Social Theories in Conflict and Examples of Application

Social Theories in Conflict and Examples of Application Introduction Conflict is part of human existence. Theories expounded by scholars and theorists state that conflicts are the result of human needs not being met, or as a result of competition. When these needs are addressed to, conflicts lose significance. There are a number of theories discussed in this essay and most delve on the interconnectivity of society and the individual members.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Social Theories in Conflict and Examples of Application specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Paramount is the study of Lewis Coser which states that conflicts have a positive effect on society. Historical events relate that social groups are strengthened by conflict. Conflict and social upheaval are common in history. Oppression characterizes historical events. If there was no conflict, it would have been very difficult to write history because history is filled with conflicts of tribes and peoples , kings and their dominions, and nation states against nation states. People and organizations deal with conflict day in and day out. Human nature is complicated; it is filled with emotions and feelings which can be the cause of conflicts. In an organization, there are complexities, errors, and successes, because organizations are manned by humans. We are not governed by theories but we formulate these theories out of our experiences and continued socialization. In the course of time, these theories seem to rule over our behavior and activities. In our socializing activities, we commit errors which are a part of our behavior in making judgments, interpretations, assumptions, and beliefs about our social world, the people within it, and our place in it. This essay will try to delve on the many aspects of conflict, but most especially on the theories of conflict, and on the why and the how of conflicts encountered by man. The Theories Human Needs Theory – John Burton (1990) The theory states that conflicts are caused by human needs that are not met. These needs can be psychological, social, economic, political, etc. The needs and problems of the people involved in conflicts have to be understood and addressed so that the issues that preoccupy the groups and people lose significance and therefore conflict can be resolved. Another argument by Burton and Dukes (1990 as cited in Anyanwu, 2009, p. 58) states that satisfying human needs seems to be present in all conflicts although there are many kinds of conflicts.Advertising Looking for research paper on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Common to the Human Needs theory are selfs of Application specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Muzafer Sherif (1961, as cited in Goldstein, 1994, p. 98) and his research team conducted studies on the causes of intergroup competition. The research was known a s the summer camp studies. They recruited 24 12-year-old boys who came from middle-class families. The boys were not informed of the experiment; instead they were told that it was just a summer camp. The Researchers planned the experiment to be in three stages including group formation, conflict between the groups, and reduction of the conflict. The first stage involved transporting the boys into two separate groups and classifying them according to their psychological and physical characteristics, and separating those who were friends. Inside the camp, the two groups were separated from each other in two distant locations, avoiding possible contact with each other. Activities for the boys involved athletics, hiking, camping, swimming, and developing group structure. Toward the end of the first week, the two groups realized that they were sharing the same facilities and were beginning to exhibit a different kind of behaviour against the rival group. The two groups were now aiming fo r competition. The Researchers staged the games of baseball, tug-of-war and other contests, increasing the tension among the boys, until it escalated into verbal insults and other hostilities. Throughout the period, the attitudes of the two groups became more hostile but were cohesive towards their own team. More activities or experiments, disguised as games, were conducted by the Researchers, and each time the boys showed bias toward their own group. When they were asked to indicate their best friends, they chose their co-members of the group when in reality their best friends before they were brought to the camp were those from the opposite group. The experimenters created instances where the two groups could cooperate with each other and this was when they had to pool their money for a movie that they all wanted to see. Another was for all to help in rescuing the water truck when it got stuck. All