and the argument of both perspectives involving this issue. The impact this link has will also be discussed.
Background and History
Through most of the compiled research, the origins of the connection between geniuses and depression were not specified. It seems as if the idea was just brought up upon because of the exposure of the trope to the public; it had enabled people to think that it was more common because of the prevalence of famous figures having depression and other mental illnesses (Klein, 2014). In fact, there were many historical figures that had depression. Frida Kahlo suffered from a severe traffic accident at a young age, and in turn, used her pain to create paintings that drew inspiration from Mexican culture. Countless other artists and authors experienced bouts of mental disorders, ranging from bipolar disorder to schizophrenia. The problem with this issue is that there are conflicting sides that disagree with each other. One side believes there is a link between geniuses and depression. The other side claims that it is just a myth and that there is no concise research to support the connection.
The Debate: The Supporting Perspective
The supporting side backed its claims with anecdotal evidence, scientific research, and experiments that have been performed. Most of the research gave desirable results; those with creative jobs were most likely to have some form of a mental illness. In Sweden, Simon Kyaga of the Karolinska Institute, a medical university, and a team of researchers conducted an experiment by tracking 1.2 million Swedes and their relatives using a psychiatric patient registry. The patients had an array of mental disorders, such as schizophrenia and depression. Those who worked in creative fields were 8% more likely to have bipolar disorder. Writers were 121% more likely to suffer from bipolar disorder as well, and 50% more likely to commit suicide than the general public. The individuals in creative careers had relatives that were more likely to have schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, anorexia, and autism. This information implies that mental disorders could be hereditary. A similar experiment was performed by Keri Szaboles, a psychiatrist at Semmelweis University. He gave a creativity test to 128 participants and found that the ones who had the greatest creativity had a gene that was associated with mental illnesses. Even though there seems to be a link between imaginative individuals and mental disorders, there still does not seem to be an answer as to why it exists (Adams, 2014).
Hans Jurgens Eysenck was an English psychologist who created a personality scale called the PEN scale, which showcased traits of psychoticism (traits associated with psychotic), extraversion, and neuroticism. For psychoticism, his model shows how psychotic traits were affiliated with creativity. Those with aggressive behaviors (usually related to psychotic mentality) in relation to psychoticism were associated with creative-related work (Fink, Benedek, Unterrainer, Papousek, & Weiss, 2014).
Figure 1: 3-D graph with E (extraversion) on the left-right x-axis, N (neuroticism) on the up-down y-axis and P (psychoticism) on the near-far z-axis. The PEN scale, by Hans J. Eysenck, 1975, http://www.psychologywizard.net/personality-ao1-ao2-ao3.html. Copyright 1975 by Hans J. Eysenck.
See Figure 1 for the PEN scale. It shows that those who are emotionally unstable have psychoticism, while those who are emotionally stable have high impulse control (no psychoticism). The downfall of this theory is that it has been objected because of psychoticism being “too vague”. Eysenck combined many different types of people together as having “psychotic” personalities (The P.E.N. theory, n.d.). Other evidence, such as self-generated thoughts (i.e. daydreaming) tend to lead to misery in one’s life, but such thoughts were also connected to planning expertise and the “ability to delay gratification” (Pappas, 2015).
The Debate: The Opposing Perspective
The opposing side claimed that most research conducted is “selective” and that there is “not enough” information to truly prove the connection. Like mentioned previously in this paper, the opposing side states that the reason why depression seems more prevalent in geniuses is that that prevalence is referring to famous figures, making it seem more common to the public than it really is (Klein, 2014). There was not enough concise data to support the connection between creativity and depression. Mental illness is not rare at all, in fact, it is very common. 10% of the world population has some form of a mental disorder. That percentage makes up nearly hundreds of millions of people (Dietrich, 2014).
Scott Kaufman, a psychology professor at the University of Pennsylvania, stated that those with neurotic behaviors are indeed prone to have anxiety and stress, but not creativity. He believes that anyone can be creative, neurotic or not. He mentions a review of an opinion piece of a study performed by a group of researchers. The review said that their correlations of neuroticism with creativity were weak. The researchers used past research to support their claim, one of them a study of advertising-industry employees that showed those working in creative roles scored higher on neuroticism than employees in “noncreative roles.” Another study that the researchers referenced revealed that individuals in creative professions had a higher risk of psychiatric illness and suicide. To further support his opposition to the possible connection, Kaufman states that he and his colleagues gave cognitive and personality tests to 1,035 participants. The result he found was that there was no correlation at all. The only personality trait found in the research with a prediction to creative activities was an openness to experience, in other words, the drive to gain more thoughtful, new experiences (2016).
The Debate: The Two Perspectives
Shelley Carson of Frontiers in Human Neuroscience stated that there could be a way to reach a consensus with both sides by suggesting ways to advance the issue. First, people who have mental disorders must exist (which is proven true by some studies, even if flawed). Second, there must be different methods to thoroughly research into this issue. She explains that even if those with mental disorders are not highly creative, there is no research to back this up (from the time she wrote the article). She follows this up by mentioning that there is a chance that there are millions of individuals out there who are very creative and have mental disorders. She also mentions how creativity is important to human survival; there were strategies developed by people for many different types of problems. Neuroscience may delve more into this issue through two strategies: identifying genetic variations and brain imaging work. Those with depression whose careers demand creativity may have a brain that processes differently from those without depression (2014). Another article had evidence that showed a common pool of persons with extreme temperaments that had high intelligence living in a “nurturing” environment, while those with the same temperaments that had no high intelligence were at higher risk of mental illness (Pediaditakis, 2014).
Conclusion
Even if more research proves this issue to be just a myth, it should still be addressed to a wider audience. This issue may not have as much attention as other ongoing conflicts in the world, but it may still have a significant impact on future generations. With depression rates increasing each year, those millions of people may be filled mostly with highly imaginative thinkers, including children and teenagers. A consensus for both sides of the debate will be decided by suggestions so that a clear conclusion can come about for this issue, whether there is a link or not. This subject should have further research so that if there is indeed a connection that involved genetics and the brain, why they could be associated with each other can be answered. With research, there could be many discoveries about genetics and the human brain that the public and scientists will be able to uncover for the whole world to witness.
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Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and Others – Debate
There is much debate in our modern times over what exactly the founders of the United States thought or felt about our political cornerstones (the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and others). Much has changed in the centuries since the beginning of our nation (which is why many debate that the Constitution should be a “living” document, and open to interpretation), but there are still many things which are eerily the same. Chief among them, is the almost eternal debate between those who desire a strong, overarching federal government, and those who prefer stronger states and individual rights, leaving the individual entities to make decisions separate from the federal government. Federalists and Anti-Federalists were the original two parties who had this debate, and the party/group names may have changed, but the struggle between the two sides persists, and is drastically evident throughout modern America.
The fear of the eventual divisiveness of political parties was something that was of concern to some among the founding fathers. Federalists and Anti-Federalists were the earliest examples of in our history of these parties, but they have evolved as time has gone on, culminating in the current iterations of Republicans and Democrats. In Federalist 10, Madison stresses the threat that factions could play to the function of a society/government, and from his descriptions of these factions, we can directly see a comparison to our modern day political parties. Madison describes factions as groups of individuals who are rallied around a certain ideal or goal, and work towards fulfilling that purpose; the issue with this, Madison claims, is that when one such faction holds a majority in a government, they are often prone to act, not necessarily on behalf of their constituents, but on behalf of their own self-interest and end goals. It is this self-interest that we see reflected more and more in our modern day politics. Sometimes self-interest shows itself in terms of personal benefit, and other times it appears in harsh partisanship. In an article from 2015 in the Washington Post, the peak of partisanship can be observed. As time has passed (particularly over the 20th century), we can see a drastic trend of partisanship voting, which leads to the parties moving further and further away from one another. There are no more moderates; the political parties are further apart than ever, and Madison’s notions of how dividing factions can be holds true.
While we have already taken a look at the actual metrics of how dividing political parties have become, just like how Madison warned, I would also like to point to a current day issue which reflects these partisan arguments, and is perhaps the most divisive: gun control. According to a 2010 Pew Research Study, the American public were very literally split down the middle on the issue; 50% said that it was more important to control gun ownership, while 46% stressed the importance of protecting the rights of gun owners. “Republicans strongly favor gun rights over gun control by a 70%-to-26% margin, while Democrats are almost as equally supportive of gun control over gun ownership by a 67%-to-30% margin.” As clear from these statistics, the opinions of the majority of the two major political parties are completely inverted, if events over the past decade in particular are any indication, these numbers will not sway any time soon. The cycle that has been established regarding gun-related tragedies always ends with nothing changing in terms of legislation, just both sides yelling at each other, furthering the pre-established divide between the parties, and accomplishing nothing. Republicans view anything more than individual states dictating their own gun control laws, as an affront to the autonomy of the states; an idea/fear that we saw over 200 years ago amongst Anti-Federalists - that Again from Federalist 10: “A zeal for different opinions...have in turn divided mankind into parties, inflamed them with mutual animosity, and rendered them much more disposed to vex and oppress each other, than to cooperate for their common good.” Madison’s insights on the propensity of man to choose sides and divide is clearly echoed in the arguments over modern-day gun control; parties have been so obsessed with “getting a win” over the other, that I fear modern politicians lose sight of the interest of their constituents when making some decisions.
A major critic of Federalist ideas and Madison’s writings, Brutus, might have some aversion to the politics of modern times, as he was very wary of the initial Federalist proposals for a republic government. The main concern from him (and Centinel as well) was one that, as mentioned earlier, we often see today, particularly from the Republican party: when the federal government executes legislation, based on the votes of representatives, how can the the rights of the individual or states truly be guaranteed. From Brutus, regarding the United States: “Is it practicable for a country, so large and so numerous as they will soon become, to elect a representation, that will speak their sentiments, without their becoming so numerous as to be incapable of transacting public business? It certainly is not.” While there was eventual compromise between Federalists and Anti-Federalists, and our government does have a legislative branch, this sentiment that the country is too large and diverse for the federal government to have the majority of the power echoes today. On many issues (taxes, healthcare, gun control (as discussed earlier), etc.), many push for greater state autonomy as opposed to federal oversight.
Partisanship, which saw its infancy in the early years of our republic, is currently in it’s most drastic phase in our history. Federalists and Anti-Federalists may have begun the initial divide between two major political groups, on the basis of how the government should be run, but this disagreement has not only continued into modern times, but has become more deeply seeded and more complex in the national issues that are wrapped up in it. Gun control is a glaring example, but there are plenty of others as well; all of which serve as methods of one party to point out flaws in the other. Despite warnings from our founding fathers, Madison amongst them, political parties or, simply put, factions, have taken control of our political systems, and the intense partisanship that the subscribe to has done nothing but make the government/our representatives, I believe, less effective.
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Cultural Relativism Explores the Meaning of what is “Right”
Williams defines an amoralists as someone who does not believe in any moral ideas and have no moral tendencies that they follow. Williams talks about how they are moral parasites because they take advantage of our moral institutions. The way Williams talks about amoralism is that he makes it a very narrow definition. He talks about how an amoralist cannot by any means judge others or have self pride. They cannot get mad if someone steals from them and they want revenge because this implies that they feel as though they have been wronged. He frames it in a way that is nearly impossible and absolutely irrational to be an amoralist.
The reason that people who suffer from depression cannot classify as an amoralist is because what these people need is hope. They cannot be rationalized to care and all of their actions are mechanical. Rational in this situation means that the support for their actions is derived from their lack of happiness and from a perspective of giving up. An amoralist is not depressed or emotionally distraught, but is emotional stable and all of their actions are based on their logic. An individual epistemological subjectivism (IES) is a version of epistemological subjectivism (as there is also collective) in which moral reasoning cannot resolve moral disagreements. The definition of epistemological is the capacity to understand. When Williams talks about IES, he narrows down who he is talking about by referring to it being in reference to a stable person.
An IES is not a defeatist which is a person who thinks that there is no person who can make a claim to answer what is right and wrong with moral injustices. This also means that they are not indifferent, meaning that they do believe that there can be moral justification. What IES believes is distinct is the belief that a person can have a strong moral belief but an IES cannot say it is wrong because they are not in a position to do so. They believe this because they cannot prove it like it is possible to prove science. Williams thinks that their raitional can possibly be threatening to universal moral views but the diffuser argument makes them no longer threatening because it takes away their strength in the argument. Williams does not argue it as being incoherent, rather, he simple refutes aspects of it that make it a weaker argument. Under noble morality, “good” is defined by the social elites and the nobleman.
Good is defined by their characteristics that is rooted from strength and those with power. The characteristics they have is Healthy, strong, rare, talented, and privileged. What is “bad” is, therefore, defined by the exact opposite of what is “good”. For example, because strong is good, therefore, weakness (the opposite) is bad. What happens is that a shift develops that has been labeled slave morality in which the definition of what is “good” changes. Now it is good v evil. The significance of this is that now “evil” is now the qualities of the nobleman (which used to be good). The opposite is now good so instead of being forceful, it is “good” to be restrained. What this means is that instead of “good” coming from a source of strength, it is now coming from a source of weakness. The question then becomes, what caused this change? The reason this change happened was because of a slave revolt. The priests had caused the slave revolt because of priestly morality.
There was an emphasis from God to be pure and that evil was impure. The priests defined good by their attributes and what they wanted to see.
Section B: Opposing Side Williams presents what cultural relativism and then he explains why it is not a moral theory that can hold much ground. He explains how cultural relativism explores the meaning of what is “right”. Cultural Relativists think that “right” varies for a given society. There are three propositions that must be followed. One is that “right” varies for a given society. The second proposition is that “right” is in functionalists terms (what is right is what serves the societies purpose) and the third is that it is wrong for one society to try to interfere with the values of another society. Williams then argues that the premise of cultural relativism is flawed.
He argues that the first and third propositions contradict each other. He explains how in order for the first proposition to be true then different societies can have different views on when or whether to condemn what they view as immoral societies. Proposition three says that “condemning societies” are therefore wrong, which completely contradicts proposition one. The problem with Williams’ argument is that he misinterprets the meaning of “wrong” and “value”. The reason these three propositions are presented in this order is because the cultural relativists establishes first that right is relative and along with that, so is wrong. When the term “wrong” is used, it is not in reference to moral wrong, but it refers to it simply being disruptive to other societies. What William’s fails to recognize is that cultural relativists view the world in a big picture third person sense. The view is not in first person. Furthermore, Williams puts too much weight on the word values.