other activities involved interdependency for the two groups. The result was that t here was a reduction in hostility. (Goldstein, 1994, pp. 98-9) Team development is designed to improve the effectiveness of team members with interdependent jobs, where effectiveness refers to managing problems and accomplishing group goals. The experiment proved that behaviour of groups could escalate conflict and how easily hostilities can form. The experimenters designed tasks wherein the two groups had no other recourse except to help each other.Advertising Looking for research paper on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Functionalism – Emily Durkheim and Talcott Parsons (1902-1979) This is sometimes known as ‘the society perspective’ or the ‘social-system perspective’. The original work of the French sociologist Emile Durkheim links this theory to the existing system at the time, but it was provided further study by the American sociologist Talcott Parsons. This theory was dominant in the United States during the period 1940s to the 1960s. It gained wide prominence but soon waned down although insights for this theory are linked to the existing social issues. According to this theory, human nature is irrational and self-centred. (Willis, 1996, p. 117) Society has a great influence to the order of things and can prevent the escalation of conflict and war. Willis (1996, p. 117) describes the tension between society and the individual members: ‘ the civilizing influence of society keeps irrationality in check, and individuals do not actively create social lives b ut are products of the external society. Individuals can be free and happy only within the confines set up by society.’ In this theory, society has a great influence on the individual members. It can be said that society comes first and the interest of the majority is ahead of the interest of the individual members. The studies of Frederick Taylor are somehow linked to the society-individual interaction in the functionalism theory. He defined work in terms of the specified tasks designed for the workers to follow, and with no chance of freedom or judgment left on the part of the workers. There is no motivation during those early years of industrialization, which is the basis of Taylor’s theory. (Luecke Hall, 2006, p. 18) Another is that of the social scientist Douglas McGregor who formulated the Theory X and Theory Y approach to management. Managers who embrace Theory X have two motivational tools: the carrot and stick – greed and fear. Theory X sees the boss a s prodding the employees, exerting too much control in the workplace. Theory Y assumes that when people are motivated, they accomplish goals. Workers become productive when they are motivated: to be a part of the team, or to be a part-owner of the organisation, and to be creative in their work. (Fournies, 1999, p. 34) Social Conflict Theory – Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels An important figure in conflict theory is Karl Marx whose work remains important to the understanding of how capitalist and modern society works. Marx’s ideas were revolutionary and a source of great change in a rapidly changing social order. It was known as a revolution within a revolution. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels focused their theory of the social conflict on the worker and the owner of production, and the so-called class struggle. They both popularized their theory at the height of the industrial revolution. During this time, there were two groups emerging in society – the moneyed cl ass or the bourgeoisie and the workers or the proletariat. (Sociology Guide, 2010) Karl Marx wrote that the worker was used for production, to make goods or commodities and profits. But as his production increased, his being and humanity were disregarded. He became poorer and also was transformed into a commodity, a cheap commodity. As this commodity increased in value, he became devalued in the process. The worker worked for the goods which had more value than him. As the worker continued to struggle, society broke up into classes which were hostile to one another, and the creation of the proletariat and the bourgeoisie. (Randall, 1964) Marx’s focus on class struggles states that the worker has become ‘objectified’. He is made a tool to produce more goods or commodities, and the more he produces commodities, the more he is reduced or lowered. He becomes an instrument for profit; the capitalist rejoices over his job. The worker is reduced to the lowest serf, only being used for the advancement of money, capital, and more profits. (Marx and Engels Internet Archive, n.d.) On the other hand, the powerful and the moneyed class impose their will on the proletariat purposely to preserve everything they have – their power, wealth and even their culture. But Marx says the workers can make themselves powerful if they unite. Marx’s theory is still applicable today. The rich and powerful use their money and power to impose their will upon the poverty-stricken majority, and to preserve their wealth. In the modern world, society is always in a state of conflict because various groups or nation states keep on imposing their will on other groups or states. The powers that be impose their will on the majority, purposely to preserve their wealth and power. (Siegel Welsh, 2009, pp. 164-5) Nevertheless, conflict can offer a positive experience. This was explained by Lewis Coser (cited in Melchin Picard, p. 29) who linked his arguments to the w orks of Hegel and Marx. Coser was interested in the change that society was undergoing and how conflict affected the change. He had broader ideas on social health; he explained that conflict had a lot to do with social change and indeed it had a positive effect on society, i.e. social groups were strengthened by conflict. Conflict balanced the equilibrium. Hegel and Marx developed the theories on conflict as it affects society. Conflict and upheaval are common in history and they are not destructive but the source of strength or vitality. The positive thing about conflict is that history is not all about harmony but about oppression and the forces and activities to counter oppression. (Melchin Picard, 2008, pp. 29-30) Social Darwinism – Charles Darwin It is said that when psychology was still at its early stage, three theorists dominated the scene of debates and discussion – Darwin, Marx, and Freud. These three intelligent personalities influenced the thinking and wri tings of the early social psychologists. Darwin popularized the concept of â€Å"survival of the fittest†: that living things and everything in nature is at war, organisms fight against each other or against the rest of nature and the strongest can survive. (Deutsch, 2006, p. 13) Darwin’s theory focuses on the evolution of the species but the term evolution itself connotes conflict: there is a continuing conflict in living organisms that it seems evolution is all about conflict. Social Darwinism, on the other hand, is more of a vulgarization of the original theory of Darwin’s because it provided reason for other terms to evolve, such as racism, sexism, superiority of another group or class, and conflicts. The ideas of â€Å"survival of the fittest† and those of evolution are now misapplied to social groups which explain the vulgarization part. (Deutsch, 2006, p. 14) Imperialism has been rationalized with this concept. The powerful continue to oppress the less fortunate, or perhaps the working class. But Marx says that the working class can always unite and become powerful. This is the reason why he formulated the concept of communism – to help the class struggle of the working class. Social Darwinism started to emerge in the mid 1920s. But it declined during the popularity of the concepts of Marx’s class struggle. From the waning of the concept of Social Darwinism, emerged the phenomena of war and inter-group hostility. Postmodern Social Theory – George Ritzer and Douglas Goodman The heart of the modern theory is the belief that society can become a better group of people through a revelation of the hidden processes of the past. According to this theory society is a product of past events which can be said as historical accidents and not intentioned activities by personalities or heroes. This theory has two approaches, the modern and the postmodern. (Turner, 2006, p. 151) Postmodern focuses on contingency, for i nstance, scepticism or rejection of universality; rhetoric and a focus on what is irrational. These are emphasized so that it can lead to something which is the contrary, or to lead to some alternatives, and not the usual or traditional methods. Game Theory and Economic Behavior – Von Neumann and Morgenstern (1944, as cited in Deutsch, 2006, p. 16) The Game Theory, as explained by von Neumann and Morgenstern, emphasized on the interdependence of interests of the opposing parties. The theory also formulated mathematical solutions to conflicts through the zero-sum games, but it also emphasized that cooperative and competitive interests are interwoven in conflict. Deutsch (2006) states that conflicts were a mix of cooperative and competitive processes. The cooperative factors were opposed to the common idea at that time that conflicts were purely competitive struggle. Symbolic Interactionism – Sheldon Stryker Symbolic Interactionism is important in sociology as it connote s functions and roles of individuals in society. The theory was developed in the 18th to mid-20th century and its emphasis is on the role theory. This is somehow linked to Functionalism as individual roles are linked to society. (Stryker, 2006, p. 211) Individual members of society have particular roles or functions and if something