Values is something that is broad (such as justice). So when one society goes in to try to change another society, they attack the branches of justice, not justice itself. The significance of memory and forgetfulness in Nietzsche’s Genealogy is that he explains one how memory created bad consciousness and why it is unnatural. Nietzsche first makes a distinction between motor memory and socially created memory. Motor memory is what tells you to not put your hand on the hot iron because it will burn you. The socially created memory is what is not connected to survival but it was shaped in order to have promises and character be made. The method that is used to have this accountability is corporal punishment. This makes people remember and this makes there be a cost for forgetting. Nietzsche uses the example of the debtor and the creditor and how the creditor benefits from this method. Memory can be good and we naturally remember, but Nietzsche suggests active forgetting. He suggests that when we hold on to the bad and dwell on our bad conscious, it only holds us back.
One must self consciously make the decision to move on. An objection needs to be raised to this on two grounds. It can be generally agreed on that holding on to the past is bad for oneself, however, one cannot simply make themselves forget something. Nietzsche makes unrealistic assertions without providing a methodology on this. The second issue is that Nietzsche discusses the socially created memory as being unnatural. The problem with this is that it is natural as that is the nature of our society. We are social creatures and one must adapt to the status quo of the society. Social darwinism exists and therefore if one actively forgets the bad, they will not be able to survive in society because they would make the same mistakes.
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The Theories Ethical Egoism and Cultural Relativism
In the case study “Campaigns and Gains” the theories ethical egoism and cultural relativism are utilized to determine what ethical decision would be made given different morals and values. Based on my own values and ethical standpoint, I would not attend the fundraiser.
Ethical egoism is the view that people should do what is in their own self-interest, and there is no obligation to promote anyone else’s interest. This theory states that it is more beneficial to be self-interested. Moreover, the idea of ethical egoism is that your own welfare is the only thing that is ultimately valuable and all people pursue things based on their own self-interest. It states that it is moral to seek out your own self-interest and it is never moral to not encourage one’s own good. Therefore, if I were following the ethical egoism theory in this specific scenario, I would go to the campaign fundraiser. By doing so, I would be gaining from it and it could potentially help me win my campaign. If I was following ethical egoism, I would only be focusing on what would be beneficial to me, not the possible negative consequences of my actions. From this standpoint I would have no obligation to promote anyone else's interests, therefore I would have no obligation to abide by the agreement I signed.
Cultural relativism is the view that all beliefs, values, and morals are based on culture, and vary from society to society. Whether an action is right or wrong solely depends on the moral norms of the society. Therefore, actions that are morally right in one society, may be seen as morally wrong in another. If I was following cultural relativism in this scenario I would not go to the campaign fundraiser. I would not go to the fundraiser because I signed an agreement stating I would not attend any political events hosted by opposing candidates. Even if I had not officially started the position yet, I would still abide by these guidelines because if it was found out that I went against it, it could negatively impact my position. In the society I grew up in, it was always seen as important to follow rules and guidelines. This is something that is learned from parental figures as well as in school. If this position was important to me, I would think about the possible consequences of my actions and how it could affect the new position I have accepted. For example, in Joan Didion’s “On Self Respect” she talks about having respect for yourself and accepting responsibility for your actions. I think it is important to exercise self-respect in many aspects of your life, including making ethical decisions, such as whether or not to attend the campaign. In this situation I would have enough self-respect for myself to not attend the campaign. By doing so, I would feel better about myself knowing I made the right choice and I wouldn’t have to worry about being reprimanded or have my position revoked.
Without a guiding ethical theory and solely based on my own values, I would not attend the fundraiser. When deciding whether or not to attend the fundraiser I would believe it to be unethical to attend considering I signed an agreement stating I would not do so. Attending the fundraiser could possibly give me an unfair advantage and if found out, I could be seen as untrustworthy therefore it could directly affect my position. Considering that I firmly believe in the communities platform and am pleased to work with the campaign, I would find it imperative to follow the guidelines and rules provided for me when I signed up for the position. Although attending the fundraiser could potentially help my campaign, it would not be worth it to me if I truly wanted to be in good standing for this position.
In conclusion, based on my own ethical values I would decline the offer to attend the campaign fundraiser. I would find it favorable to abide by the campaign agreement because I wouldn’t want to sabotage the opportunity to work with the campaign. I would base my decision on the possible consequences of my actions.
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Problems with Ethnic and Cultural Relativism
This chapter focuses on ways to deal with moral difference, the lessons learned from anthropological studies, and problems with Ethical relativism. The reaction of moral differences varies from person to person as well as how they approach it. The four ways people approach these differences that the chapter states are nihilism, skepticism, and subjectivism. Nihilism is the belief that there is no morally right or wrong whereas skepticism is believing that we cannot know if any moral truths exist. Subjectivism is the idea that moral views vary from person to person and that one’s moral views might seem accurate to them but not to another individual
Ethical relativism refers to the belief that we should not be quick to judge because each culture has it’s own set of morals and we should not interfere because in their eyes, it is right. Following ethical relativism, are soft and hard universalism. Soft universalism alludes to the theory that in spite of all cultural moral differences, there are moral grounds that we can all agree that are part of our human nature.The main goal of soft universalism is to find this common ground in a sea of opinions, beliefs, and morals.
One example the text states of this is the difference between how the Greeks dispose of a dead relative’s body and how the Indian Callatians do it. The Greeks burn their deceased relatives and the Callatians eat them. They are both completely different rituals but they both have the common denominator as to why they do it; to honor the dead. In contrast to soft universalism, hard universalism refers to the idea that there is only one set of morals that everyone must either think is right or wrong.
During the nineteenth century, anthropologists set out to discover the different ways of non western lives. They discovered an overwhelming amount of cultural differences. One of the many difference were that women in a particular culture believed that men did not impregnate women but rather conceive their offsprings on their own with the help of spirits. Another discovery was that the South Sea Islanders did not have to wear clothes, work as much, and have as much as they please sex without judgement. Anthropologist have learned that some cultures have either an amazing lifestyle such as the South Sea Islanders or an inhumane and sinful one.
This leads us to the six problems with ethical relativism. The first one the text explains is to not criticize nor praise a culture’s morals. We cannot assume that just because one set of morals works for a particular culture, it will work for another. When a line is drawn between a culture’s morals and evading human rights, it breaks the idea of ethical relativism. Another problem is that usually the majority agrees on what is morally right, but who exactly is the majority? Who decided what is socially acceptable. Also, how can there be cultural relativism, if there is no clear definition of a culture. What makes a culture?
I don’t believe that ethical relativism is a valid belief. The reasoning behind that statement is that we shouldn’t have to dismiss extreme brutality that cultures base their lives on such as murder, female genital mutilation, or inhuman punishments just because they believe that it is right in their eyes. From the four approaches to moral differences that the text states, I believe that I fall into the subjectivism category because from my experience, I know that what I consider to be “rude” actions, others don’t see anything wrong by these actions. I am the type of person to say please and thank everyone for their help or services such as when ordering a meal and if I don’t, I feel as if I disrespected the other person.
So it came as a shock to me when I worked at subway the amount of people that ordered their sandwich without a single please or thank you. Of course, itI does not necessarily mean they were being rude to me, they just don’t agree with the same morals as I do. Some people might see it as it is my job so I have to do it regardless of whether the thank me, which is right but in my eyes, those people are rude customers. I do believe that every culture’s morals have in a common ground that we share but we interpret it differently. This has a lot to do with acculturation because if an individual is brought up to believe that women are inferior to men, their mindset is stuck to that idea thus leading to the mistreating of women. I think that America is just as bad as the most inhumane culture ever discovered.
We use something called metaethics to make our actions seem more justifiable. When a man is sentenced to death by injection for killing, we are no better than the killer but we use metaethics and assurance to make it seem less cynical. Instead of murder, we say euthanasia. Euthanasia is the painless killing of a terminally ill person but murder can be just as painless. Where is the line drawn between euthanasia and murder? Is it because a euthanasia is usually completed by a doctor or a health official? If that is the case, then female circumcision should not be frowned upon now since most regions have have made it available to get the procedure done in a hospital but we will still look at it as a wrong because it does not have any health benefits but is merely another way for men to be empowering over women.
I believe that if apply something to one culture, it should be applied to another culture. With that statement, I should be free to categorize myself as a hard universalist. I do believe that at the end of the day there a set of morals that everyone on Earth should follow. The question that is posed to this is who shall be the one to find or set these rules?
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Cultural Relativism Delineates Different Cultures
Cultural relativism is a school of thought that delineates different cultures and recognizes that right or wrong is specific to each culture. It emphasizes that each culture has it's own standards and these standard sometimes differ from place to place. As a result what is permissible in region A might be abominable in region B. It supports the popular phrase 'When in Rome, do as the Romans'.
Ethics seem to spell out what is right and wrong while seeking to standardize behavior across board. Cultural relativism does not do much good to ethics as it tries to separate right and wrong form place to place thereby giving rise to various multiple standards.
The legitimate process of getting and paying for a ticket is rather cumbersome hence the aster way of direct cash handout to cops was adopted by the majority of the populace. The merit of this process is that the policemen receive this monies rather than wait for some administrative staff to do the collection and further redistribution to the policemen. I suspect that the only value of this is to the policemen who directly receive this money. There is really no ethical justification for the action in Mexico. You can only argue on the basis of cultural relativism that since it is accepted by the majority, it ceases to become offensive to keep on doing it
The process of getting and paying off a ticket in my country is very similar to the method of Mexico. In actual fact, it is a more direct version. Doling out cash to the cops and traffic officials in my state for example is faster and cheaper compared to Mexico. Once you commit a traffic offense in my state and you are approached by a cop or traffic official, the quickest and easiest way is to negotiate with the man in uniform. There is also no ethical justification for the action in my country. You can only contest it on the basis of cultural relativism that since it is accepted by the majority, it ceases to become offensive to keep on practicing it.
I am not really convinced with the concept of cultural relativism as it suggest that an action that is inimical to progress can be condoned on the basis of culture. For example cultural relativism can permit the sale of hard drugs without regulation but it does help to deal with the long term consequences of this kind of action.
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Education Conformity Essay
Schools want students to be allowed or encouraged to think for themselves and pursue their own interests, but schools also believe that it is right in some circumstances to encourage conformity in order to socialize students. This could mean looking to increase schools’ statistics on how many young adults graduate with high GPAs and good resumes. Going through the choices found in an adolescents everyday life, one must be reassured that they can take what class they desire instead of wondering how many AP classes they should take for the year to boost themselves. Students feel pressure everyday to be a certain way in order to achieve what they want to be in the near future because of competitiveness and societal expectations, and shouldn’t have to spend all their money on getting an education that gets higher value.
In today’s society, AP classes are seen as a way to give students the academic experience of college classes which helps prepare for future schooling they have ahead, and to earn early college credit. This gives these teenagers excellent things to write in their resume, allowing them to get a job that seeks potential. But from an economic perspective, the incentive is definitely not seen. The most notable example of this would be the extra tutoring and assistance that parents and their kids pursue for their grades and AP exam scores, which could cause more pressure to form for already-stressed students. Kicking out college courses in highschool seems rather far fetched when some colleges make it difficult by not accepting certain AP credit. Meanwhile at other colleges, which could be inconvenient to where families live, students already having the AP credit could save plenty of money according to the expense of education lately. Through all this trouble, we could have people in schools learning things at an easier pace instead of constricting our abilities to a higher standard.
Furthermore, it’s beyond obvious students can feel social pressure to take AP classes. Statistics wise, it’s been said that in 2019, more than 500,000 students registered themselves online for over one million AP exams at 1360 schools through Total Registration's service. In our communities, it’s clear that students who don’t take certain AP classes tend to feel average in schools where “the smart people” who take these classes show patterns that reveal good paths drawn ahead. In other words, it’s basically another term kids use to separate themselves from the rest. Although it isn’t a marvelous idea to push people into coursework they aren’t prepared for, it’s a common occurrence for those with authoritarian parents who think advanced courses will help their kids. This is because of the stereotype: regular classes are too average for today’s college expectations. Schools can change this common thought by encouraging kids to balance their needs instead of piling pressure and encouraging conformity through these classes that are expected to be taken.
Despite all this, there are people that argue students should be taking these AP classes because the curriculums offer challenging work that reflects what they will face in college- this way they won’t get slammed with a load of work. In reality, to view the value of the class or the test grade as the same would be a rare sighting especially since each college has their own reputation and values. And as for others, they try to fix the core problem which could be the students paying more attention in class and learning how to not procrastinate. This couldn’t be more false because there are teachers that could use some work as well. To inspire passion in our schools and instill it in the students, our community needs more teachers that are passionate about what we learn.
Instead of pressuring adolescents to take all advanced classes in today's society, we should be motivating them to take into account their own individuality and do what they think is right for them. Classes that are expected to be taken because of your common surroundings could just drain your money, add immense pressure, and distract you from where you want to head in life.
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Our Concept of Conformity
The history of asylums relates to our concept of conformity and deviance through understanding how aspects of the social environment influence the behavior of individuals. Sociological theorists of deviance focus on particular factors that cause deviant behavior, and how removing or changing factors in the environment will change the levels of deviance. The history of asylums and other institutions of social control created structural changes in the U.S. and European societies. The history of the totalistic features of asylums and institutions value the distinction of separations between the classes of individuals. Those who live behind the bars and those who supervise them.
The inmates usually view their staff as strict, unfair and condescending whereas the staff view the inmates as untrustworthy, dangerous and inferior. Goffman comments, “It is important to add that the institutional plan and name comes to be identified by both staff and inmates as somehow belonging to staff, so that when' either grouping refers to the views or interests of ' 'the institution,' by implication they are referring to the views and concerns of the staff” (Goffman).
Our society produces people that conform to the rules. We need people to follow the rules so society is not chaotic. Social control is maintained through formal or informal sanctions. Similarly to the history of asylums the Stanford Prison experiment can be compared to the strict separation of inmates and authority figures. The guards in the experiment had to promote and enforce their authority over the inmates in order to maintain control and order within the prison. Informal sanctions were imposed by the guards providing foundation for formal social control. Another way the history of asylums relates to our topic of conformity and deviance is through the inmate culture.
Asylums served as a type of institutional social control of difference. They used to only house the mentally ill individuals but now housed the social deviants of society. Race, gender and social class placed an important role in what was considered to be deviant or normal. Asylums were segregated by race and sometimes gender. Women were often institutionalized for failing to adhere to the gender norms. For example, if a women was overly sexual or a prostitute she would be institutionalized. The history of asylums propose ideas about deviance change over time, along with ideas about how to enforce conformity.
When examining the history of deviance we observe events that affected society and how an individuals social identity benefits them. The reading Another Voice: She Did it All for Love by Marcia Millman explores the history and culture of rule breaking and deviance. Millman states, “When we arrive at the study of interpersonal government we enter a world of analysis that is especially important for understanding the experiences, for when individuals do not have official titles, formal positions, or other safeguards to cover and protect them (like money), the unofficial and informal interpersonal gestures and maneuvers take on a weightier meaning” (Millman pg.272). This gives us a better understanding of the power of interpersonal relationships. Both Goffman and Millman provide evidence to explore the relationships between outsiders and insiders, deviants and conventionalists as they face daily life challenges.
The OER reading analyzes the influence social class and status can have on an individuals experience in a given place. Critics argue Goffman never mentioned the special treatments patient Ezra Pound received while institutionalized for mental insanity. Pound, a highly respected American poet, proves that celebrities and social elites are entitled to more freedom and control. Pound was declared ill-equipped to stand trial due to reasons of insanity. Even though he did not seem the slightest bit insane to psychiatrists, Pound’s social status created his release to freedom. Irvine quotes, “The enduring cultural resonance of Asylums, and asylums themselves, reveals historical shifts in approaches to social outsiders and strangers, and bespeaks abiding concern about the intersections of individual troubles and social problems” (Irvine 2018). The history of asylums give sociologists a better understanding about how and why deviance changes over time. Differences in how and whether or not to enforce conformity changes while we advance in time.
Thomas Gieryn’s article A Space For Place in Sociology applies the relationship between place and behavior, belief, and change. He suggests that place, “stabilizes and gives durability to social structural categories, differences and hierarchies; arranges patterns of fate-to-face interaction that constitute network-formation and collective action; embodies and secures otherwise intangible cultural norms, identities, memories and values” (Gieryn 2000:473). Place sustains difference in hierarchy by routinizing our daily schedules that exclude and divide groups of people. This could involve employe and employer relationships or racial and class segregations. Places reinforce hierarchy by extending or constraining opportunities to groups of people in poor economic areas.
The next concept the OER reading of Asylums examines is the importance of place. Goffman emphasizes that place matters regarding the effectiveness of treatment and healing. Psychiatric institution architecture, “prioritized peaceful and natural surroundings for asylums” (Irvine 2018) that was argued to be beneficial to the patients’ emotional healing. Deviance scholars argue that deviance is organized by, and carried out within, specific places. “He defined “total institution” as the collapse of boundaries between sleep, work, and play, where “all aspects of life are conducted in the same place” (Irvine 2018). Asylums and institutions are isolated areas disconnected from society which serves as a means of social control. Some patients become so comfortable and connected in the institution it makes them unable to function in the outside world.
The article Disorders Without Borders by Nikolas Rose comments on the effects physiatrist have on medicalizing disorders. “Critics suggest that many diagnoses, especially those ‘on the borders’, are judgements of social deviance or problems of living that have no place in psychiatry...need not originate in dysfunctions and some that is clearly the result of conflict with others or with society” (Rose 2008:251). The expansion of psychiatric categories and diagnoses create social stigmas against those who are unable to function according to the norms and expectations of society. Pharmaceutical companies play a big role in the medicalization. They don’t only make drugs to treat diseases but they also construct new diseases to fit the products they are claiming to treat. Thus challenging diagnostic labelling as a form of social control.
The OER reading also explores the effects medicialization and the creation of the DSM IV had on patients and society as a whole. Advertisements of a new drug Thorazine was marketed as a solution to a wide variety of symptoms including rage, violence, agitation, stress and alcoholism. It especially targeted and reinforced gender and racial norms. The drug was marketed to rebellious women to sooth them back to the kitchen and to control “assaultive and belligerent” (Irvine 2018) African Americans.
Other social norms that were often recognized as disorders that needed medicalizing were homosexuality and feminists. “The anti-psychiatry movement challenged a politics of stigma and labelling that pathologized non-conformity and individual differences” (Irvine 2018). Behaviors that were seen as deviant were now being marketed as mental disorders. Medical companies sell the product of normality to vulnerable populations that want to fit in.
One interesting idea I learned about asylums was that there is a wide generalized range of total institutions form boarding schools to prisons. The main factor that assimilates these institutions is the influence it has over the individuals under complete authority. Another concept I found interesting was the effect medicalization had on the institutions. Similarly to the Americanization of Mental Illness reading, the introduction to a drug that can alter frowned upon behaviors changed the system of institutions. I found this interesting because in modern day we still have controversies over the medicalization of certain disorders. Even back in the 1900’s drugs were advertised in the same way we see them on tv today. Promoting the drugs as a solution to a wide range of behaviors from aggitation to alcoholism.
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Conformity – the Scarlet Letter
In the Puritan’s view, the world is full of sin. Sinners must be punished and Without conformity, people are left as outsiders. Conformity is influenced by the identification with a specific group. In order to be truly accepted as a member of the clergy, people must adapt to the group’s set of rules that govern their beliefs and behavior. According to Puritan writer, Pita Mae Brown, “the reward for conformity is that everyone likes you but yourself.” This cruel reality is present everywhere and elicits one’s frailties. Many people conceal their flaws in order to better fit into the society. As a result, the profound disconnect between society and your individual mind becomes further more prevalent.
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is comparable to the Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. Both stories take place in the Puritan era and revolve around the harsh religious law enforcement. Characters from each of the works strive for individuality which puts their lives at risk. Those who think or act independently are seen as a sinner to the community and those around them. The moment an individual rebels from the group and or religion, the group must denounce the individual because he or she ruins their image as a whole. In the Puritan mindset, ignoring the sin and not punishing implies acceptance and approval of their defiance towards God. The clergy must show God that they condemn the sin and the sinner to portray they are devout Puritans. This is presented in the form of strict punishments. Therefore, Conformity is needed because anything less is a breach and threat to the societal standards.
The Puritan society consists of ministers and magistrates enacting the law of God, judging and punishing those who commit sins, and protecting the laws that are of the ten commandments. These traditions force people to match their beliefs and actions to the societal norms, even if they desire other things in their heart. Puritans possess natural tendencies of repressing the behavior of other humans actions and thoughts. This illustrates how strict and viscous the Puritan mindset is capable of. The presence of conformity and sin is most significant in The Scarlet Letter.
Through the main characters Hester, Dimmesdale, and Pearl, it is evident that conformity is a superficial element in the Puritan society because people sin in private but exhibit no traces in public. Because of their secret, Hester makes precautionary actions to keep Pearl silent due to her immaturity and adolescence. “Mother,’ said she,’ was that the same minister that kissed me by the brook?’ ‘Hold thy peace, dear little Pearl!’ whispered her mother. ‘We must not always talk in the marketplace of what happens to us in the forest’” (Hawthorne 228). During the inauguration ceremony for the new governor, Pearl sees Dimmesdale and notices his difference in personality. The anxiousness in Hester’s voice to Pearl illustrates the need to keep quiet in order to “fit” in without being noticed or judged by the townspeople.
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Individuality Trumps Conformity
The fictional novel, “Fahrenheit 451,” by Ray Bradbury, depicts a future dystopian world
in which a conflicted man, Guy Montag, must face the difficult decision of conforming or breaking away from society. This community that Guy Montag lives in prefers to create a strict structure of conformity within the society, shunning those who think for themselves or have a higher intelligence. Ray Bradbury utilizes the setting and internal conflict of the protagonist, Guy Montag, to express that despite conformities orderly and peaceful nature, individuality fosters new ideas and change which are necessary for progress.
The setting of the story and Guy Montag’s internal conflict of whether to conform, displays how individuality is complex and breeds new ideas, while conformity is simple and resists change. When Guy Montag comes home from burning a woman’s house because she owned books, he noticed that she would rather burn with her books then give them up to the firemen. While at the burn site, he could not fathom how books could be worth more than one’s life and chooses to steal a book to find the answer. While Guy’s wife, Mildred, was arguing about whether Guy could quit work for a while, Montag begins to contemplate whether he should have become a fireman and says, “ ‘Thought! Was I given a choice? My grandfather and father were firemen. In my sleep, I ran after them.”(51).
Guy is very internally conflicted while speculating of whether becoming a fireman was a good career choice. When Guy says the phrase “ ‘Thought! Was I given a choice,” Ray Bradbury highlights the idea that individuality fosters ideas and conflict, while conformity negates conflict for society to stay orderly. These ideas begin to give people “choice” in how they act and think, rather than fall in line with the rest of society. Guy begins to understand the power of individuality when he breeds conflict with Mildred to further understand how to solve problems that he would have previously ignored.
By Guy saying “ ‘My grandfather and father were firemen. In my sleep, I ran after them,” he understands that his past-self would just follow or “run” after what was the norm and would not break away from it. Guy begins to think individually to solve his problem of unhappiness instead of ignoring it and moving on. In search of his solution, he informs his fire-captain that he is sick and would not arrive to work. Guy’s fire-captain, Captain Beatty, knew that Guy had stolen a book and decided to speak with Guy. While at Guy’s house, Captain Beatty attempts to force Guy into conforming with society and says, “We must all be alike. Not everyone born free and equal, but everyone made equal. Each man the image of every other; then all are happy, for there are no mountains to make them cower, to judge themselves against.”(58).
Ray Bradbury creates a setting which prioritizes happiness and demonstrates how conformity creates a simple and peaceful society. When Captain Beatty says, “Not everyone born free and equal, but everyone made equal,” he explains how society should function such that nobody can become more capable and instead must fit into the societal norm to achieve happiness. Captain Beatty uses the phrase “there are no mountains to make them cower” to describe how a society which promotes perfect equality makes citizens safe from “mountains”, a symbol for those who are superior in intelligence.
A culture in which nobody can “judge themselves against” another, there is no possibility for envy because all are alike. By creating a society with no opportunity for someone superior to another, it promotes order and harmony within the society because there are no moments of conflict or envy.
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The American Farm Policy
Introduction
The U.S. is one of the world's largest agricultural producers. It also has a very huge domestic market and is the biggest exporter of agricultural products in the world. Nevertheless, the share of exported U.S. agricultural production is more than double of any other U.S. sector, and the trade surplus of agricultural products serves as a significant boost for the U.S. economy. Therefore, U.S. agricultural policies have a great influence on global agricultural markets. Farm policies can be extremely controversial and can affect international trade, environmental protection, food safety, and rural communities ' well-being.
Farm policy defines a set of laws relating to domestic agriculture and international agricultural imports. Governments generally adopt agricultural policies in order to achieve a specific outcome in the markets for domestic agricultural products. Since America's initial economy was almost entirely agrarian, almost all of the early economic and trade policy was primarily on agricultural policy.
U.S. agricultural policy, sometimes simply referred to as farm policy generally follows a five-year legislative process that establishes a wide-ranging 'Farm Bill.' Farm Bills, or Farm Acts, regulate farming, food and nutrition services and rural communities, as well as bioenergy and forestry aspects. The most recent of all such Farm Bills, the 2018 Agricultural Improvement Act (2018 Farm Bill), authorizes regulations in the aspects of commodity programs and crop insurance, agricultural land protection, agricultural trade (including foreign food aid), nutrition (mainly domestic food aid), farm credit, rural development, agricultural research, state, and private forestry, and horticulture, organic agriculture, and bioenergy.
History
During the Great Depression, farm bills were first created to provide financial assistance to farmers suffering due to excess crop supply causing low market prices, and also to monitor and ensure adequate food supply.
In 1933, as part of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, Congress passed the first farm bill, known as the Agriculture Adjustment Act (AAA). The bill required farmers to receive payment from the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture for not growing food on a percentage of their land. It also allowed the government to purchase excess grain from farmers, which could be sold later if the product output was negatively affected by bad weather or other circumstances. The AAA also included a program of nutrition, it served as the precursor to food stamps.
Congress established a more comprehensive farm bill in 1938 (the 1938 Agricultural Adjustment Act) with an explicit provision to amend it after every five years. The first major structural adjustment to the farm bill was introduced in 1996 when Congress agreed that farm income should be dictated by free-market forces and stopped subsidizing farmland and buying extra wheat. Instead, the government started to require farmers to enroll in a crop insurance program to receive payments from the farm. This led to years of U.S. history's highest farm subsidies.
In the late 1990s, direct payments also began as a way to support struggling farmers, irrespective of crop output. These payments enabled grain farmers to receive annual government checks based on farm yields and acreage as recorded in the previous decade.
The farm bill was passed in 2008 and was referred to as the Agriculture, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008. The bill contained about $100 billion in annual funding for Agriculture Department services, about 80% of which was dedicated to food stamps and several other nutritional programs.
The 2008 Farm bill increased spending by increasing the budget deficit to $288 billion, causing controversy at the time. It increased subventions for biofuels, which the World Bank named one of three major contributors, together with high fuel prices and price speculation, to the global food price crisis of 2007–2008.
Because of its size and cost, President George Bush vetoed the bill for 2008. Congress, however, nullified the veto. Due to its high cost and the unequal distribution of the subsidy money to farmers, the 2008 bill was also highly contentious. The bill was 47% more costly than the 2003 budget, and 10% of farmers had earned 75% of subsidy dollars over the previous ten years. Some of these farm owners were Congress members at the time as well as other public figures, including former president Jimmy Carter, who received thousands of dollars in direct payments. Approximately 62% of farmers did not receive subsidies from the farm bill in 2007.
The 2018 farm bill or 2018 Agriculture Improvement Act is United States law that reauthorized most expenses in the previous United States farm bill: the 2014 Agricultural Act. On December 11, 2018, the Senate passed the $867 billion reconciled farm policy, and on December 12th, the House passed it. It received the signing of President Donald Trump on December 20th, 2018 and became law. The farm policy in the United States is the federal government's primary agriculture and food management device.