goes wrong, conflict occurs and can be interpreted as poor role performance. Stryker (2006, p. 211) correlates the traditional symbolic interactionism to the role theory where everyone in society has a filling role to play, for instance as child, parent, teacher, politician, etc. Functionalism and symbolic interactionism have synonymous meanings. Conclusion Conflict theories link society and individual members. As stated in the introduction, conflict is a part of human existence, and history could not have been written without conflicts. There are conflicts within us or inside us, our relations and interactions with others and the society as a whole, and , above all, war or conflicts between nation states, ethnic or tribal wars, etc. Conflict is a human phenomenon. This is how we are made – our innate personality and, to speak religiously, the seeming ‘restlessness’ of the human soul. Conflict begins inside us because of our unique personalities. It springs to our early relationship with family members, the basic unit of society, then onto society. But conflict is not at all ‘bad’ for us and our interaction with society. Since conflict and social upheaval are a part of history, history could not have been written without conflict. Our conclusion goes back to Lewis Coser (in the introduction) who states that conflicts have a positive effect on society. Laws and policies of groups, tribes, nation states and governments have been written and imposed because of conflicts – and to avoid conflicts. . Functions and roles of individuals in society are emphasized in some theoretical perspective, for ex ample in functionalism. We are linked to the community where we assume different roles. At home or at school, in the office or organization, we play different roles. Some are children, others are parents, some play the role of teachers, supervisors, employers or managers. Conflict occurs if we don’t play our roles accordingly. Conflicts help individuals find solutions. Managers realize the importance of conflict and competition; it helps them find ways to improve their business, although in a larger sense they tend to avoid conflict and competition. When the level of conflict is too low, which means the people in an organization tend to avoid conflict – they are content with how things are going on and how they appear to be. This should not be so because conflicts lead people to finding new ways and be creative. References Anyanwu, C. N. (2009). Creative strategies for conflict management community building. Indiana, U.S.A.: Authorhouse. P. 58. Armstrong, M. (1998). M anaging people: a practical guide for line managers. London: Kogan Page Limited. Deutsch, M. (2006). Introduction. In M. Deutsch, P. T. Coleman, E. C. Marcus (Eds.). The handbook of conflict resolution: theory and practice, second edition. San Francisco, California: John Wiley Sons, Inc. pp. 1-4. Firth, D. (2002). Life and work express. United Kingdom: Capstone Publishing. pp. 85-6. Fournies, F. (1999). Coaching for improved work performance. New York: McGraw-Hill. p. 34. Goldstein, A. P. (1994). The ecology of aggression. New York: Plenum Press. pp. 97-9. Kopelman, R. E., Prottas, D. J., Thompson, C. A., Jahn, E. W. (2006). A Multilevel Examination of Work-Life Practices: Is More Always Better? Journal of Managerial Issues, 18(2), p. 233. Luecke, R. Hall, B. (2006). Performance management: measure and improve the effectiveness of your employees. United States of America: Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation. p. 18. Marx and Engels Internet Archive (n.d.). Economic and philosophical manuscripts of 1844, Karl Marx: Estranged Labour XXII. Web. Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. In G. Goble, The third force: the psychology of Abraham Maslow, pp. 233-6. USA: Zorba Press. Melchin, K. R. Picard, C. (2008). Transforming conflict through insight. Toronto: University of Toronto Press Incorporated. pp. 29-30. Randall, F. B. (1964). The Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. New York: Simon Schuster Inc. Siegel, L. J. Welsh, B. C. (2009). Juvenile delinquency: theory, practice and law. Belmont, California: Cengage Learning. pp. 164-5. Sociology Guide (2010). Conflict theories. Web. Stryker, S. (2006). Traditional symbolic interactionism, role theory, and structural symbolic interactionism: the road to identity theory. In: J. H. Turner (Ed.), Handbook of sociological theory, p. 211. United States of America: Springer. Turner, J. H. (2006). Handbook of sociological theory. United States of America: Springer. p. 151. Webster, R. E. (2006). CLEP introduction to educational psychology. New Jersey, United States of America: Research Education Association. p. 84. Willis, E. (1996). The sociological quest: an introduction to the study of social life. New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press. p. 117.

The World System Since 1500 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The World System Since 1500 - Essay Example Military had consumed around a quarter of the Gross National Product's share and the focus from production of consumer goods and investment in the civilian sector declined more and more as the time progressed. In 1985 Soviet Union's growth rate had approached to almost zero, the currency experienced a major fall, adding more to the fact that the petroleum prices slide. To end the turmoil Mikhail Gorbachev reached concessions with the United States and started to back out by informing that they are no more interested in intervening the affairs of the allied states in Eastern Europe and also withdrew their forces from Afghanistan. And finally, in 1989, George H.W. Bush announced that the cold war era has finally reached an end. And later in that year USSR broke into fifteen different independent states. The problem or the so called sovereignty of the states is protected by the nations' acts of advancements and defense of their interests at the expense of all the other nations. And thus International Law has always been struggling to protect the world from this menace of war. But so far, it is bad to see that the International Law has failed to prevent the world from this injustice that has been the characteristic of each and every war that has taken place and the role of International law has also remain limited in influencing the actions of these independent states. In fact, the states themselves have negatively exploited the use of International Law for their own self purposes. International law has some problems not with its content or lack of awareness, but it lacks in the enforcement area; it is still unable to make sure all the time whether states are complying with their agreements that they have made and are not simply backing out or neglecting the terms as they see fit. Ho wever, its role is not at all dead but it still plays a role in the decision making of the states but so far influence is considerably less. International law contains the series of agreements that are meant to codify and enforce the code of conduct and ethics necessary for the interaction amongst the states, which has been approved by the varying members of the world community. From the statement it can be inferred that International Law itself is not imposed on different parties i.e. the nations, but they themselves voluntarily agree to be a part of it. It is important to evaluate whether over the years the International Law has remained successful and has been able to serve the purposes to the full extent or not. According to liberals, International Law has been serving well enough to strive towards the mutual benefit of all the involved parties. Constructivists argue that the interests and the identities of the states are mutually constitutive leading to the possibility that International Law achieves the mutual benefits for all simultaneously. However, liberals and constructivist still do not provide any solid reason for why states interact with one another well enough. These theories have so far undermined the individual nature of self interest and has let them open to pursue their self interest and thus states act in their best interest despite the fact that the International Law sees that the states should see the interests as one world wide common

Issues in Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Issues in Education - Essay Example However, there are a number of cracks in the ladder which need to be looked at in detail. As Laurence J. Peter puts it, â€Å"Education is a method whereby one acquires a higher grade of prejudices.† People learn how to read and write and become literate, but are far from being educated. This is so because of the mechanical setup of learning which exists in every school and college today, where rote learning and high scores are given preference over innovation and brainstorming. Practical projects are eliminated to make way for innumerous assignments and teachers are only concerned with work completion, being least bothered about whether their students are actually learning something. ‘Good education is not to follow the pages of a workbook. It’s following the workbook that’s within the child!’ (Christoph Schiebold). This thoughtful quote beautifully sums up all the major issues surrounding the education of children all around the globe. Educating a child is not merely about teaching him/her the alphabets or the number system. It’s about developing children’s minds to bring out the best in them, to help them identify and nurture their talents, to prepare them to face the world by arming them with the flawless knowledge about the right and the wrong, the good and the bad. Unfortunately, education has just been reduced to a lame system of mugging up some facts and representing them flawlessly in the examinations to score handsome marks. ‘One of the biggest fallouts of this system of education is that it completely annihilates any imagination that the child may possess.’ (Meenakshi Narang) Education is not limited to the classroom or the school premises. It is a never ending and an all encompassing process. As Oscar Wilde put it, â€Å"You can never be overdressed or overeducated.