Conclusion
The United States continues to maintain a range of agricultural policies with goals including everything from traditional goals of stabilizing agricultural output and continuing to support farm income for those more recently gaining in importance, such as ensuring adequate nutrition, ensuring food safety, promoting environmental protection, and fostering rural development.
The United States Farm Policy amends existing legislation across a full range of policy areas it controls, which may vary from Farm Bill to Farm Bill at the moment, depending on policy issues at a particular time. In some cases, new Farm Bills expand, amend, and modify provisions of previous Farm Bills, particularly for the crops, conservation, and rural development programs. In several other cases, new Farm Bill provisions extend, review, and replace terminology in laws that regulate areas that overlap Farm Bill authorities, including food and nutrition, trade, research and extension, food safety, forestry, food safety, organic production, credit, pesticides, and crop insurance.
In all these situations, there are still aspects of existing and relevant laws that are not changed by a new Farm Bill. As a result, certain U.S. food and agriculture management programs and legislation may be governed by laws other than the current Farm Bill.
References
U.S. Farm Policy and Policy Proce - USDA ERS https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/farm-economy/farm-commodity-policy/us-farm-policy-and-policy-process/
Agricultural policy of the United States – Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agricultural_policy_of_the_United_States
A Short History and Summary of the Farm Bill - Farm Policy Facts https://www.farmpolicyfacts.org
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Field Trip to Chingwe Farm in Shamva, Zimbabwe
It is widely accepted the world over that aquaculture is the fastest expanding food producing sector as the demand for fish other aquatic products continues to rise (FAO, 2012; Troell et al, 2014). Pursuant to studies in aquaculture, the UZ Aquaculture Class of 2019 had an opportunity to visit Chingwe Farm in Shamva, Zimbabwe owned by Mr N Chingwe who is a beneficiary of the Land Reform Programme. The visit was done in order to afford students a chance to complement theoretical knowledge gained with a practical appreciation of concepts. The objective of this report is to give a highlight of how aquaculture is being conducted within an integrated farming system.
Mr Chingwe’s farm is located within Shamva District and it covers about 15 hectares. The farm encompasses a wide range of agricultural systems that include aquaculture, horticulture, poultry, livestock husbandry and apiculture. There is also a fruit tree orchard that is run at the farm. The idea of an integrated farming system is to increase overall production or income by reducing costs for purchasing expensive and potentially polluting fertilisers or pesticides (Zajdband, 2011). Initially, the farm ran an intensive aquaculture system but has since adopted the extensive system due to the high feed price and the harsh economic environment. This has increased the time taken to reach harvesting from 4-5 months to about a year. Ponds were being fertilised by animal waste in order to boost the growth of algae which fish can feed. Mr Chingwe pleaded with the Department of Biological Sciences to carry out experiments in order to develop a cheaper and nutritious type of feed that small scale farmers can afford.
A total of 12 large earth ponds were constructed for fish farming but only 3 had fish because of drying out. Earth ponds without a plastic lining are advantageous in that they are inexpensive to construct and they also help to regulate water quality because plant growth is encouraged (Omofunmi, 2016). They mainly relied on rain and water was supplemented by a nearby dam although its water levels were receding. It was learnt that plans were under way to have a borehole to mitigate the water challenges that were being faced. There was virtually no draining system within the ponds and this tended to increase the ammonia levels thereby increasing chances of fish mortalities (Omofunmi, 2016). Furthermore, there were no water quality tests this was attributed also to the poor growth of fish. It is critical to carry out regular water quality tests in order to investigate the levels of parameters that are crucial to the survivability of fish such as pH, salinity and dissolved oxygen (Ayyappan, 2011). Most small scale farmers are challenged by lack of testing equipment in this regard.
Species that were being bred included Oreochromis niloticus, Oreochromis mossambicus, Oreochromis machrochir, Tilapia rendalii and Clarias gariepinus. The harvesting size was satisfactory with Tilapias reaching an average weight of 1,5 kgs and the largest Clarias gariepinus caught was 5,4 kgs. However, growth of species appeared to be confronted by several factors. Fish were mixed in the ponds as a result of flooding during Cyclone Idai in 2019. As a result of the hybridisation, the aspect of selling fingerlings was stopped because the fingerlings produced were no longer of good for market because of slow growth rates. Furthermore, no sexing was taking place and this had an impact on the marketability of fish due to disparities in growth rates between males and females (Phelps & Popma, 2000).
The class learnt that predation and poaching also contributed to the decrease in fish stocks. Common predators were fish eagles, otters and other birds whilst suspected poachers were from surrounding homesteads. Scare tactics were mainly being used to control predation because fish eagles fall under protected bird species. Mr Chingwe is a licenced firearm holder and this has managed to reduce incidences of poaching. In addition to the security perimeter fence, patrols were regularly conducted and flood lights were also overlooking the fish ponds for overnight protection. There were long term plans to install a closed circuit television (CCTV) system to enhance the security status at the farm.
The aquaculture project at Chingwe Farm was a significant component of an integrated farming system. As alluded to earlier, animal waste was used to fertilise the ponds thereby supplementing feed and this in turn reduced production costs (Zajdband, 2011). There was a sound integration of orchards and apiculture where pollen bees played a key role in the pollination of fruit trees within the farm. The income realised from the apiaries amounted to more than 40 kgs of honey per hive annually. The current retail price of pure honey in Zimbabwe is at $ZWL45 thus this is a viable product that increases revolving funds at the farm. However, hives were severely affected by frost as well as a veld fire that devastated the farm recently. Furthermore, it is critical to take additional precautions when dealing with pesticides in the orchards because this can also affect the bees (Calatayud-Vernich et al, 2016). Horticulture was also being conducted where cabbages, pepper, peas and beans were grown under irrigation for marketing purposes. Funds realised added to the net income of the farm. It was appreciated that from income generated in the various agriculture systems one can be able to sustain a decent livelihood as well as contribute meaningfully to the development of the country without going to a formal employment.
Mr Chingwe shared his vision of value addition in all aspects of the farm. Regarding aquaculture, he planned to have an abattoir and cold rooms for fish products. A training centre was to be built in order to empower community members in fish farming. He also had plans to venture into recreational fishing and creating a world class wedding venue. However, despite the strides made operations at the farm were being compounded by power outages and solar energy was proffered as a cheaper alternative source of electricity.
In conclusion, the visit to Chingwe Farm was enlightening with regards to the conduct of aquaculture at a small scale level whilst integrating other farming systems. Generic aquaculture issues such as stock management and water quality management were given key consideration. Challenges confronting the conduct of operations at Chingwe farm included the exorbitant prices of feed, power outages, receding water availability and lack of technical support. Integration system being practiced was significant in boosting income to sustain operations at the farm.
References
- Ayyappan, S. (2011). Hand book of fisheries and Aquaculture. Indian Council of Agricultural Research Publications. New Delhi.
- Calatayud-Vernich, P., Calatayud, F., Simó, E., Suarez-Varela, M. M., & Picó, Y. (2016). Influence of pesticide use in fruit orchards during blooming on honeybee mortality in 4 experimental apiaries. Science of the Total Environment, 541, 33–41.
- FAO. (2012). The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture. Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations. Rome.
- Omofunmi, O. E. (2016). Basic and Technical Considerations on Pond Design and Construction. British Journal of Applied Science & Technology 15(4): 1-10.
- Phelps, R. P. and T. J. Popma. (2000). Sex reversal of tilapia. In: Costa-Pierce, B. A. and Rakocy, J. E. (Eds.). Tilapia Aquaculture in the Americas. Vol. 2. The World Aquaculture Society. Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States.
- Troell M., Naylor R. and Metian, M. (2014). Does aquaculture add resilience to the global food system? Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 111: 13257–13263.
- Zajdband, A. D. (2011). Integrated Agri-Aquaculture Systems. In: Lichtfouse, E. (Ed.). Genetics, Biofuels and Local Farming Systems. Springer Science and Business Media. New york City.
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Lakkis Farms Company Review
Company Profile
Lakkis Farms was established in 2000, started with a small farm in the countryside that quickly grew into one of the top ranking in dairy and meat industries in the region. Lakkis Farm is nested in the heart of Beqaa away of any sources of pollution. The farms Provide a safe and healthy environment for its cattle.
In 2005, a little traditional dairy industry saw the expansion in business, with a small restaurant and butchery. Lakkis Began in catering his menu and build a customer loyalty.
In 2012, Lakkis farms decided to enter a new technology within its dairy industry. A 1,100 m2 dairy industry was established in Hosh Tal Safia, conforming to the LIBNOR standards and offering a wide variety of dairy products.
In 2013, Zahle welcomed a new restaurant branch featuring a show room where you can purchase Lakkis dairy and meat products.
In 2015, Lakkis Farms acquired the ISO 22000 certification for dairy industries, as well as the HACCP certification.
In 2018, the will expand their business to Chtoura.
Product description
As a farmer owned company, Lakkis are commited to high standards of animal welfare, product quality and food safety. Their quality program gives us a long term perspective for farm management and is ur way of ensuring the quality of the products you enjoy.
Lakkis cows arenutritiously fed organic fodder and milked using ALPRO feeding systems to monitor and control milk poductionand undergo routine medical checkups, for Lakkis believe that improving animal welfare increases and raises the quality of production. Freshly drawn milk is automatically transferred into a sanitized pipe so that it doesn’t get exposed to any germs. At last, it is chilled at 4°C in a milkcooling tank which is automatically cleaned following each milk collection. Products like Lebanese milk, labneh, laban and cheese are done naturally in different types sheep or goats depending on people preference.
Lakkis dairy products satisfies Lebanese traditional dairy products from milk, labneh , laban, Halloum etc… Lakkis provides a fresh Halal meat to people that biuld a customer loyalty since meat need more trustness between people and the butcher himself. Their raw meat should be 100% fresh and Halal for people to buy. Most of Lebanese people prefer raw meat that provides Lebanese traditions.
Lakkis farms are ranked among the best eateries in Baalbek. Everyone who go to Baalbek should try Lakkis Safiha. The pies are stuffed with top quality meat from our own farms and the dough is baked with love and care. Lakkis farm provide people with a delicious and healthy barbecue food.
Factor Conditions
Factor condition is one of the most important factors in Porter’s Theory of National Competitive Advantage. It included elements that are available locally and a country can create for itself, such as skilled labor, natural resources, capital, etc…Possesing these elementsenable a company’s to be competent and offerexportable products.Lebanon is known to be a service industry, providing real estate, construction, and tourisim services. It is also known for its fertile lands, rich sunshine, and ample rain. As for the Lakkis Farm, the dairy products offered include milk, traditional labneh, Halloum cheese, etc… as well as meat from their butchery. The resources used to produce dairy are readily available in Lebanon and they are able to harvest organic foddle to feed the cows, due to the availability of fertile land and sufficient rain, which directly contributes to the quality of the products. Additionally, specialized expertise is available since labneh and halloum cheese are known to be traditional lebanese dairy. Raw meat is also known to be one of the Lebanese authentic dishes; therefore, there is an abundance in experienced labor in the field to prepare the meat under the required standards.Lakkis Farm can produce their products without importing key resources nor relying on foreign expertise in the production and assembling of their products.
Firm’s local rivals
Lakkis Farm major competitors include Tannayel Dairy, Khoury Dairy, and Candia. Tannayel is a strong, competitor and they are known to be the leading dairy company in Lebanon for their authentic and fresh products. Their farm is found in Bekaa Vally, where a constant supply of fresh milk is available. The second rival, Khoury, have their farm located in Ain Al Sindianeh–a town in Mount Lebanon. They offer traditional Lebanese dairy and flavored organic yogurt. Lastly, Candia is the leading producer of milk in France. LibanLait established a franchise agreement with Candia to produce and distribute their products in Lebanon. As a French dairy company, their product line includes milk and yogurts.
Firm’s structure and strategy
‘’We believe our products activities and growth should not only create value for the farmers who own Lakkis farms. They should also improve the lives of people, help our customers to grow, bring exciting opportunities to colleagues working here and contribute positively to society’’
It’s known to anyone who have heard or worked with us at Lakkis Farms that we develop the business positively. Like any business for it to achieve the potential success that any leading company wishes to achieve positivity is a key to succeed. Positivity at work helps and motivates workers to give a 100 % into anything they have at hand.
We trust that our products exercises and development ought not just to make an incentive for the agriculturists who own Lakkis Farms. They ought to likewise enhance the lives of individuals, assist our clients with growing their business, convey energizing chances to partners working here and contribute positively to society. Our key establishment guides us in delivering the desire.
Local conditions have affected Lakkis Farms various strategy. Local rivalry has forced Lakkis Farms to move beyond basic advantages. The Porters Diamond Theory can explain the grounds for the competitiveness of Lakkis Farms. The single objective is to position Lakkis Farms as the premier source for a wide range of dairy products and healthy items in Lebanon. Our marketing strategy will seek to create customer awareness regarding the products that we offer, develop the customer base, and work toward building customer loyalty and referrals.
Our findings indicate that the message that we will seek to communicate is that we offer one of the largest selection of healthy and tasteful products in Lebanon.
This generates large amounts of visibility for Lakkis Farms. Our other marketing strategies will be:
- Creating Awareness and Building Image
- Retaining Customers
- New dairy products Promotions & offers
Strategy # 1
Creating awareness and building image: Informing our target market what Lakkis farms offers through effective positioning.
Advertising
Advertisements in leading newspapers, radios and televisions.
- Billboards
- Sales Promotion
- Discount for credit card holders
- Public Relations
- Direct Marketing
Strategy # 2
Retaining customers: Our best sales in the future will come from our loyal customers.
- Benefits for loyal customers& fidelity cards.
- Excellent Customer Service.
- Follow up contacts. Our strategic foundation guides us in delivering the ambition.
Demand Conditions
Due to high demand, Lakkis farms started its own catering business in 2007, providing a rich menu that will leave your guests in awe. Lakkis farms plans more for expanding their business more and more started from Beqaa Zahle reaching Baalbeck and Chtoura knowing that there are many competitors facing Lakkis farm such as: Taanayel, Jaber, Issam Touma farm etc… Lakkis farm has its own advantages and customer loyalty to people to deal with. Increasing in demand means Lakkis satisfied people’s needs and expectations.
Related and supporting industries
Local competition has created innovations and cost effectiveness for the Lakkis Farms due to the excellent pricing strategy and production, which has also put the pressure on local suppliers to lift their game. Like any other business whenever another company enters the market it poses a threat onto all other companies and farms especially us at Lakkis farms since we have been in the market since 2000, which is a good period of time and we strive for more success and ambitions but no one can discard the fact that the farms that have been in Lebanon for more than 2 & 3 decades are very stable and hardly effected by rivalries or new competitors.
The Porters Diamond Theory can elucidate the reasons for the competitiveness of Lakkis Farms. Our closest competitors in Lebanon are Taanayel farms. Their product line is also quite similar to what we. We believe that no matter whom our competitors are there is no one near our products in terms of quality and design but they still pose a threat. People choose lesser quality, mainstream products mainly due to their lower price.
Conclusion and recommendations
Whichever Lakkis dairy product is your favorite, you can be sure that it comes from a farmer-owned dairy company. Lakkis Farms milk comes from the farmers who own Lakkis Farms and it is carefully handled by the dedicated team at Lakkis Farms which is passionate about bringing milk’s natural goodness to you and your family. Good Growth describes who we are and how we are creating the future of dairy. It is what we stand for as a company, defined and shaped by our actions. We believe in safe, natural and healthy dairy products. We strive to have a leading mindset, a sensing approach and a creating culture...
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Employment Diversification Towards Non Farm Sector
Araujo (2004) conducted a study to assessed the impact of non-agricultural rural employment on poverty and to explored in which environment policy interventions in education and roads can be more effective in reducing poverty through non agriculture rural employment. He found that manufacturing employment is more poverty reducing than services in semi urban municipalities. He suggested that poverty is higher in municipalities with higher income inequality and with lower government expenditure and these two effects are stronger in semi-urban than in rural municipalities. He also observed that interventions in education and roads are poverty reducing through manufacturing employment in semi-urban municipalities and through services employment in all municipalities.
Schwarze and Zeller (2005) described the income activities of rural households and examined the determinants of non-farm diversification by using Tobit model. He found that agricultural activities are the most important source of income for rural households in the vicinity of the Lore Lindu National Park in Indonesia which contribute 68% to total household income with the remaining 32% originating from non agricultural activities. He also found that the poverty index and the access to formal financial market both have a positive impact on the share of non-agricultural income.
Zhu et al. (2005) observed the role of non-farm income in reducing rural poverty and inequality in China. He found that without non-farm employment, rural poverty would be much higher and deeper and that income inequality would be higher as well. He concluded that participation in non-farm activities provides rural households with an additional source of income, improving their living standards and narrowing income gaps as well.
Fabusoro et al. (2010) conducted a study to examine the forms and determinants of livelihood diversification among rural farm families in Ogun state, Nigeria. The study revealed the importance of diversification as it accounted for 69.1% of household income. Education, Household size and income were significant predictors of diversification. The non-farm activities identified in the study have the potential for enhancing the capability of individuals and households to construct positive livelihoods. The successes of these activities depend largely or partly on success achieved in agriculture which is a significant determinant of diversification.
Asmah (2011) found that level of welfare is higher for those farm households who work in non-farm sector than farm sector. The non-farm diversification activities and household welfare are mostly driven by household assets and compositions including household age structure, education level and gender. Livelihood diversification is an important mean of enhancing welfare and deserves attention.
Darry and Kuunike (2012) identified the types and determinants of probability of participation in non-farm employment areas in the upper West Region of Ghana. He observed five groups of NFEAs such as extractive, manufacturing/processing, constructive, commercial and direct services. Overall, commercial services dominate the non-farm economic activities (32%) followed by constructive industry (21%); manufacturing (20%), extractive industry (18%) with personal services recording the least (9%). The predominant non-farm economic activities found include trading charcoal and fuel wood production, casual employment in building and construction pito (local beer) brewing, stone mining, food vending and retail shop operation. The factors such as sex, age, marital status, education, vocational training, belongingness to a group and location also found to be significantly associated with the probability of participation in NFEAs.
Akaahol (2014) examined the determinants of diversification using Logit model and also the impact of diversification on household welfare by using OLS regression model in Benue state. He found that probability of diversification increases with male-headed household, education, credit and market and decreases with farming experience. He also found that diversification, age, education and credit have a positive effect on household welfare while household size has a negative effect.
Katega and Lifuliro (2014) investigated the extent to which rural non-farm activities contribute to alleviating poverty in participating households. He also examined the factors affecting the performance of rural non-farm activities and the mechanisms through which rural non-farm and farm activities are interlinked. He found a number of factors affected the performance of non- farm activities, including inadequate capital, lack of business education, poor business premises, inefficient transport to and from markets, and women’s gender roles. He observed that rural farm and non-farm activities are interlinked because in most households farm activities provided the capital for starting and running non-farm activities and non-farm activities provided the income to purchase farm inputs. He also found that rural non-farm activities contributed a significant share of total income in participating households and enabled these households to purchase food and consumer goods, pay for medicine and health care, pay for the education of children, as well as invest in farm inputs to enhance the productivity of agricultural activities such as crop farming and livestock keeping. He concluded that rural non-farm activities play an important role in alleviating both income and non-income poverty.
Zeray et al. (2015) investigated the push and pull factors that influence the participation decision of rural households in non-farm activities by using Multinomial Logistic Regression and the income obtained from this sector by using Tobit model. He observed that only 21% of the total household income was derived from different non-farm activities with a participation rate of 46%. He found that better education, land holding, access to irrigation and number of adult members positively influenced the likelihood of involvement in non-farm activities and also access to credit, better land size, livestock and number of adults in the household significantly and positively influenced the share of income from RNFE. He concluded that the household with better economic condition are pulled to the non-farm sector by the better return from the non-agricultural sector.
Sultana et al. (2015) conducted a study to present an empirical evidence of the state of income diversification and its impact on household’s well-being in the rural areas of Rajshahi district of Bangladesh. A multistage random sampling technique is used for collecting the data. To measure the level of income diversification Simpson Index of Diversity is calculated and to measure the level of well-being, household consumption expenditure is used. He observed that the extent of income diversification is comparatively low in the study area and it has positive and significant effect on household’s well-being.
Abdulsalam et al. (2015) examined the factors that determine non-farm occupations among rural farming households and to what livelihood strategies has improved the well-being of their households. It has been observed that the factors that influence the rural farming household decision to participate in non-farm activities showed slight variation from those influencing level of decision (livelihood strategies) taken to engage in non-farm activities and where it does, not by the same magnitude and direction. Distance travelled and adjusted household size was found to significantly influence the farmer’s decision and education, poverty status and per-capita income did influence the level of participation significantly.
Guatam and Anderson (2016) assessed the role of livelihood diversification in household well-being in Humla, a remote mountain district in West Nepal. He found a uniform pattern of diversification in terms of the no. of activities undertaken for livelihood but a highly varying degree of resultant well-being across households. He analyzed that well-being was associated with household’s involvement in high return sectors which is dependent on antecedent level of resources and assets. The resource rich households diversify into high return sectors and substantially improve their well-being while the resource poor households, on the other hand, are forced to continue their low return diversification. He concluded that livelihood diversification have a highly skewed effect leading to inequality of income and well-being.
Kessle et al. (2017) investigated the determinants of diversification using Logit model. He found that the institutional factors such as secured land, right perception and cooperative membership have the positive effect on farm household’s decision to participate in non-agricultural activity while age, education and distance to the proximate market have a negative effect.
Ogunsipe et al. (2017) analyzed the contributions of non-farm activities in addressing rural unemployment and determined factors influencing small holder framer’s participation in non-farm activities in Ondo-East local Govt. areas of Ondo State, Nigeria by using Tobit model. He found that age, education, wage earned access to credit and distance were the significant variables influencing participation in non-farm activities. He concluded that non-farm activities help to reduce unemployment supplement farm income, provide a safety net and alleviate poverty among households.
Odoh et al. (2017) determined the effects of socio-economic characteristics of rural households on non-farm income diversification and analyzed the factors that influence farm household’s participation in different non-farm activities. He observed that socio-economic characteristics of the farm households have significant effect on their non-farm income. He found that 82.5% of the farm households diversified their income, 17.5% solely dependent on income from farming activities. He factors that influenced rural farm household’s participation in different non-farm activities were found to be poor returns to agricultural activities, small farm size, risk and uncertainties in agriculture, membership of social organization, poor household earnings from farming, limited access to credit facilities and profit motive.
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Difference between Farm and Ranch
Naturally, human beings need to grow or raise something to survive. Like growing crops, and raising livestock for food and other necessities. As important as these things are, a lot of us do not have a distinct understanding of what where they are grown is called – whether it is called a ranch or a farm. This piece is for the purpose of clarifying these terms with regard to the difference between farm and ranch. With the help of the comprehensive definitions and table below, it would not be hard at all to state how these two are either related or different.
Definition of farm
A farm is defined as a piece of land dedicated to growing crops, rearing animals, and all other agricultural processes mainly for the production of food. It could be a piece of land where a lot of different crops and animals are raised, like fruits, vegetables, livestock, poultry, etc; or it could be a piece of land dedicated to a specific type of crop or animal. For instance, if the specific crop for a particular location is vegetable, then it is called a vegetable farm.
This piece of land can be small in size and can also be operated by a single person or a small group of people like a family or a community. In such cases, the products are usually more for immediate use more than they are for sale. There are also some big corporations that own really large hectares of land where they produce proceeds that are mostly for sale or to be used as raw materials.
The history of a farm can be traced to as far back as 12000 years when the hunter-gatherer tribes in asia raised livestock for their survival. According to records, they later included crop rearing, and then trading of their proceeds. From this summary, one can tell the difference between ranch and farm stating that all ranches are farms but not all farms are ranches.
Definition of ranch
A ranch is a measure of land dedicated specifically to the rearing of livestock for the purpose of producing meat, wool, and other products. It is usually large enough to allow the animals to graze, and it is secured with some boundaries to keep them from running off and getting lost. Some examples of animals that can be raised in a ranch include cows, sheep, goat, fowls, ostrich, emu, bison, etc.
Putting ranch vs farm side by side, one can tell that it both has to do with if the land is generally for growing animals and crops or if it is dedicated particularly to livestock rearing. A ranch can be privately owned or corporately owned. This goes a long way to determine the size of the location and the type of animals to be raised in it. A ranch can be so interesting that it can be a great sight for tourists. As a matter of fact, some corporations develop ranches for this purpose, and they organize interesting activities for tourists like horseback riding, guided hunting, hiking, cattle rides, and so on.
One way to answer the question – “what's the difference between a ranch and a farm?” – Is that a person who takes care of a ranch is known as a rancher while a person who takes care of a farm is a farmer.
Main differences between farm vs ranch
We hope the definitions and explanations above are clear enough to make you understand the difference between the two. To further disclose how these two terms vary, let us take a look at other factors that differentiates one from the other.
Basis of comparison farm ranch
Definition a piece of land dedicated to growing crops, rearing animals, and all other agricultural processes mainly for the production of food. A measure of land dedicated specifically to the rearing of livestock for the purpose of producing meat, wool, and other products.
Relationship all farms are not ranch all ranch are farms
Basic necessities - open space to be cultivated
- Crops/seeds
- Fertile ground - open space with grass
- Livestock
- Does not matter if the ground is fertile
- Caregiver farmer rancher
- Size can be small in size usually big enough to make a suitable grazing space
- Boundaries not really necessary very necessary to keep the animals from running off and getting lost
Conclusion
At this point, it is easy to answer the question – what is the difference between a farm and a ranch? – With confidence. There is still more to it though – like, this is not all the information you will need if you are looking to start a business in any of them. In addition to their definitions, one of the most keynotes to take away from this piece is the fact that all ranches are farms, but not all farms are ranches. The former is more of a general term for rearing crops and animals, while the latter specifically deals with the rearing of livestock only.
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Eaglehawk Creek Farm Produce
Eaglehawk Creek Farm Produce is an independent, product selling farm, that was established in 2017. The owners are Chris and Geena Pettigrove and they are a Husband and Wife duo. They sell a range of different pork products and are planning to sell beef and vegetables. They don’t have employees, but they are looking into that.
Eaglehawk Creek Farm Produce is advertised by word of mouth which helps the owners indicate if their products are in high demand. The farm is right next to Eaglehawk Creek which makes it easier for their clients to find them. Its location is also close to the road, which allows families to take pictures of their sunbaking free-range pigs, who lay in the paddocks eating grass. At around August 2017, pig production started to drop, so the sale yards and abattoirs who dress the pigs started to close down due to lack of finances.
Chris and Geena were then left with a lot of pigs. Seeing the yards for the pigs were closed, they decided to butcher the pigs themselves, which would cost them a large sum of money. Therefore Mr and Mrs Pettigrove decided to use the money from their previous business to make the business Eaglehawk Creek Farm Produce.
One of the biggest challenges for the new business was the drought in 2018 as the rainfall was 11% below average, so they had to find a cheaper way to feed the pigs, which later on resulted in getting scraps from farms and restaurants. Other challenges for the Pettigrove family was, keeping the meat fresh in the fridge for if it spoiled, they would lose some of their income.
Earlier this year, they started going to markets to increase the popularity of their food. However, they did not have a cool room for the markets. But luckily they received a grant from the $2 million Artisanal Sector program which allowed them to buy a mobile cool room. Eaglehawk Creek Farm Produce gets sold out really quickly during Christmas time which then makes a huge waiting list for next year, the only problem for that is Geena Pettigrove has then got to estimate and increase the number of pigs they breed and prepare which costs more money every year.
When Chris and Geena came to our school I wish that I had asked them what type of business their farm is. I would also like them to come next year so we can ask what changes they have made, as their business seem so interesting to me and I hope by next year they have reached their goal.