† Thus, the teachers and professors who are given the responsibility to educate a child should consider themselves priv ileged and not burdened. They are like the forbearers of the flames of our future, and how bright these flames may shine is completely dependent on them. However, this is easier said than done. Those days are long gone when education was considered akin to prayer and teachers were worshipped like Gods. Today, education is nothing more than a booming business and the teachers are mere employees of this large enterprise for whom all that matters is their paycheck at the end of each month. Neither are they any divine people nor do they worship their work. Needless to say, they aren’t concerned whether a future Picasso or Einstein is under their care; all they are concerned about is their job and how to complete it as fast as they can. Good teachers are like gems in a bag full of pebbles; extremely rare and tiresome to discover! However, they are indispensable for providing a befitting education to our children. ‘What really makes a difference, what matters more than the cl ass size or the textbook, the teaching method or the technology, or even the curriculum, is the quality of the teacher’(Newsweek). If the person who is teaching the children does not have the qualities of patience, open mindedness and understanding, then even the best schools and the fattest paychecks cannot guarantee the successful education of a child. A teacher, who understands his pupils, inspires them and makes them open up their minds and hearts to the world outside is the one who really educates them. As they say, if the roots are strong, the plant grows into a healthy tree. Similarly, if a teacher has what it takes to truly educate a child, he/she can build a gentleman out of a farm boy, no matter what tools he/she has at his/her disposal. Opponents of this theory claim that these issues are minor and baseless and are

Challenges and Achievements Essay Example for Free

Challenges and Achievements Essay Have you ever watched in disbelief at other peoples achievements, thinking to yourself how were they able to get there? The Answer is exactly the opposite of the following statement There are no challenges so difficult, no goals so impossible, as the ones we set ourselves Its because they themselves set their goals and as a result made it happen. The goals that we set ourselves may surely be very hard to achieve sometimes but still possible. on the contrary, the challenges that happen to us unexpectedly or from the outside world which are way more impossible to overcome. Every year the famous Olympics are being held were the most talented athletes from all over the world come to show their abilities and get the most honorable medal one could get. Right after the Olympic season the Paralympics start, were all the disabled athletes are being given the chance to shine. And its astonishing how people in wheelchairs, without arms and without legs are ambitious to show that they can be something and be counted within the Olympics despite their disabilities. Even One athlete without any legs was actually running beside all those who had normal functioning legs, and he actually won. Reading it in the headlines of the morning newspaper, just made me truly believe that there are no goals a person sets himself that are impossible. In addition my own personal experience with challenges prove that whatever a person wants to achieve, he will, even if it sounds impossible to others. In order to complete my B.A I had to pass the math CLEP test. i was always bad in math and numbers are really not my specialty, but I knew Im surely no less capable then all the others that passed the test. All my friends told me how hard it was even for them and how impossible its going to be for me but my score proved them wrong. Read more:Â  Personal Challenge Essay Of course I worked really hard and studies for hours, but in the end I did it. A person knows himself best, he knows his abilities and strength so when he sets himself a goal, with working hard he will eventually get there. On the other hand challenges that come to us unexpectedly are way harder to overcome than our self-made ones. Prove to that are all the many challenges of sudden disasters, like this years hurricane sandy or major poverty, or sudden loss of a family member. People who were affected by the hurricane have lost their possessions, house and stabilization. In addition to their everyday challenges they have this, which will take them many years to recover from. Those are challenges that are hard to pass, and when one compares those to passing a math Clep, those seem way tougher. People often set hard-to-reach goals and sometimes they fail or succeed in pursuing those goals, but nonetheless there possible. Additionally i do think, though that for many, the most difficult challenges come from outside the individual, from the outside world and nature. Besides, without any challenges we wouldnt be able to achieve so many great things. So lets embrace our challenges, work hard and prove that whatever we want to achieve, we can. The next time i have a challenge to face ill think of that athlete who made it to the top despite all odds. After all nobody said you cannot learn from others in order to achieve the impossible.

Religious Syncretism and its Consequences in Mayan Society Essay

Religious Syncretism and its Consequences in Mayan Society When Spaniards first set foot on Mesoamerican shores in the early sixteenth century, they encountered not the godless mass of natives they believed they found, but a people whose rich spiritual traditions shaped and sustained them for thousands of years. These diverse spiritual practices legitimized nearly every aspect of Mesoamerican daily life, from science and architecture to art and politics (Carmack 295), in many of the same ways Catholicism did in Spain. The collision of these cultures in the Great Encounter and the resulting Spanish colonial state mixed not solely two different peoples—Indian and Spanish—but thousands of variants: elites and slaves, peasant farmers and traders, priests and traders, organized and local spiritual customs, all with different degrees of diversity in their respective religious practices. This diversity set the stage for the syncretic religious traditions that emerged in Mayan society and remain a vital part of that culture today. Syncretic refers to the "nature of ideas, deities, and practices that derive from historically distinct traditions that become reinterpreted and transformed in situations of a cultural encounter" (Carmack 303). The cultural encounter between Mesoamericans and the Catholic Church was a natural result of mutual needs. The Indians needed protection from the cruelties inflicted by Spanish colonists, and