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The Benefits of Floating Solar Farm
Floating solar farms are large solar arrays which float on water bodies, usually man-made reservoirs or rivers. This technology is traditional solar photovoltaic panels on water bodies which are supported by buoyant structures. They are located in medium-sized water bodies, such as rivers and hydropower reservoirs because they cannot withstand the water pressures in oceans. They are a new innovation which was introduced due to land scarcity for solar farms which limited energy production. Later in this report, the potential of this development is discussed which outlines how it could create much cleaner energy than current sources. Floating solar farms are already being utilized by some countries, such as China and Japan, due to their benefits. The technology requires very little land, it reduces water evaporation and it improves solar panel efficiency. These advantages can have major changes in energy production and environmental issues.
Why it was introduced
The original innovators developed floating solar farms due to the issues faced by traditional solar farms. Conventional solar farms were occupying large amounts of land which could have been used for some other purposes and people desired more energy output from solar power stations. Solar farms needed a lot of space to generate electricity which had an impact on the environment, agriculture and animals. The solar farms were causing some land degradation due to the methods by which the technology was being installed. The solar facilities used the land which could’ve been used for farming that would’ve provided food security for people and a better standard of living. In some cases, they were also utilizing land which was animals’ habitats, and this forced them to move to other places which eventually led to a drop in some animal species. In addition, solar farms weren’t generating as much energy as people wanted because the panels were getting overheated and this decreased their efficiency. The first floating solar farm models were introduced in 2007 in Aichi, Japan, to test the technology and find out the difference they made to the environment. During the process of trialling different models, it was also discovered that the technology improved water quality. This is because floating solar farms significantly reduce algae growth in water which makes the water more useful for different activities. After promising results from several small-scale projects, the first commercial floating solar system was built in California to clear land which was required for agriculture processes. There were various reasons why floating solar farms were developed and the trials proved that they had the potential to make an impact.
Science behind floating solar farms/process of floating solar farms
Floating solar panels are structures that consist of a large number of solar panels fixed on pontoon-type floating structures which float on the surface of water bodies. The pontoon-type floating structures are combined with metal trusses which are specifically designed for the solar panels. This allows the solar panels to be fixed to them at a tilted angle and the metal trusses also provide buoyancy to the structure. The design of the floating platform makes sure that small tides in water bodies don’t have an impact on the facilities, but they cannot withstand the different conditions in oceans. There is also an anchoring and mooring system which holds the floating platform in place and prevents it from going to unwanted locations. The floating platforms are normally anchored at the bottom of the water bodies, but they can be anchored at other locations depending on some factors. The mooring lines are an important part of the system as they make sure that variations or wild water conditions don’t have an impact on the solar array. The solar panels convert the solar energy into direct current using the solar cells inside the panels and send it to the combiner box which stores all the direct current from the solar panels. The combiner box sends the direct current to the central inverter which converts the single current direction of direct current electricity to multiple directions of alternating current voltage. The electricity then flows through the transformer where it increases the voltage to reduce power loss when electricity is transmitted to far distances. From the transformer, the electricity flows to a transmission line tower where the electrical energy is transmitted to areas which require electricity. The water bodies also help the solar panels as they cool them and keep them free of dust which makes them more efficient.
Major benefits
Floating solar farms have had a major impact on society due to the advantages they have over land-based systems. They require very little land which produces land for agriculture, industry or residency which are essential for growth in society. Agriculture provides food for the general public and employment for many people in rural areas. Developing countries require industrialization for economic growth which helps in employment opportunities and the progress of education and agriculture. Countries with high population density don’t have enough space for everyone’s residency, but floating solar farms will clear land which will provide housing land for the public. Floating solar arrays act as a barrier to reduce water evaporation as the solar panel shading covers the water and causes a drop in water temperature. With the water not being exposed to direct sunlight, the process of evaporation will slow down which means the water can be used for drinking or other practices. The solar panels also reflect some of the direct sunlight and some of the water vapour is trapped under the floating structure. Floating solar farms improve solar efficiency compared to land-based facilities, through cooling. The surrounding water cools the solar panels, and this keeps the solar panel temperature constant which is required for maximum energy production. The cooling process is a form of passive cooling where the solar panels are cooled through a combination of water evaporation and some amount of water-absorbing the sun’s heat. From current projects, it has been found that floating solar panels increase solar efficiency by 10% and figure 2 shows a graph from a project done in India which compared floating solar farms to conventional solar farms over a year.
Conclusion
Floating solar farms have the potential to change the energy industry and have a major impact on other industries in society. They were developed to solve issues which were surrounding solar farms and the initial models proved they were a solution for those issues. The solar array consists of solar panels fixed to floating platforms which lay on water bodies and the rest of the system is the same as a conventional solar farm. This technology also provides many advantages such as more land for other purposes and increased solar efficiency. The development of floating solar farms can create a cleaner source of energy.
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Eugenics Talk and the Language of Bioethics
Technology does not police itself. This instigates prompt and thorough constructive discussion and posit accountability. Technological breakthroughs, especially in the medical and scientific field is undeniably marching forward with no signs of stopping anytime soon.
Over a million of years, humans constantly develop and reinvent things to ease and simplify tasks and so as a matter–of-fact, technology springs out of necessity. True, technology is symbiotic to human in the words of Kevin Kelly (What Technology Wants) but this also requires careful criticism. As the bots help human efficiency and while we improve their effectiveness we have become increasingly interwoven. That said, the merge of humanoids or trans humans in the society is possible. Thinking forward, this could be symbiotic for now but could potentially mean annihilation of our specie in the future.
Sometime ago, I had the chance to enrol in a course called Bioethics: The Law, Medicine and the Ethics of Reproductive Technologies and of course a much needed supplemental read, Do Robots make Love, courtesy of my convenor, which both paved way to a lot of rational thinking and pondering. Although, there is a mammoth of talking point and argument in this subject, I just want to pin down some matters which are already down the pipeline.
First off, Surrogacy and IVF. Though it is not an entirely new thought as this existed dating back to the Biblical times, it is only until the 1980’s when the practice of gestational surrogacy started (Worldwide Surrogacy Specialist, 2017). It is when a mother bears a child that she has no genetic connection with as opposed to the traditional type. IVF or in-vitro fertilization on the other hand, is a procedure by which an egg and sperm are joined together outside the body, in a specialised laboratory (IVF Australia, 2018). Indeed, reproductive technology gives rise to a new definition of parents and child bearing. This technology, in terms of infertility treatments, become a beacon of hope for many couples.
Next, Assisted Reproduction Technologies (ART) or Freezing of Embryos. A method where embryos (fertilised egg) are cryopreserved until needed. A typical IVF cycle can create more than one or two embryos and can risk multiple pregnancies if all of them are transferred. So, the embryos are stored freeze and thawed when needed. According to OBOS data in 2011, US alone has about 600,000 cryopreserved embryos used for family building however many end up unused which then creates conflict with what to do with them, raising legal and ethical issues (Obos Infertility Contributors, 2011). What happens then to the excess “unused” embryo? What happens if they are not thawed or if no one claims them? Isn’t it that these are already lives just placed on hold?
Down the line is the Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). A technological breakthrough used prior to implantation that helps in identifying genetic defects within embryos (American Pregnancy Association, 2019). The purpose is to prevent genetic diseases or disorders to be passed on to the child where problematic embryos are actually destroyed. Experts say, this procedure does not completely eliminate the risk of acquiring the disease (American Pregnancy Association.org, 2019). So, does a decrease in Down’s syndrome case sound comforting? To quote Laurent, “The Down’s syndrome is gradually diminishing as survey data in the UK and in the US shows a decline in the number of cases brought about by strong social pressure to “eradicate” the disorder in the society.” Since when did we become decision-makers to who is entitled to life and who isn’t? We have been playing God all this time, distorting the laws of nature. As the Canadian philosopher Marshall McLund said, “We shape our tools and our tools shape us”. The person before technology is no longer the user afterwards (Case, 2014). Who will be responsible for the moral compasses of these technological innovations? To quote Jean-Michel Besnier “Must we accept everything that we are capable of?” (Alexandre &Besnier, 2018).
PGD is closely related to “designer babies” otherwise known as synthetic biology or CRISPR/CAS9. It is the process of redesigning or editing the biological structure modifying genetic codes. Sex selection is also part of this topic and where Eugenics or Human Engineering comes in. This is a science of improving the human species by selectively mating with people having specific desirable hereditary traits (History.com Editors, 2018). Because we have jumped on the bandwagon of eugenics as Laurent said (Alexandre & Besnier, 2018), there are implications along the way or if we have come to fully understand the implications. Take for example, in 2002 a deaf lesbian couple decided to have a deaf child and had to go through great lengths in finding a sperm donor with five generation of deafness to make sure the child comes out deaf (BBC News, 2002). Why must a child be deprived of the faculties of a normal human being? In the light of eugenics, should the human race be really improved?
Human-animal and hybrids (chimeras). A technological breakthrough referring to an entity that incorporates elements from both human and non-human animals. “Chimeras” after the Greek mythological creature which means head of a lion, body of a goat and tail of a serpent.” (Ketchell, 2017). This method uses human cells and introduce it into an animal organism, which could survive and grow inside the host animal the purpose is to save lives through lab-grown organs. The advancement of this is the hope to address the shortage of donor organs (Blakemore, n.d.). However, one of the major ethical concerns here is it blurs the distinction between humans and other animals, violating human dignity. (BBC, 2014). Another argument is that human embryos have special moral status that should be respected and that “creating” them for scientist’s disposal is morally wrong and a human rights violation. Is creating an animal/human hybrid embryos a step too far?
While all these sound interesting and compelling (and somewhat disturbing), there is a need to get on it ASAP. Bioengineering technologies have become a more powerful subject because it is qualitatively different and because it pushes us to question who we are and what we have become. In as much as it has been promising and beneficial, it could also unlock Pandora’s Box. We have been too complacent while these are spiralling out of control. To quote Michael Bess, “Either our survival is at risk or we become semi-machines who are like marionettes of our own moment-to-moment experience.” (Illing, 2008).
We have been so adept at modifying human nature, are we searching for the elixir of life? “We live in an age of technological progress, but no longer human progress,” (Postman in Case, 2014, p. 38). If only we could take a moment to think about where we stand as a society, come up with a universal principle of the highest ethical standards in safeguarding morals and protecting human rights then maybe we would know where to draw the line.
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Eugenics and Scientific Racism
One cause of racism is the theory of eugenics. A variety of genetic or inborn qualities problems should be improved and use their greatest strengths, that iseugenics is(Galton, F. 1904). Eugenics stresses the necessity of human perfection and appeals to people to become perfect and eliminate the disadvantages. Eugenic seems to give extremely theoretical guarantees to people who are increasingly refuse to accept others’ imperfections (Allen, 2001). Hoffmann (1913) said the easiest way to breeding the next better generations is to prevent inferior races from breeding. And The committee on Race Psychiatry suspected that the inferior race is more possible to get mental illness than the classy race (Herf, J. 2006). To eliminate inferior species and make future generations more healthy, Nazi racial hygienist set off a national revolution forced the Jews to withdraw from the medical profession. Ruttke (1934) claims that genetic knowledge has been used to create a healthy nation since 1933 and is reported in the American Journal of Heredity as a recognition of several aspects of eugenics in the neo-Nazi countries (Herf, J. 2006). Therefore, the reason why they committed atrocities, killing and torturing Jews, clarifying that the Germans are the best race in the world (Herf, J. 2006). They could not bear the company of other inferior races (Herf, J. 2006). According to the Wikler (1999), eugenics will take the moral challenge, and it is hard to reach the target of social justice.
Another cause of racism is narrow-minded thinking. Narrow-minded thinking concepts including prejudice. According to Kleg (1993), he stated that prejudice is different from the actual action, it is one inner position. The most obvious example of it is ethnocentric beliefs, which is one belief from comparing other culture or groups to themselves, and considering others’ culture or groups are inferior. Attitude and personality will contribute to the narrow-minded thinking concepts, this is why psychological prejudice turns into action and even violence, and Adorno (1950) had done some researches to figure out the relationship between attitude, personality and prejudice. And Kleg reported it to a specific concept: someone tries to force vulnerable people to accept their ideas in recognition of a power figure, symbol or ideology.
A third cause of racism is and unbalanced social development. As the largest developing country, China started relatively late in economic and political aspects, leading to the fact that it has not yet reached the level of developed countries (Zhang, 2003). Chinese in world also get some unfair treatment (Gee, Spencer, Chen & Takeuchi, 2007). Nevertheless, many Chinese are discriminated whether at home or abroad. Because of the uniqueness of China's labor market, the discrimination in China's labor market is special. In terms of employment, career choice, wage and income, agricultural labor force has been under the institutional discrimination of the government. The gender discrimination suffered by women is related to the 'pre labor market discrimination' in which men are more important than women. The labor force in underdeveloped areas suffers from employers in coastal developed areas. Because of the different types of discrimination, different methods should be adopted to eliminate discrimination (Yang 2015).
This essay has discussed the causes of racism. Specifically, it has discussed the theory of eugenics, narrow-minded thinking concepts, unbalanced social development. Racism is a very big global problem nowadays. It includes not only black people who were discriminated against by white people, Asian people being discriminated against by people in other states, but also including some conflicts in one country. In today's increasingly progressive world, the gap between rich and poor among countries and nations will widen, and it may also lead to racism.
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The Problems with Eugenics
Eugenics is a technology that allows the alteration in the chemical makeup of genes, allowing one to choose certain traits they like over others that were not originally in the DNA. The widely known use of eugenics is in vegetables to help sustain the human population, but it does not stop there. The use of this technology goes as far as to change the genetic make-up in people, like how people use it in plants. Instead of leaving one's genes up to natural selection, humanity has taken an unpredictable leap into taking things into their own hands. Not only is the practice of eugenics on humans unpredictable, but inhumane as well. There are many concerns about whether this will help or harm people.
First off is the legality of eugenics. Due to a lack of regulation, the prevention of scientists creating the proper boundaries they need come into effect (Hrouda 223). This poses a problem since, without boundaries, scientists can wind up going past what people accept morally and ethically within the population. There would be no stopping them from creating something potentially harmful to the population as well. Issues like are why precautions are in place and there are set rules for scientists to work from. That is unless humanity wants another holocaust. Thankfully though, countries either use the treaties they sign or do not use eugenics at all, but that does not mean everything is perfectly safe.