the Church in many ways fought for their basic human rights; the Church needed land and support for their missions, and the Indians provided provisions and labor in much the same fashion as they had been giving tribute to ruling elites for thousands of years (Fash). This arrangement gave missionaries access not only to the Indians’ bodies—in the form of sweat and labor—but also their hearts and souls. The introduction of Christianity to native Mesoamericans, however, expressed itself in ways unexpected to the Catholic missionaries. For example, the concept of Jesus Christ—both in colonial Mesoamerica and today in thousands of Indian communities—became one of the several manifestations of the sun god (Carmack 304). The Virgin of Guadalupe, today the patron saint of Mexico, was and is embraced by Indians who interpreted her and the myth surrounding her 1531 appearance to Juan Diego in traditional spiritual custom: she is depicted as a d... ...storical documents such as Altar Q at Copà ¡n and the codexes. Other religious practices that resulted from the blending of ancient Mesoamerican and Catholic cultures in the diversity of colonial life include: the construction of churches and cathedrals on or near ancient temple sites; the ritual use of a fermented drink in spiritual practices (pulque and wine); public worship; incense; bundle cults; and many other "little traditions" (Carmack 304). Myriad syncretic spiritual forms evolved during the era of colonial Mesoamerica, expressing both public devotional practices and private household rituals that many times were veiled from Church scrutiny (Carmack 308). These rituals, born in indigenous culture and adapted to the drastically changed socio-economic and political landscape of colonial life, represent some of the few remaining links to the region’s spiritual and historical past. Bibliography: Carlsen, Robert. The War for the Heart & Soul of a Highland Maya Town. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1997. Carmack, Robert, Janine Grasco, and Gary Gossen. The Legacy of Mesoamerica: History and Culture of a Native American Civilization. New York: Prentice Hall, 1996.

Globalization: Indigenous Peoples and World

Globalization is the process in which the world becomes connected through communication, trade, and migration. Globalization can transform cultures and the identity of people within those cultures. One of the primary factors that leads to globalization in the advancement of technology In 1980 Dr. Knauft began to study an indigenous group of people deep in the forests of Papua New Guinea. This group of people had no contact with the outside world until the 1960’s, they were cut off from everything. They had a language and a name that was unknown to Anthropologists at the time. They were virtually invisible to the outside world. When Dr. Knauft arrived he met the Gebusi people, and began his study. He watched as they preformed ritual dances and wore traditional costumes. The Gebusi people lived their lives according to tradition and beliefs and were not affected by the outside world. The truth is no one can hide from globalization, not even the secluded Gebusi people. With in a matter of only 18 years they were transformed, most of them willingly converted to Christian beliefs, and they became focused on politics, economics, religion and nationalism. They were caught up to speed with the rest of the world due to globalization. The culture of the Gebusi people and their identity was drastically changed due to globalization. They were now on the same page as the rest of the world, and were now connected with the outside world. Trade organized groups such as NAFTA and the WTO make globalization easier to obtain for the smaller â€Å"developing† countries. For the countries that are a part of these groups goods, and ideas are much easier to share. With groups such as these and other factors globalization is inevitable so there is no sense in fighting it. If it were embraced rather then rejected everyone would be much better off. I understand that it can interfere with older cultures and traditions of developing countries, but it’s eat or be eaten in today’s world and you need to do what you need to do in order to compete with other countries and to survive within your own. Globalization exposes who ever it effects to a variety of new and different opportunities that must be taken in order for that group to survive. It can be compared to having to evolve, or becoming extinct. A lot of people see globalization as a bad thing, but its essential for survival in today’s world, and with out it we would be totally secluded from the rest of the world and that would just make everything extremely hard. It also helps keep the world balanced with power. Without globalization one country, or one group of people could easily be way ahead of others, and that could lead to wars and many other conflicts. The positives of globalization strongly out weigh the negatives and I’m not sure why anybody would be against it.

It was said thatGood risk management requires good...

It was said that:Good risk management requires good ethics; and good ethics require good risk management. Do you know the reason that good risk management and good ethics should work together? The report will begin with the definitions of these two fields. Firstly, Risk management is a process to make decisions which plan to minimize the business losses on an organization, and reduce the number or size of these losses. For ethics, it seems like a standard aiming to comply with certain rules or to achieve certain results in particular types of situations. Obviously, the relationship of them seems like two sides in one coin. Because an organization wants to manage its risks well, everyone who represents that organization must practice good†¦show more content†¦Meanwhile, it is urgent to pay attention to the Ethics in the risk management and tighten the connection between the Ethics and risk management in commercial bank. 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