Though many people refuse to believe that events like that will reoccur, likely, humanity will once again try to rid the world of a certain group of people. One shows this through their opinion on how someone should be and what makes them an acceptable human being. For instance, what if someone wanted a child with a high risk of having one with a learning disorder. The parent of that child will seek eugenics since it avoids the issue by removing the section of DNA that calls for the disorder to give their child a better life. Clearly, other parents will choose this path as well since there is no harm with wanting to help one's child as soon as they can, but this thought process is wrong. It indeed harms others, especially those who are born with something that others consider a disorder, rather than helping them. That specific group of people 'may recognize that their disorder is part of who they are' and see others as indirectly telling them that their very existence is wrong (Bechtel and MacKellar 151).
The problem of undermining a group of people then leads to another concern with eugenics: the moral challenges one must face while going through with the use of this technology. One must ask themselves what is right or wrong when they choose to go through with eugenics. While using this technology may seem like the right thing to do, the destruction of many potential people happens in the process (Bechtel and MacKellar 133). This, in turn, makes the use of eugenics immoral in the eyes of many since scientists are killing large amounts of humans before conception without the rest of the population being aware of it. To choose to bring someone into the world for what the parent feels the child must be and let a multitude of potential people die is the equivalent to saving one person's life over ten. It is difficult to put one in that situation as is but to willfully kill so many people simply because someone wants their child to be how they want crosses a boundary far worse than any evil.
It is fair to say that wanting to have a healthy child is not wrong. Cases involving a family prone to disease and targeting traits that risk that prove this to be true (Stock 633). This, however, does not prove that eugenics is a good thing to practice. No one knows if the child will go down a path that leads them to the diseases their parents tried to prevent from happening anyway. Although this may not sound all too harsh, there is also no promise that the child would then strain their relationships with their parents as well if this does indeed happen. The parents did pay large amounts of money for their child to remain healthy only to have it wasted due to wrong choices. It makes no sense to pay large sums of money for trying to keep one healthy before they are born and all it does is leave heavy burdens on the parents and the child due to assumptions that there is no way the kid is getting the disease the parents are keeping them from getting.
Using eugenics does not potentially put burdens on the family alone, but the rest of the population of an area as well. For instance, if most people favored male children and could determine the sex of their kids there would be a large imbalance between males and females (Wachbroit 8). This imbalance between men and women, though not seeming important at first, will put the population off balance. There would be smaller amounts of couples having kids since women are the ones who bear children and there not being enough men to women to help sustain the population. This would then lead to fewer people in the population to not only aid the elderly, but to teach the youth in the future. Having fewer people to teach the younger generation then leads to more people without jobs. Less young people with jobs means less money going to the government to help aid the rest of the country and eventually harms the economy of not only the area the population is in but the country as well which uses the working class' tax money to aid in things such as healthcare and schooling.
At first look, eugenics is indeed a helpful tool that benefits society, but soon all can that the original thought is untrue. Those who blindly side with the use of eugenics are unaware of the drawbacks that come with it. This technology harms society, whether one wants to believe it or not. Eugenics harms families, strangers, the population, and the economy. These are all worries that people choose to ignore simply for the benefit of themselves. The people who go through with eugenics before looking into what the consequences are after use are not being selfless, but selfish instead. One who sides with this technology is siding with harming everyone around them, including their child whether it is the intention to do so or not. One day more people will recognize that these concerns are important to consider. It is safer for everyone to let nature work the way it continues to rather than taking it into one's own hands. Society needs to make sure they take the right steps to do what is right for everyone around them, rather than what is right for oneself and let nature take its course. Being selfish does not bring any good, instead, it is the reason that many situations in life go wrong.
Works Cited
- Bechtel, Christopher, and Calum MacKellar , editors. The Ethics of the New Eugenics. Berghahn Books, 2014.
- Hrouda, Brooke Elizabeth. “’Playing God?': An Examination of the Legality of Crispr Germline Editing Technology Under the Current International Regulatory Scheme and The Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights.” Georgia Journal of International and Comparative Law, vol. 45, no. 1, 2017, pp. 221-241.
- Stock, Gregory. “Germinal Choice Technology and the Human Future.” Reproductive BioMedicine Online (Reproductive Healthcare Limited), vol. 10, Mar. 2005, pp. 27-35.
- Wachbroit, Robert. “What’s Wrong with Eugenics?” Designing the Goods, June 1987, pp. 6-9.
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From Eugenics to the Government of Genetic Risks
Genetic testing can pave the way for new forms of discrimination as we attempt to classify people. By giving people definite classes, and defining them by properties it can potentially lead people in society attempting to control, help, change, or emulate others for the perceived better (Hacking, 2006). This can lead to certain people being viewed as objects of scientific inquiry rather than humans with feelings (Hacking, 2006). Attempts to enhance what “nature” has endowed (Lock, 2008) often creates advancements in technology and what we are capable of as humans. While it can be argued that genetic technologies have allowed us to advance as a society, it has also acted as a way to make old forms of discrimination into new forms. Contemporary examples of genetic testing being discriminative include genetic testing during pregnancy for genetic conditions and the mistreatment of Indonesian minors who were involved in the smuggling of asylum seekers to Australia.
Genetic testing has emerged as a way to medically test changes in chromosomes, genes, or proteins. This can assist in client autonomy (Davis 2009, pp.64) as testing for a possible genetic condition or helping to determine a person's chance of developing or passing on a genetic disorder can help parents make informed decisions. The use of genetic testing has had mixed reviews depending on the context it resides in. It can be quite negative as it creates a link to eugenic past and still views people with a birth defect as different. Genetic technologies have contributed to discrimination on the basis of eugenics (Francis Galton philosophy). Eugenics has aims to produce desirable traits and eliminate undesirable traits. The philosophy of eugenics has led to multiple incidences of discrimination against minorities, in particular, people with disabilities. Historically, parents have had the option to terminate a pregnancy on the basis of a perceived disability in their unborn child. This has led to high levels of pregnancy termination when parents find out their child may have a disability, specifically down syndrome (Kaposy, 2018). Societal attitudes can strongly influence how parents to be view the possibility of having a child with down syndrome as it infers that the child may struggle with independence. However, there is evidence that a child with down syndrome does not have significant decrease in quality of life. While parents should be allowed to make informed choices about their child, the choice to terminate the pregnancy can feed into the bias against disabled people.
Genetic testing can also be used in criminal cases. This can be noted in the case of Indonesian minors who were caught manning boats that smuggled asylum seekers to Australia. Multiple minors were charged as adults and put into adult facilities, via the use of technology to detect an individual’s age. However, the technology the authorities chose to use were inappropriate as the evidence collected wasn’t always a true reflection of the individuals age. The findings were based on wrist bone x-rays which indicated their age based on the state of their bones. This case violated children’s fundamental rights as enshrined in international human rights law. These findings were used as evidence to detain minors with no leniency, despite disputing the test results. Eventually, in mid-2011 the x-ray testing was stopped, but this was after many minors had been detained, leaving them without justice. This is an example of discrimination both in the cases of race and age, as minors were treated unjustly and the attitudes that shaped the treatment of the Indonesian smugglers would have been influenced by Australian government attitudes towards asylum seekers (Toohey 2014).
Genetic testing can pave the way for new forms of discrimination as we attempt to classify people (Hacking, 2006). By giving people definite classes, and defining them by properties it can potentially lead people in society attempting to control, help, change, or emulate others for the perceived better. This can lead to certain people being viewed as objects of scientific inquiry (Hacking, 2006) rather than humans with feelings. Contemporary examples include genetic testing during pregnancy for genetic conditions and the treatment of Indonesian minors who were involved in the smuggling of asylum seekers to Australia. Both make use of advancements in science and technology, but bring moral dilemmas to the table as these technologies have been used to discriminate against individuals.
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America’s Hidden History: the Eugenics Movement
The Eugenics Crusade tells the story of America’s journey to breed healthy babies to create the perfect human in the 19th century. Eugenics was proposed as a scientific solution for social problems. Eugenics movement was about having healthy babies and a stronger society (2:48- 2:52). Charles believed that evolution was the natural process that was leading to the survival of the fittest (5:56). The term “eugenics” was coined in 1883 by Sir Francis Galton, a British cousin to Charles Darwin, a science in which human beings take charge of their own evolution as the natural selection wasn’t effective enough. It was believed that selective breeding could transform the human race and needed to be proven scientifically.
In 1910, Charles shifted his observation on hereditary to human beings, he investigated the human traits and how favorable traits can be passed down for a better economy. It was shown that certain traits passed down can be halted if reduction was controlled. On October 1910, Davenport established the eugenics record office to guide the nation’s reproductive choices. After it was established, it was recommended that those with the “so-called bad genes” to be segregated during their reproductive years or sterilized to prevent them from spreading their bad genes. The goal of the movement was to put an end to social ills by reducing the number of those considered to be genetically unfit or inherited bad genes which included the poor, anyone with any form of disability, immigrants, jews, or any behavior like a criminal activity in any member of their family. It was seen as a way to liberate America as a whole. John Harvey Kellog believed that the key to reforming society is to cleanse ourselves by what we eat and take into the body. He also believed that the environment can affect the genes because some genes are triggered by certain environmental factors.
The Race Betterment Foundation was founded in 1911 by John Harvey Kellog. It had the medical instruments used to gauge human biological capacity and a wall of chart that outline the importance of eugenics to the human race. The Panama pacific expo was a defining moment in the eugenics movement as it gave people a perspective to view the world. Eugenics classified those below the social norms as morons and it created a hierarchy that made some believe they were superior. The coming of other races into America was seen as a genetic threat which led to the passing of the immigration restriction legislation in 1924 and forbade the marriages between blacks and whites. Eugenics was the mainstream popular culture in the 1920s. The 1930s was the peak of Eugenics which was due to the great depression. By the end of the 1940s, Eugenics was longer the way of American lives and by the end of the 1970s, the total number of sterilization exceeded 60,000. This video shows how easy it is to use fear of 'the other' to bring about the most inhumane treatment of human beings. In my opinion, the use of eugenics is humane. Human beings should not be judged or isolated because of situations they cannot control like their race or disability, or condemned based on their social or economic status. I felt like the great depression was good in a way as it helped put the so-called superior in the shoes of the “genetically unfit” cause they had to go through the same treatment because of the economic crash which questioned the purposes on eugenics.
Although the eugenics was cruel, its origin brought some great discoveries that are implemented today. It was based on the laws of evolutions and the passage of genes from parents to offsprings. It talks about how traits are being passed and also how traits can skip certain generations to later come up in a different generation. This is possible because a gene can be recessive or dominant (module material genetics.doc pg 4). A gene dominant in a generation can become recessive in another. With the use of the mendelian ratio, it shows how certain genes that give rise to physical traits are passed down to the generations. I am really surprised by the problems of society where being approached with the use of eugenics to determine who is genetically fit or not as it had no equality and had no criteria for selecting the best features because they were dictated by the elites (1:29:06).
Certain behaviors or activities like alcoholism or increase in crime rate are due to the personal background and has nothing to do with the genetic makeup of the individual. I have never had any experiences of being put down because of something relating to my background but it’s common for people to be judged because of where they come from or their ethnic background and therefore viewed as inferior by society. Morgan proved that genes live in chromosomes and therefore travel in packs and can’t just be eliminated (42:00) “two chromosomes that make up the pairs may give different instructions to the body about how to produce that trait. The particular members of the pairs that get put into the eggs or sperms, and the particular sperm cell that ends up meeting the egg, thereby producing the offspring, is a random occurrence (or controlled by luck/Fate/Mother Nature/Divinity, depending on what you believe)” (module material genetics.doc pg 4) making it difficult to determine the offsprings which is why the use of eugenics is inhumane.
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Biological Positivism it’s in our Genes
Positivism is a type of research method, looking at biological factors which could attempt to root criminality physiologically, labelling criminals through their body and genes. This theory is the opposite of most criminological theory. It is the concept that individuals have little control over there actions as they are biologically propelled towards crime. Criminality was believed to be biologically determined, criminals were born not made.
Biological criminology puts forward the idea that those who break the law, are scientifically different. There is a ‘born criminal’, almost like a different species carrying mental and physical characteristics which set them apart from non-criminals (Lombroso 1876). He argued certain features such as; large jaws, canine teeth, a twisted nose, long arm length and peculiar sized ears were just a few of many ‘defects’ Lombroso believed were associated with born criminals.
To support his claims, his book ‘the criminal woman’ then goes on to show how he believed prostitutes had prehensile feet. The eugenics movement was concerned with improving the genetic selection of the human race. This related criminality to ‘bad breeding’. Eugenics link to the Holocaust, at Hitlers attempt to ‘purify’ the German race, creating an ‘Aryan’ race. Eugenics was defined as the science of improving stock, he was concerned with racial decline and believed the ‘undesirables’ were breeding too fast (Galton). Rentoul (1903) believed sterilisation should happen for certain people such as those suffering with leprosy, cancer, imbeciles, prostitutes and cretins. Although this is an outdated concept, it was taken up in 2008 by a conservative member of parliament, suggesting that sterilisation should take place for certain members of the ‘underclass’.
In the early 20th century there were continued attempts to isolate key physiological features of criminals. (Goring) criminals tended to be shorter in height and weigh less. (Hooton) criminals tended to have smaller heads, shorter and broader noses, as well as sloping foreheads to mark them as criminal. These criminals were viewed as biologically inferior and made up an inferior class.
Body build and temperamental tendencies could explain a ‘criminal type’ (Sheldon 1949) three body types include the ‘Endomorphy’, those with a heavy build, slow moving, round, friendly as well as sociable, the ‘Ectomorphy’, typically known as small skeletons, weak muscles, introverted alongside intelligent and the ‘Mesomorphy’ which is associated with well developed, muscles, athletic, strong, aggressive and violent. Sheldon found that the lowest criminal tendency was the ectomorphy whilst the most delinquent behaviour tended to come from those described as mesomorphy. A similarly conclusion was drawn by (Gluecks 1950) who noted that strength and agility may enable boys to fulfil a delinquent role.
One of the earliest attempts to isolate a genetic cause of criminality looking at the analysis of the family trees of known criminals (muncie). It is believed that undesirable characteristics were passed down through families. By looking at twin and adoption studies there could be genetic causes for criminality however this type of research would need further research, funding as well as publicity.
Modern research shows that biochemical factors could be the cause of genetic criminality behaviour, which could include hormone imbalances, slow brain-wave activity and testosterone etc.
More advanced and factual arguments can be brought up for ‘the criminal type’, such as that crime can be found socially for example the stain theory (Merton). This developed from the concept of anomie (Durkheim) and places a high emphasis on the individual. Anomie or ‘strain’ is the result of a misalignment of social aspirations and the means people have to achieve it. This is based on the American culture with the idea that the organisation of the American society and culture automatically leads to criminality. America place a high emphasis on consumption as well as greed, constantly increasing their intake of material desires that eventually lead to dissatisfaction, capitalism urges individuals to consume these material factors then judges them by their ability to do so. This ‘American Dream’ created strain for those who did not have the ability to consume the material factors forcing those at the bottom of the class system to react under the pressure to succeed, this includes conformists, those who try to get success through legitimate means such as hard work, education, it also includes innovation, those who abandon the rules and try to succeed in any way possible, another group is ritualism, those who give up on there success goals, and retreatism, which includes those who seek to value other ways of being, such as religious groups or people with drug addictions. It is however arguable that Lombroso’s work is largely discredited.
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Film Summary Cinderella Man
Cinderella Man is a 2005 film that is set during the great depression and follows struggling professional boxer, James J. Braddock as he attempts to provide for his family amid a looming financial crisis. The plot of financial crisis allows for the application of several themes involving gender differences, feminism, class differences, commodification, class exploitation, and cultural hegemony. For example, several characters within the film suffer from the consequence of the financial crisis. This allows for a comparative assessment of varying responses to the great depression. Following a bout that leaves him with a broken hand, Braddock is forced to give up a promising boxing career and begins working at the docks. As a consequence, his family suffers and he risks losing part of family. In this case, despite being a hard-worker, the high demand for jobs, low wages, and his ailing hand limit his capacity to support his family forcing him to ask for charity and register for welfare.
After a period of financial anguish, his friend, Joe Gould is able to book him a series of high-profile bouts that allow him to gain his financial independence once more. His win over Max Baer for the heavyweight championship is perceived as a symbolic representation of national hope. Analysis The film primarily views sports as a mobility escalator as seen in the facilitation of the main character’s upward social mobility through his hardwork, dedication, and focus. This involves growth from low socioeconomic backgrounds as seen in the acquisition of fame and fortune (Eitzen and Sage 188). With this in mind, one of the key theories in the film is the social conflict theory.
It proposes that the interaction between individuals and groups is based on conflict as opposed to consensus (Mosher and Akins 73). It views social life within the logic of competition as seen in the distribution of power, resources, and inequality. The theme of social conflict theory is quite widespread within the film. For example, ‘Cinderella Man’ depicts a vision of loss, poverty, and despair across multiple social strata within its setting. At the same time, seemingly wealthy individuals and families are able to maintain their luxurious lifestyle with little regard for their impoverished counterparts. These social differences cause several social problems that pit groups against each other. This hypothesis is proven through the riots that caused the death of Mike Wilson, Braddock’s friend. In this case, it is suggested that the ‘commies’ started the riot (Howard 1:26:10). This suggests an underlying form of class warfare sparked by financial challenges in light of the great depression. The riots can, therefore, be interpreted as the application of social conflict theory.
Another clear manifestation of social conflict theory is tied to the concept of class exploitation both of which are a consequence of the massive wealth inequality. For example, in the film, Joe Gould dismisses James Johnston’s false concern for Braddock’s safety on the ring and suggests that the latter’s only concern is his capacity to make money. Second, symbolic interactionism requires the consideration of symbols and inherent details in everyday life. More specifically, it suggests that people’s actions towards different things is based on their preconceptions of what those things mean to them and in turn, meaning is derived from social interaction and is subsequently modified or altered through interpretation. This perspective can be highlighted through an assessment of Braddock’s sense of duty to his family, marriage, friendships, and community. In the first case, he considers his responsibilities to his family in the highest of regard and struggles to keep it together regardless of his suffering. More specifically, his sense of duty are an embodiment of integral American values that are synonymous with national traditions.
For example, despite being impoverished, he condemns his son when he steals a slab of salami from the local meat store and justifies the act as an attempt to feed his hungry family and prevent its separation. He suggests that people have to work to avert their problems and not reduce themselves to basic instincts. The third concept is tied to the representation of functionalism, which can be seen through an analysis of Braddock’s marriage. In this case, the placement of ultimate family responsibilities on Braddock provides proof of the functionalist theory. In this regard, the functionalist perspective suggests that social functions are supported by different parts. Here, Wilson, Gould, and Braddock are largely perceived providers for their respective families. For example, Gould’s wife suggests that they have to wait for their husbands to fix everything (Howard 1:10:19).
Despite the underlying implications for feminist thought, the film exposes a functional perspective to family. Discussion Braddock’s successes in the arena despite the challenges in his life contribute to the view that sports is an important avenue out of poverty (Eitzen and Sage 194). This effect is reinforced through the emotional aspects of his life. In addition, the movie’s main purpose is the fulfillment of moral and ethical growth. It emphasizes the importance of sacrifice, dedication, loyalty, and endurance. Despite Braddock’s successes, this theme is flawed, especially since statistical evidence contradict the notion of sports as an integral facilitator of upward mobility (Eitzen and Sage 194). Regardless, the movie uplifts positive attributes and either ignores or condemns alternative views on life and society. This hypothesis is based on the main character’s achievements. As far as society is concerned, the movie allows the audience to visualize the depths to which human beings can reach in light of radical socio-economic changes, challenges, and problems. These issues are well-represented in current affairs where poverty and growing wealth and income inequality have resulted in higher levels of crime as represented by the social conflict theory.
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Fairy Tale – Chinese Cinderella
Chinese Cinderella, a memoir written by Chinese-American author Adeline Yen Mah, is a story describing her experiences growing up in Chinese culture. After Adeline is born in 1937, her mother dies two weeks later due to complications related to her birth. Since this occurred, her family members believe that she brings the worst luck. A short time after Adeline’s mother dies, her father remarries another woman who treats Adeline with the same disrespect. Niang, her stepmother, stays at home to watch Adeline’s other siblings and her own two children. She treats Adeline with contempt, while showering the other children with expensive gifts. The only person who seems to care about Adeline is her Aunt Baba, who always praises and rewards her for her successes. In Chinese Cinderella, Adeline Yen Mah is very persistent in achieving her goals because her personality is shaped by the people and environment she is surrounded by.
Throughout the memoir, Adeline’s personality is driven by the temperament of her parents. Adeline’s father and step-mother both have cruel and unloving personalities. Her step-mother punishes her for going to a friend’s house, which is a normal activity for any child of Adeline’s age. After scolding her, Niang says, “Not only are you a liar and a thief, but you are manipulative as well. Nothing will ever come of you. The problem is that you have bad blood from your mother” (103). Even though Niang is not an immediate part of Adeline’s family, she still looks down on her and accuses her of bringing bad luck. Adeline’s father also treats her with disrespect and transfers her to many boarding schools within China, where each time she is stripped from her family and friends. Even though these are events that children today could never imagine going through, Adeline remains positive and brave through it all. She says, “Though my parents tell me I’m worthless, I’ve proved them wrong! Of all the girls in my class, my classmates chose me to be their class president. I must forget about my home. In my other life-my real life-I’m not worthless. They respect me” (112). This shows Adeline’s perseverance to stay strong and continue to work hard for herself and her future. She knows that she is worth something to other people, besides her family.
For the majority of the memoir, Adeline’s Aunt Baba shows support towards her goals and rewards Adeline for her successes. Since her other caretakers treat Adeline in an unloving way, Aunt Baba is the only person that comes across as caring for her. She is the one person who appreciates and sees the true potential in Adeline. Aunt Baba saves and keeps all her report cards in a special lock box, so that she can look back on Adeline’s achievements. Aunt Baba also rewards Adeline for her accomplishments, since no one else notices her. Adeline says, “On Tuesday morning, I put the silver dollar Aunt Baba had given me for leading my class the previous term in my pocket…” (99). Aunt Baba shows admiration and caring traits toward Adeline that keep her driven toward her goals to make her family proud. Adeline knows that she will have the support of at least one person, which keeps her persistent personality alive.
The actions of Adeline’s family members help develop and shape her personality throughout the memoir. The harsh ways that her father and step-mother treat her push her to try her best in life and her schoolwork to show them that she has worth. Even though she has been pushed to the side by her guardians, there is a drive within her that pushes her to succeed. Aunt Baba’s opposite and supportive actions keep Adeline motivated to eventually be successful. Even if she does not have the love and support of her family, she knows Aunt Baba will guide and reward her along the way. At the end of the memoir when Adeline wins an International Playwriting Competition, her father eventually realizes the potential in her and allows her to go to college in England alongside her siblings. Throughout Chinese Cinderella, the cultures and actions of Adeline’s family shape her persistent personality and drive for success.
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A True Love’s FAIL
“Hi. My name is Prince Charming. I am going to be telling you the story of how I met my beloved Cinderella. It was all thanks to my nagging father, the King. Here’s how it started. My father wanted me to get married, so he could see his grandchildren before he passed away. Every day, in and out, was always the same, “When will you find a lovely girl to wed?” “I want to see my grandchildren.” Constantly nagging me. Anyways, one day he decided to take matters into his own hands. He threw a ball for me to find a wife at.
That was just like him, always being selfish. Now, it’s the night of the ball. He sent an invitation to every maiden in the land. Not that I need that many choices, but it’s the thought that counts. So, every lady files in, anxious to get a dance in, when all of a sudden I see the fairest, most spectacular maiden of all. She looks nervous and is constantly glancing at these two wretched girls, and an older woman ( who I later found out was her step mom and step sisters). I’m thinking to myself ‘wow maybe I should steal her away for a dance’. So I go to find her, ignoring my father, and the line of ladies wanting to dance with me. I see her, and everything about her seems to be glowing, almost as if with magic. I knew from that moment that I wanted to marry her. Anyway, I go up and ask her for a dance. She looks startled but says yes.
She is an amazing dancer, and I find out her name is Cinderella. What an interesting name, for such an interesting girl. We danced and danced all night long, but every minute she was growing more and more worried. I tried to ask her what was wrong, but then the clock struck midnight. She ran, and I followed her, but in the process, she lost her lovely glass slipper. I go back inside to find the wretched girls wanting to dance with me. I politely declined and informed my father of what happened. We decided to launch a search to find her, using her shoe. So, the ball wraps up, and I didn’t pay much attention to the other girls that danced with me. For the next week, we went around and around the kingdom, to every house, and had every maiden try on the shoe. None of them fit, and we started to lose hope.
Then, at a house near the end of the kingdom, there were the wretched girls again. I knew it was not them, but to be fair on our search, we let them try on the shoes. It did not fit either of them, so I asked if there was any other lady in the house. Lady Tremaine (the stepmom) said there were no more people in the house. I sighed defeatedly, but when I looked up, there was someone else coming down the stairs! She was covered in cinders and ash, but she was such a beautiful person. She said that she would like to try on the shoe, and we let her. It was a perfect fit, and to top it all off, she had the other one! The very next day was our wedding, and we lived happily ever after. Until now that is.” “Cinderella, what do you think?” said the couples therapist, aka her fairy godmother.
“I didn’t know you still felt that way! I’m so sorry for starting all the petty fights!! Please forgive me.” said Cinderella. “Of course.” The Prince said to her. “Now that it’s all worked out, back to the, HAPPILY EVER AFTER” said Fairy Godmother. After that, the king did end up getting to see his grandchild before he passed away. Though there is still a few more to come, he passed happily knowing one of them would know him. All was well in the kingdom, because Prince Charming and Cinderella soon after, became King and Queen. And the happily ever after lived on. For a while, at least.
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A True Love’s FAIL. (2021, Dec 29).
Retrieved November 4, 2025 , from
https://studydriver.com/2021/12/page/6/
The Cinderella Story
The Cinderella story is a story that is well known around the world. While the Cinderella story has been generalized to be about a mistreated stepdaughter who becomes a princess these stories reflect the culture of each country they are set in. Cinderella is a story that tells us how kindness does not mean weakness, cruelty does not mean strength and that kindness t0wards all and perseverance is what matters most. The Mexican Adelita and the Irish Cinderlad are two different versions of Cinderella that teach this lesson.
Adelita is a story that has difficult circumstances, difficult people and misfortune but it also has a happily ever after ending. Adelita’s horrible stepsisters are jealous of her until her father dies when she is moved to a much smaller room and made to feel loneliness. Her stepmothers betrail comes when she fires her only companion the housekeeper Esperanza. Adelita protests and offers to feed esperanza from her own meals. She is told no but Adelita perseveres. she finds hope in the upcoming party. she asks her stepmother if she can go but the steep mother says no. Esperanza returns and gives her the opportunity to go to the party by finding clothes for her. adelita attends the party and no one knows who she is. Javier falls in love with her but does not know who she is. Javier finds her and they live happily ever after.
The Irish Cinderlad is a story that has a dysfunctional family, a scolding stepmother and the death of a parent. The main character shows bravery in the face of difficulty. At the beginning of the story, his mother dies and his father brings home a new wife with three cruel daughters they send him out to heerd the cows and give Becan food. He meets a magical bull that feeds him and is nice to him. When the step stepmother discoveres that she decided to put the bull in a stue. Becan ran to warn the bull and they escaped after a while of riding. The bull told becan that he had to fight the gray bull and would die but to pull off its tail and wear it as a belt. Becan used the belt to fight off a dragon and protect a princess he ran off but the princess had him found and they lived happily ever after.
The key theme in both of these stories is that kindness towards all is what matters most staying kind and nice no matter how hard life is . in both stories there is an evil stepmother and evil sisters in both of these stories it shows how kindness is a better garment than fancy clothing, expensive jewelry and that you don't have to be rich to be a kind person that forgiveness is much stronger than envy and jealousy. In conclusion, both stories teach the same thing how jealousy and envy are no match for kindness and perseverance. In my opinion, the ideals of this story that marriage will make you happy make many people suffer and feel incomplete.
Cite this page
The Cinderella Story. (2021, Dec 29).
Retrieved November 4, 2025 , from
https://studydriver.com/2021/12/page/6/
